1 Samuel 30:21

30:21-31 What God gives us, he designs we should do good with. In distributing the spoil, David was just and kind. Those are men of Belial indeed, who delight in putting hardships upon their brethren, and care not who is starved, so that they may be fed to the full. David was generous and kind to all his friends. Those who consider the Lord as the Giver of their abundance, will dispose of it with fairness and liberality.

And David came to the two hundred men,.... Left at the brook Besor: who were so faint that they could not follow David; or, as the Targum, were restrained from going over after him; either through faintness of spirits, and weakness of body, or through the order of David that they should not follow him; and which seems to receive some countenance from what follows: whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor; to guard the passage there, and to tarry by and keep the stuff: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him; to congratulate them upon the victory they had obtained, and to see and receive their wives and children, and what portion of the spoil might be divided to them: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them; asked them of their welfare, whether they were in better health, and recovered of their faintness and weakness, as it should seem they were, by their coming forth to meet him.

1 Samuel 30:21-22 . He saluted them — He spoke kindly to them, and did not blame them because they went no further with them. We will not give them aught of the spoil — This was the resolution of such as feared not God, nor regarded man; and it was as ungenerous and unjust as it was unkind; for their brethren had stayed behind, not from choice, but from mere necessity, being unable to travel further.

Verses 21, 22. - On returning David finds the 200 stragglers, whom they had made to abide at the brook Besor. Rather, "whom he had, made to abide," as it was David's office to give such a command. The singular is supported by all the versions except the Chaldee, and by some MSS. David had made such men as were growing weary halt at the torrent, because it was a fit place where to collect the stragglers, and also, perhaps, because it would have required time and labour to get the baggage across. All the more wicked and worthless (see on 1 Samuel 1:16) members of the force now propose to give the 200, only their wives and children, and send them away with no share of the spoil. Besides the sheep and oxen given to David, there would be camels and other animals, arms, gold and silver, clothing, and other personal property. 1 Samuel 30:21

The meaning is, "and David took all the sheep and oxen which the Amalekites drove" (i. e. had in their possession) "before that acquisition of cattle" (namely, before what they took in their raid to the south), "and they" (the people) "said, This is David's spoil." This was his share as captain of the band (compare Judges 8:24-26 ). All the other plunder of the camp - arms, ornaments, jewels, money, clothes, camels, accoutrements, and so on - was divided among the little army. David's motive in choosing the sheep and oxen for himself was to make presents to his friends in Judah 1 Samuel 30:26-31 .

21. David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow—This unexpected accession of spoil was nearly proving an occasion of quarrel through the selfish cupidity of some of his followers, and serious consequences might have ensued had they not been prevented by the prudence of the leader, who enacted it as a standing ordinance—the equitable rule—that all the soldiers should share alike (see Nu 31:11; see on [254]Nu 31:25).

10 . abode behind ] Stayed , as in 1 Samuel 30:9 . The condensed expression of the last clause of 1 Samuel 30:9 is explained by 1 Samuel 30:10 . were so faint ] A verb found only here and in 1 Samuel 30:21 , connected with a substantive meaning a corpse; as we should say, they were dead-beat . 1 Samuel 30:10

66 The Advocatejbip David, 1 Sam. 12. la, 1 1, 14/ and as the Corin* tbians had, that*s the Queftion. True, thou fhalc be compleatly fav'd at laft,but yet whether 'ds nou beft to leave thee a Memento of God's Difpleafore at thy Sin, by awarding, that theSm>rdJhall ne^er* deftirffrom thy Hdtfe^ or that fomc fore Sickneis or ot]^cr Diftrefles (hall haunt thee as long as thoi^' * liveft, or perhapsthat thou fhalt walk mthout tbe^ light of God's Countenanee for fever al Tears and 4^ Day. Now, if anyof thefe three things happen to^ thee, thou muft exercife Patience, and wait j thuf" did David, I waited fatientls' ; and again he exer-j cifcs his Soul in this Virtue, faying, My Soul^wait^ thou only upon him, for my Expe^ation is from him^, Pfal. 62. 5. For novo we are judj^ed of the Lord^thaf-. we may not be condemy^d with the Wwld : And by this Judgment, tho' it fets us free from their dam- 1 nation, yetwc arc involved in many troubles, atul j Eerhaps muft wait many a Day before we cafrj now that (as to the main) the Verdid hath gone^^ on our fide. Thus therefore, in order to thy wai*. ting on him without fainting, it is meet that thott Ihouldft know the Methods of him that managei thy Caufe for thee in Heaven ; and fuffer not Diftruft to break in and bear fway in thy Soul, fe he will at length bring thee forth to thelioht, ani thou /halt behold his !{ighteou/hefs. She alfo that it thine EnetTiy fhaS fee it, and Shame p^nli cover her that faid unto thee, P^ere is thy God ?