וַיְהִי בְּבֹא דָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו צִקְלַג בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וַעֲמָלֵקִי פָשְׁטוּ אֶל נֶגֶב וְאֶל צִקְלַג וַיַּכּוּ אֶת צִקְלַג וַיִּשְׂרְפוּ אֹתָהּ בָּאֵשׁ

It was when David and his men arrived in Tziklag on the third day, as it took time for them to travel from Tziklag to Gat, and from there to Yizre’el with Akhish, and then all the way back, they discovered that the Amalekite had raided the South and Tziklag, where only women and children remained, and they had smitten Tziklag and burned it with fire.

וַיִּשְׁבּוּ אֶת הַנָּשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּהּ מִקָּטֹן וְעַד גָּדוֹל לֹא הֵמִיתוּ אִישׁ וַיִּנְהֲגוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ לְדַרְכָּם

They had taken the women who were in it captive, from small to great; they had not put anyone to death, but they led them off, the captives and the plunder, and went on their way.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו אֶל הָעִיר וְהִנֵּה שְׂרוּפָה בָּאֵשׁ וּנְשֵׁיהֶם וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנֹתֵיהֶם נִשְׁבּוּ

David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives, their sons, and their daughters had been taken captive.

וַיִּשָּׂא דָוִד וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ אֶת קוֹלָם וַיִּבְכּוּ עַד אֲשֶׁר אֵין בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לִבְכּוֹת

David and the people who were with him raised their voice and wept until they had no strength to weep. Everything had been taken from them, their families and all their property.

ושְׁתֵּי נְשֵׁי דָוִד נִשְׁבּוּ אֲחִינֹעַם הַיִּזְרְעֵלִית וַאֲבִיגַיִל אֵשֶׁת נָבָל הַכַּרְמְלִי

David’s two wives had also been taken captive: Ahino’am the Yizre’elite, and Avigayil, formerly wife of Naval the Carmelite.

וַתֵּצֶר לְדָוִד מְאֹד כִּי אָמְרוּ הָעָם לְסָקְלוֹ כִּי מָרָה נֶפֶשׁ כָּל הָעָם אִישׁ עַל בָּנָיו וְעַל בְּנֹתָיו וַיִּתְחַזֵּק דָּוִד בַּה' אֱלֹהָיו

David was greatly distressed, as in addition to his personal grief, the people were saying to stone him, for the soul of all the people was embittered, each man over his sons and over his daughters. Even if this was not an actual rebellion, and though his men did not level any specific accusations against David, each of them was filled with rage and mourned for his loss, while pouring out the bitterness of his heart against his leader. This was the first time that they had complained to David in this manner; but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. He cleaved to God, trusted in Him, and was not dispirited.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן בֶּן אֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַגִּישָׁה נָּא לִי הָאֵפֹד וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֶבְיָתָר אֶת הָאֵפֹד אֶל דָּוִד

David said to Evyatar the priest, son of Ahimelekh the High Priest from Nov: Please, bring me the ephod, so that I can inquire of the Urim and the Tumim. And Evyatar brought the ephod to David.

וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּה' לֵאמֹר אֶרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה הַאַשִּׂגֶנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ רְדֹף כִּי הַשֵּׂג תַּשִּׂיג וְהַצֵּל תַּצִּיל

David inquired of the Lord, saying: Shall I pursue this troop that raided our camp? Will I overtake it? He said to him: Pursue, for you will overtake it, and moreover, you will rescue and recover all that was taken.

וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד הוּא וְשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד נַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר וְהַנּוֹתָרִים עָמָדוּ

David went, he, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the Besor Ravine, and those that generally remained behind, the weaker men who typically went last, stayed there.

וַיִּרְדֹּף דָּוִד הוּא וְאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מָאתַיִם אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר פִּגְּרוּ מֵעֲבֹר אֶת נַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר

David pursued onward, he and four hundred men, and the two hundred men who refrained from crossing the Besor Ravine stayed, as the crossing of the brook was too difficult for them.

וַיִּמְצְאוּ אִישׁ מִצְרִי בַּשָּׂדֶה וַיִּקְחוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל דָּוִד וַיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ לֶחֶם וַיֹּאכַל וַיַּשְׁקֻהוּ מָיִם

On the pursuit south, they, David’s men, found an Egyptian man lying exhausted in the field, and they took him to David, and they gave him bread, and he ate, and they gave him water to drink.

וַיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ פֶלַח דְּבֵלָה וּשְׁנֵי צִמֻּקִים וַיֹּאכַל וַתָּשָׁב רוּחוֹ אֵלָיו כִּי לֹא אָכַל לֶחֶם וְלֹא שָׁתָה מַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה לֵילוֹת

They gave him a piece of a cake of dried figs, and two clusters of raisins, and he ate and his spirit returned to him, for he had not eaten bread and not drunk water three days and three nights.

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ דָוִד לְמִי אַתָּה וְאֵי מִזֶּה אָתָּה וַיֹּאמֶר נַעַר מִצְרִי אָנֹכִי עֶבֶד לְאִישׁ עֲמָלֵקִי וַיַּעַזְבֵנִי אֲדֹנִי כִּי חָלִיתִי הַיּוֹם שְׁלֹשָׁה

David said to him, when the man had recovered: To whom do you belong and from where are you? He said: I am an Egyptian lad, slave to an Amalekite man, and my master abandoned me here in the field because I fell ill three days ago, and my master saw no reason to do anything to help me.

אֲנַחְנוּ פָּשַׁטְנוּ נֶגֶב הַכְּרֵתִי וְעַל אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה וְעַל נֶגֶב כָּלֵב וְאֶת צִקְלַג שָׂרַפְנוּ בָאֵשׁ

We raided the south of the Keretite, one of the Philistine provinces, named after their land of origin, Crete, that which is of Judah and the south of Caleb, the area in the South which was the inheritance of the descendants of Caleb, and we burned Tziklag with fire.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו דָּוִד הֲתוֹרִדֵנִי אֶל הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִּי בֵאלֹהִים אִם תְּמִיתֵנִי וְאִם תַּסְגִּרֵנִי בְּיַד אֲדֹנִי וְאוֹרִדְךָ אֶל הַגְּדוּד הַזֶּה

David said to him: Will you take me down to this troop? Will you help me find it? He, the man, fearing that he might be judged as a rebellious servant and thereby killed, said: Take an oath to me by God that you will surely not put me to death, and that you will surely not deliver me into the hand of my master, and I will take you down to this troop.

וַיֹּרִדֵהוּ וְהִנֵּה נְטֻשִׁים עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ אֹכְלִים וְשֹׁתִים וְחֹגְגִים בְּכֹל הַשָּׁלָל הַגָּדוֹל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ מֵאֶרֶץ פְּלִשְׁתִּים וּמֵאֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה

He took him down, and behold, they, the Amalekites, were scattered across the face of the entire land, in an open area, without any defenses, eating and drinking and celebrating with all the great spoils that they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. Presumably they were aware of the war being waged in the North, and therefore assumed that the South would be left unprotected, and they had planned their raid accordingly. Consequently, they were unconcerned about any immediate Philistine or Israelite retaliation.

וַיַּכֵּם דָּוִד מֵהַנֶּשֶׁף וְעַד הָעֶרֶב לְמָחֳרָתָם וְלֹא נִמְלַט מֵהֶם אִישׁ כִּי אִם אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ נַעַר אֲשֶׁר רָכְבוּ עַל הַגְּמַלִּים וַיָּנֻסוּ

David smote them from twilight, or from early in the morning, until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped except for four hundred lads, who rode on the camels, which they used for their wanderings, and fled upon them.

וַיַּצֵּל דָּוִד אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ עֲמָלֵק וְאֶת שְׁתֵּי נָשָׁיו הִצִּיל דָּוִד

David recovered everything that Amalek had taken, and David also delivered his two wives.

וְלֹא נֶעְדַּר לָהֶם מִן הַקָּטֹן וְעַד הַגָּדוֹל וְעַד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת וּמִשָּׁלָל וְעַד כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָקְחוּ לָהֶם הַכֹּל הֵשִׁיב דָּוִד

Nothing was missing for them, from small to great, whether sons or daughters, despite the vulnerability of young children, and from the spoils, to all that they had taken for them; David retrieved everything.

וַיִּקַּח דָּוִד אֶת כָּל הַצֹּאן וְהַבָּקָר נָהֲגוּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּקְנֶה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמְרוּ זֶה שְׁלַל דָּוִד

David took all the sheep and the cattle that had been plundered from other places. Tziklag had not been the main destination of the Amalekites’ campaign, but merely one of the cities they encountered along their way. They, David’s men, led them before that livestock, and they said, a declaration made at the head of the procession: These are the spoils of David, as he initiated the battle and he is the victor.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל מָאתַיִם הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר פִּגְּרוּ מִלֶּכֶת אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֹּשִׁיבֻם בְּנַחַל הַבְּשׂוֹר וַיֵּצְאוּ לִקְרַאת דָּוִד וְלִקְרַאת הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיִּגַּשׁ דָּוִד אֶת הָעָם וַיִּשְׁאַל לָהֶם לְשָׁלוֹם

David came to the two hundred men who had refrained from following David and whom he had situated, or placed them to guard, in the Besor Ravine, and they came out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. David approached the people who had remained there, and inquired after their well-being.

