3 When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
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.
3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
3 By the time David and his men entered the village, it had been burned to the ground, and their wives, sons, and daughters all taken prisoner.
3 So David and his men came to the city, and there it was, burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.
3 When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 30:3
Commentary on 1 Samuel 30:1-6
(Read 1 Samuel 30:1-6)
When we go abroad in the way of our duty, we may comfortably hope that God will take care of our families in our absence, but not otherwise. If, when we come off a journey, we find our abode in peace, and not laid waste, as David here found his, let the Lord be praised for it. David's men murmured against him. Great faith must expect such severe trials. But, observe, that David was brought thus low, only just before he was raised to the throne. When things are at the worst with the church and people of God, then they begin to mend. David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. His men fretted at their loss, the soul of the people was bitter; their own discontent and impatience added to the affliction and misery. But David bore it better, though he had more reason than any of them to lament it. They gave liberty to their passions, but he set his graces to work; and while they dispirited each other, he, by encouraging himself in God, kept his spirit calm. Those who have taken the Lord for their God, may take encouragement from him in the worst times.