1 Samuel 30:1– 15 David’s Wives Captured by the Amalekites, Part 1

[Study Aired August 24, 2026]

Our study today focuses on the fiery trial of David and his men as their wives and children and all their possession were taken away by the Amalekites during David’s absence in Ziklag, when they joined the Philistines to battle the Israelites. As we saw in the previous study, the lords of the Philistines were not comfortable with David and his men joining them in battle against the Israelites and therefore, insisted that Achish should let them go back. 

When David and his men returned to Ziklag, they found that the place had been burned down with their wives and children, together with their livestock taken away by the Amalekites. David and his men wept sore, but the Lord strengthened David to pursue the Amalekites, having the confidence through an ephod, ministered by Abiathar, that they shall recover all that were taken by the Amalekites.

David and his men finally encountered the Amalekites and defeated them as they retrieved all that were taken from them. The Lord is indeed a restorer. 

Jer 30:17  For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after. 
Jer 30:18  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

David’s Wives Are Captured

1Sa 30:1  And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire; 

The fact that David and his men came to Ziklag after three days to find the place burned down shows us that it is through the process of judgment that we become spiritually mature (the spiritual significance of the number three). Therefore, what happened to David and his men as they found out that all that they had worked for had been taken away, was for their spiritual growth in Christ. We mature spiritually through the Lord’s judgment or suffering. Our maturity in Christ is measured by what we are becoming in terms of our obedience to Christ. 

1Pe 4:1  Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin;
1Pe 4:2  That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.

The Amalekites were the descendants of Amalek, the grandson of Esau. They therefore represent our flesh. It is important to note in verse 1 that the Amalekites invaded the southern parts of the place they visited, together with Ziklag. Living in the south implies being influenced by the sea of our flesh. Ziklag means ‘winding’ and it signifies those whose minds are winding and therefore do not stay focused on Christ. Such people are also susceptible to the dominion of their flesh. David and his men dwelling in Ziklag therefore shows us that at that time, he and his men were of the flesh, just as we were of the flesh at a certain stage of our walk in Christ.

Rom 8:5  For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.
Rom 8:6  For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. 

David and his men came to find Ziklag, their dwelling place, destroyed by fire. It indicates that as the Lord’s elect, we must go through the fire of the Lord or His judgment in order to be delivered from our flesh. 

1Sa 30:2  And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. 
1Sa 30:3  So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. 

The wives being taken captive implies that the church systems of this world or Babylon are all dominated by the flesh. The great and small and the sons refer to all humanity who are carried away by the flesh. 

Rev 13:16  And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17  And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 

1Sa 30:4  Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. 

David and his people lifting their voices and weeping until they had no power to weep signifies that going through the Lord’s judgment or suffering is not an easy experience. We all come to our wits’ end during the Lord’s judgment of our flesh. 

Psa 107:25  For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. 
Psa 107:26  They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. 
Psa 107:27  They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits’ end. 
Psa 107:28  Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. 
Psa 107:29  He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. 
Psa 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 
Psa 107:31  Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 

1Sa 30:5  And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. 

The mention of David’s two wives in relation to their captives by the Amalekites shows us that it is an established fact that as the Lord’s elect, we must be in Babylon before the Lord comes to deliver us to become part of the church of the firstborn.

2Co 13:1  This is the third time I am coming to you. In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established.  

Jer 24:5  Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. 
Jer 24:6  For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land: and I will build them, and not pull them down; and I will plant them, and not pluck them up. 
Jer 24:7  And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart. 

David Sought Help from the Lord

1Sa 30:6  And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
1Sa 30:7  And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David. 

What David and his men went through as they faced the Lord’s judgment is to remind us of the suffering that we go through as the Lord’s elect in this age, which destroys our flesh and makes us conform to the image of Christ. This is what David had to say about the benefits of being judged by the Lord in this age:

Psa 119:67  Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. 
Psa 119:68  Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. 

Psa 119:71  It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. 

Psa 119:75  I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me. 
Psa 119:76  Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant. 

Psa 119:100  I understand more than the ancients, because I keep thy precepts. 
Psa 119:101  I have refrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep thy word. 
Psa 119:102  I have not departed from thy judgments: for thou hast taught me. 
Psa 119:103  How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! 
Psa 119:104  Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way. 

Verse 7 shows us another benefit of being under the Lord’s judgment. It causes us to seek Him earnestly. 

Hos 5:15  I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me. 

Isa 26:9  My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. 

1Sa 30:8  And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all. 

As David enquired of the Lord, he was assured that he shall recover all that was taken by the Amalekites without fail. This assurance is another way of saying that when we go through the fire, we shall not be hurt. 

Isa 43:1  But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. 
Isa 43:2  When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. 
Isa 43:3  For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
Isa 43:4  Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life. 
Isa 43:5  Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; 

1Sa 30:9  So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed. 
1Sa 30:10  But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor. 

