The Amalekites in David’s absence spoil Ziklag, and carry away the people and his two wives captives, 1-6. David asking counsel is encouraged by God to pursue them, 7-10. By the means of an Egyptian, who was left behind, he is brought to the enemies, and recovereth all the spoil, and spoileth them, 11-20; makes an order for the dividing the prey, 21-25; sendeth presents to his friends, 26-31.
Thomas Brooks' An Ark for All God's Noahs: 'A man can no sooner come to enjoy an earthly portion, but other men's fingers itch to be a-fingering of his portion, as daily experience doth sufficiently evidence. But God is a portion that the fire cannot burn, nor the floods cannot drown, nor the thief cannot steal, nor the enemy cannot sequester, nor the soldier cannot plunder a Christian of. A man may take away my gold from me, but he cannot take away my God from me. The Chaldeans and the Sabeans could take away Job's estate from him, but they could not take away Job's God from him, Job 1. And the Amalekites burnt Ziklag, and robbed David o…
Matthew Henry: 'When David was dismissed from the army of the Philistines he did not go over to the camp of Israel, but, being expelled by Saul, observed an exact neutrality, and silently retired to his own city Ziklag, leaving the armies ready to engage. Now here we are told, I. What a melancholy posture he found the city in, all laid waste by the Amalekites, and what distress it occasioned him and his men, verses 1-6. II. What course he took to recover what he had lost. He enquired of God, and took out a commission from him (verses 7-8), pursued the enemy (verses 9-10), gained intelligence from a straggler (verses 11-15), attacked and routed the plunderers (verses 16-17)…
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