1 Samuel 30:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.

NIV: and had taken captive the women and everyone else in it, both young and old. They killed none of them, but carried them off as they went on their way.

NASB: and they took captive the women and all who were in it, from the small to the great, without killing anyone, and drove them off and went their way.

CSB: They also had kidnapped the women and everyone in it from youngest to oldest. They had killed no one but had carried them off as they went on their way.

NLT: They had carried off the women and children and everyone else but without killing anyone.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

First Samuel 30:1–15 describes Amalekite revenge. David and his men have been raiding Israel's enemies, including the Amalekites. Whatever city David's men attack, they leave no survivors (1 Samuel 27:8–11). While David and his men are away, other Amalekites strike back, kidnapping the Israelites' families. Under God's guidance, David's soldiers will rescue their wives and children (1 Samuel 30:16–31).

David and his men return home to find their city burned and their families gone. Amalekite raiders have taken them captive. The mood is dark, but David insists on trusting the Lord's promise that their people will be rescued. After being revived from near-starvation, an Egyptian slave abandoned by the Amalekites leads David and his men to the raiders. David’s wives and all the families are rescued, and David sends of the massive plunder the Amalekites had acquired to the people of the cities of Judah.

David and his men return from the ranks of the Philistine troops gathering for war (1 Samuel 29). They find their city is burnt and all their people are gone. David and his men attack the raiders, rescue their families alive, and kill every enemy except for 400 who escape on camelback. David sends some of the plunder to the cities of Judah. Meanwhile, King Saul dies in battle (1 Samuel 31). Before long, the leaders of Judah will anoint David king (2 Samuel 2:1–4).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.

Accessed 10/17/2025 11:20:01 PM