These verses highlight the fact that as the Lord’s elect, we all start our walk as mere men, as signified by the number six hundred (6x10x10). The number six is the number of man, and the number ten shows the fullness of our flesh. The fact that there are two tens is to remind us that in spite of the fullness of our flesh, we are still the Lord’s witnesses as we journey in this life to overcome the flesh.  What distinguishes us from the people of this world, including our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world, is the brook in verse 9, which signifies the truth of the word of the Lord. The name Besor means ‘cheerful’, and this cheerfulness is the joy that is set before us as our understanding of the word of the Lord is enlightened. That is what motivates us in our pursuit to become overcomers of our flesh (Amalekites).

Heb 12:2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he (Moses) had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 

The fact that two hundred stayed at the brook and four hundred continued the pursuit of the Amalekites indicates that we are all given different talents – some have five and others have two talent. These talents refer to the capabilities that the Lord has given to us to help us minister to one another in this journey of faith.

Rom 12:3  For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
Rom 12:4  For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 
Rom 12:5  So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 
Rom 12:6  Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 
Rom 12:7  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 
Rom 12:8  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.

In the final analysis, we all receive the same reward. As we shall see further in this study of 1 Samuel chapter 30, those who stayed by the brook and those who went further to war against the Amalekites were all given the same reward. 

Mat 25:14  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 
Mat 25:15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 
Mat 25:16  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 
Mat 25:17  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 
Mat 25:18  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 
Mat 25:19  After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 
Mat 25:20  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 
Mat 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 
Mat 25:22  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 
Mat 25:23  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Encountering the Egyptian

1Sa 30:11  And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water; 
1Sa 30:12  And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights. 

The Egyptian being in the field signifies the people of this world. The fact that for three days and three nights, he had not eaten nor drank water shows us what the Lord is doing in this age regarding the people of this world. They are going through the process of being starved of the truth of the word of the Lord in this age. This starvation of the truth is through the strong delusion that the Lord has sent to all that do not believe including our brothers and sisters in Babylon.

2Th 2:10  And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 
2Th 2:11  And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 
2Th 2:12  That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.  

In verse 12, the man’s spirit came again to him after eating a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. This signifies that in the fullness of time, the Lord’s elect shall minister the word of the Lord to all humanity to be saved. 

Rom 11:30  For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 
Rom 11:31  Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 
Rom 11:32  For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.   

In another perspective, David and his men giving food to the Egyptian points to the fact that as His elect, we must do good to all humanity. 

Gal 6:9  And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 
Gal 6:10  So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. 

1Sa 30:13  And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick. 

The man being an Egyptian and servant to an Amalekite implies that when we are of the world, we are under the dominion of our flesh. Since our flesh is under the control of the devil, we are under the domain of the devil when we are of this world. In other words, the devil is our father when we are ruled by our flesh. 

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

As indicated earlier, the Egyptian being sick for three days where he had not taken in any food means that he was going through the process of being blinded by the devil, lest the glorious gospel of Christ should shine on him. We were in this situation when we were in the churches of this world until Christ came to us, just as David and his men came across this Egyptian.  

2Co 4:3  But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 
2Co 4:4  In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 

The fact that the master abandoned the Egyptian after three days when he fell sick means that the devil does not waste his time on those that he had already captured through the flesh. In this case, it takes Christ, working through His elect, to disarm the devil and to release the man from his captivity.   

Luk 11:21  When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace:
Luk 11:22  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

1Sa 30:14  We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire. 

The Egyptian, as part of the Amalekites, invaded the south of the Cherethites, the coast of Judah and the south of Caleb. It is instructive to note that in all these cities raided, it was the southern parts that were taken by the Amalekites. The south represents those who are close to the sea of our flesh. These cities signify our walk in the churches of this world when we were influenced or overwhelmed by our flesh, culminating in the Lord coming to start judging us by destroying the winding (Ziklag) path of our old man or flesh with the fire of His word. 

Ezekiel 24:14 “I, the LORD, have spoken. The time has come for me to act. I will not hold back; I will not have pity, nor will I relent. According to your ways and your deeds, I will judge you, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Ezekiel 7:3 “Now the end is upon you, and I will send my anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, and I will punish you for all your abominations.” 

1Sa 30:15  And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company. 

Here in verse 15, we see that it was the Egyptian, a servant of an Amalekite, that led David and his men to the Amalekites who took away their possessions, to begin the recovery process. It signifies that the zeal of our flesh helps us to some extent in our initial walk with Christ. For example, when the Lord appeared to Abraham to leave Ur, it was Abraham’s father Terah (His own flesh), who brought Abraham as far as Haran, but not to the promised land of Canaan.  

Gen 11:31  And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

Isa 60:1  Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. 
Isa 60:2  For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 

Isa 60:5  Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

May the Lord be merciful to us even as we go through the fiery trials of this life in this age. Amen!!