formally attached to 1Sa 30:3, “so David and his men came,” with which the protasis commenced in 1Sa 30:1 is resumed in an altered form. “It came to pass, when David and his men came to Ziklag ... the Amalekites had invaded ... and had carried off the wives ... and had gone their way, and David and his men came into the town (for 'when David and his men came,' etc.), and behold it was burned ... . Then David and the people with him lifted up their voice.” “On the third day:” after David's dismission by Achish, not after David's departure from Ziklag. David had at any rate gone with Achish beyond Gath, and had not been sent back till the whole of the princes of the Philistines had united their armies (1Sa 29:2.), so that he must have been absent from Ziklag more than two days, or two days and a half. This is placed beyond all doubt by 1Sa 30:11., since the Amalekites are there described as having gone off with their booty three days before David followed them, and therefore they had taken Ziklag and burned it three days before David's return. These foes had therefore taken advantage of the absence of David and his warriors, to avenge themselves for David's invasions and plunderings (1Sa 27:8). Of those who were carried off, “the women” alone expressly mentioned in 1Sa 30:2, although the female population and all the children had been removed, as we may see from the expression “small and great” (1Sa 30:3, 1Sa 30:6). The lxx were therefore correct, so far as the sense is concerned, in introducing the words καὶ πάντα before בּהּ עשׁר. “They had killed no one, but (only) carried away.” נהג, to carry away captive, as in Isa 20:4. Among those who had been carried off were David's two wives, Ahinoam and Abigail (vid., 1Sa 25:42-43; 1Sa 27:3).
Verses 6-10
David was greatly distressed in consequence; “for the people thought ('said,' sc., in their hearts) to stone him,” because they sought the occasion of their calamity in his connection with Achish, with which many of his adherents may very probably have been dissatisfied. “For the soul of the whole people was embittered (i.e., all the people were embittered in their souls) because of their sons and daughters,” who had been carried away into slavery. “But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God,” i.e., sought consolation and strength in prayer and believing confidence in the Lord (1Sa 30:7.). This strength he manifested in the resolution to follow the foes and rescue their