וַיַּעַן כָּל אִישׁ רָע וּבְלִיַּעַל מֵהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הָלְכוּ עִם דָּוִד וַיֹּאמְרוּ יַעַן אֲשֶׁר לֹא הָלְכוּ עִמִּי לֹא נִתֵּן לָהֶם מֵהַשָּׁלָל אֲשֶׁר הִצַּלְנוּ כִּי אִם אִישׁ אֶת אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת בָּנָיו וְיִנְהֲגוּ וְיֵלֵכוּ

Every evil and wicked man among the men who had gone with David spoke up, in a raised voice of protest, similar to the raised voice used by the wicked Naval the Carmelite (25:10), and said: Because they, the men who stayed behind, did not go with me to war, we will not give them from the spoils that we recovered, but only each man will receive his wife and his children, and they may lead them, their relatives returning from captivity, and then go to their homes.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ כֵן אֶחָי אֵת אֲשֶׁר נָתַן ה' לָנוּ וַיִּשְׁמֹר אֹתָנוּ וַיִּתֵּן אֶת הַגְּדוּד הַבָּא עָלֵינוּ בְּיָדֵנוּ

In sharp contrast to the rude, vociferous protest, David said, in a gentle tone: Do not do so, my brethren; do not keep the spoils for yourselves. They are not to be used for personal profit. You must not do this with that which the Lord has given us. He protected us, and He delivered the troop that came against us into our hand. It is God who defeated the Amalekites on our behalf.

וּמִי יִשְׁמַע לָכֶם לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי כְּחֵלֶק הַיֹּרֵד בַּמִּלְחָמָה וּכְחֵלֶק הַיֹּשֵׁב עַל הַכֵּלִים יַחְדָּו יַחֲלֹקוּ

Who will heed you in this matter? Your claim is unacceptable, for like the share of one who goes forth to war, so is the share of one who remains with the baggage to guard it; they shall share alike, and receive an equal portion.

וַיְהִי מֵהַיּוֹם הַהוּא וָמָעְלָה וַיְשִׂמֶהָ לְחֹק וּלְמִשְׁפָּט ליִשְׂרָאֵל עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

It was from that day onward, he, David, made it, the equal division of spoil between those who remained behind to guard the baggage and the fighters, as a statute and an ordinance for the army of Israel to this day.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִד אֶל צִקְלַג וַיְשַׁלַּח מֵהַשָּׁלָל לְזִקְנֵי יְהוּדָה לְרֵעֵהוּ לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה לָכֶם בְּרָכָה מִשְּׁלַל אֹיְבֵי ה'

David came back to Tziklag, he apparently rebuilt the city. David now possessed much plunder, as in addition to that which had been divided among the soldiers, the Amalekites had invaded various Israelite and Philistine cities throughout the South, and he sent from the spoils to the elders of Judah, to all those who were his friends, saying: Here is a gift for you from the spoils of the enemies of the Lord.

לַאֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית אֵל וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָמוֹת נֶגֶב וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּיַתִּר

The chapter provides a list of the places to which David sent his gifts. This passage is written in the form of a song, like other similar lists associated with victories: To those who were in Beit El, to those who were in Ramot of the South, and to those who were in Yatir;

וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲרֹעֵר וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּשִׂפְמוֹת וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּאֶשְׁתְּמֹעַ

to those who were in Aroer, to those who were in Sifmot, and to those who were in Eshtemoa;

וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּרָכָל וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַיְּרַחְמְאֵלִי וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּעָרֵי הַקֵּינִי

to those who were in Rakhal, to those who were in the cities of the Yerahme’elite, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenite;

וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחָרְמָה וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּבוֹר עָשָׁן וְלַאֲשֶׁר בַּעֲתָךְ

to those who were in Horma, to those who were in Bor Ashan, and to those who were in Atakh;

וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּחֶבְרוֹן וּלְכָל הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלֶּךְ שָׁם דָּוִד הוּא וַאֲנָשָׁיו

and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David had walked, he and his men. This division of the spoils would benefit David later on, when the tribe of Judah came to choose a king, as he had demonstrated that he considered his wars and victories as actions undertaken on behalf of the entire people.