6 and David hath great distress, for the people have said to stone him, for the soul of all the people hath been bitter, each for his sons and for his daughters; and David doth strengthen himself in Jehovah his God.
7 And David saith unto Abiathar the priest, son of Ahimelech, 'Bring nigh, I pray thee, to me the ephod;' and Abiathar bringeth nigh the ephod unto David, 8 and David asketh at Jehovah, saying, 'I pursue after this troop—do I overtake it?' And He saith to him, 'Pursue, for thou dost certainly overtake, and dost certainly deliver.' 9 And David goeth on, he and six hundred men who 'are' with him, and they come in unto the brook of Besor, and those left have stood still, 10 and David pursueth, he and four hundred men, (and two hundred men stand still who have been too faint to pass over the brook of Besor), 11 and they find a man, an Egyptian, in the field, and take him unto David, and give to him bread, and he eateth, and they cause him to drink water, 12 and give to him a piece of a bunch of dried figs, and two bunches of raisins, and he eateth, and his spirit returneth unto him, for he hath not eaten bread nor drunk water three days and three nights. 13 And David saith to him, 'Whose 'art' thou? and whence 'art' thou?' And he saith, 'An Egyptian youth I 'am', servant to a man, an Amalekite, and my lord forsaketh me, for I have been sick three days, 14 we pushed 'to' the south of the Cherethite, and against that which 'is' to Judah, and against the south of Caleb, and Ziklag we burned with fire.' 15 And David saith unto him, 'Dost thou bring me down unto this troop?' and he saith, 'Swear to me by God—thou dost not put me to death, nor dost thou shut me up into the hand of my lord—and I bring thee down unto this troop.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 30:6-15
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.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 30:7-15
(Read 1 Samuel 30:7-15)
If in all our ways, even when, as in this case, there can be no doubt they are just, we acknowledge God, we may expect that he will direct our steps, as he did those of David. David, in tenderness to his men, would by no means urge them beyond their strength. The Son of David thus considers the frames of his followers, who are not all alike strong and vigorous in their spiritual pursuits and conflicts; but, where we are weak, there he is kind; nay more, there he is strong, 2 Corinthians 12:9,10. A poor Egyptian lad, scarcely alive, is made the means of a great deal of good to David. Justly did Providence make this poor servant, who was basely used by his master, an instrument in the destruction of the Amalekites; for God hears the cry of the oppressed. Those are unworthy the name of true Israelites, who shut up their compassion from persons in distress. We should neither do an injury nor deny a kindness to any man; some time or other it may be in the power of the lowest to return a kindness or an injury.