I Samuel 30:24
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Who will listen to your proposal? The share of the one who went to battle will match the share of the one who stayed with the supplies. They will share alike.”
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
When David was dismissed from the army of the Philistines he did not go over to the camp of Israel, but, being expelled by Saul, observed an exact neutrality, and silently retired to his own city Ziklag, leaving the armies ready to engage. Now here we are told, I. What a melancholy posture he found the city in, all laid waste by the Amalekites, and what distress it occasioned him and his men (Sa1 30:1-6). II. What course he took to recover what he had lost. He enquired of God, and took out a commission from him (Sa1 30:7, Sa1 30:8), pursued the enemy (Sa1 30:9, Sa1 30:10), gained intelligence from a straggler (Sa1 30:11-15), attacked and routed the plunderers (Sa1 30:16, Sa1 30:17), and recovered all that they had carried off (Sa1 30:18-20). III. What method he observed in the distribution of the spoil (Sa1 30:21-31).
Open source ↗30:24 share and share alike: Cp. Num 31:25-47, where Moses divided the plunder of war between those who fought and the rest of the people.
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Then divide the captives between the troops who went out to battle and the rest of the congregation.
saying, “Return to your homes with your great wealth, with immense herds of livestock, with silver, gold, bronze, iron, and very many clothes. Divide with your brothers the spoil of your enemies.”
“Kings and their armies flee in haste; she who waits at home divides the plunder.
And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.