1 Samuel 30:3 kjv
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.
1 Samuel 30:3 nkjv
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.
1 Samuel 30:3 niv
When David and his men reached Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
1 Samuel 30:3 esv
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.
1 Samuel 30:3 nlt
When David and his men saw the ruins and realized what had happened to their families,
1 Samuel 30 3 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ps 42:3 | My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” | Deep grief and questioning God's presence. |
| Ps 137:1-3 | By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion… how can we sing the LORD's song in a foreign land? | Sorrow and loss experienced during captivity. |
| Job 1:20-21 | Then Job arose and tore his robe... The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. | Sudden and total loss accepted in worship. |
| Jer 13:17 | My eyes will weep bitterly, continually flowing, because the LORD’s flock has been taken captive. | Prophet's sorrow over the captivity of God's people. |
| Deut 28:47-48 | Because you did not serve the LORD... you shall serve your enemies... in hunger and thirst, in nakedness and lack of everything. | Consequences of disobedience leading to captivity. |
| Judg 5:11 | The sound of archers at the watering places... Then the people of the LORD went down to the gates. | Reminders of past battles and threats. |
| Isa 49:24-25 | Can the prey be taken from the mighty... For thus says the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken... and their prey rescued. | God's promise to free captives from oppressors. |
| Jer 30:10 | Fear not, O Jacob my servant... for behold, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. | Divine promise of future liberation for the captives. |
| Joel 3:6-7 | You have sold the people of Judah and Jerusalem to the Greeks... behold, I will rouse them from the place to which you have sold them. | Judgment on nations for selling captives. |
| Amos 1:6 | For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they carried away whole communities captive to deliver them to Edom. | Condemnation for enslaving communities. |
| 1 Sam 27:6-8 | So Achish gave him Ziklag that day... David and his men went up and made raids on the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. | David's temporary home and his prior actions. |
| 1 Sam 28:1-2 | In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war... I will surely make you my bodyguard for life. | David's alliance leading to his absence. |
| 1 Sam 29:1-11 | David and his men were marching in the rear... so David returned from the campaign to the land of the Philistines, to Ziklag. | Events immediately preceding the discovery. |
| 1 Sam 30:1-2 | When David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day... Ziklag had been attacked by the Amalekites and burned with fire, and their wives and sons... were carried off. | Immediate preceding verses, direct context. |
| 1 Sam 30:8 | And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” | David seeking God's guidance post-calamity. |
| Ps 23:4 | Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. | God's presence in times of despair. |
| Rom 8:28 | And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. | God's ultimate purpose in adversity. |
| Phil 4:6-7 | Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. | Responding to distress with prayer. |
| Gen 42:36 | Then Jacob their father said to them, “You have bereaved me of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and now you would take Benjamin.” | Parental grief over perceived loss of children. |
| Jer 31:15 | Thus says the LORD: “A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more.” | Profound grief over lost children. |
| Isa 1:7 | Your country is desolate; your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence; it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers. | Image of a land destroyed by an enemy. |
| Lk 19:43-44 | For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will build a barricade... and dash you to the ground... because you did not know the time of your visitation. | Prophecy of future devastation and judgment. |
| 1 Sam 15:2-3 | Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way... now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have.' | God's historical judgment on the Amalekites. |
| Exod 17:8-16 | Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim... The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation. | Enduring hostility between God and Amalek. |
1 Samuel 30 verses
1 Samuel 30 3 Meaning
David and his men, upon returning to Ziklag, found their city utterly destroyed by fire and their families—their wives, sons, and daughters—taken as captives by raiders. This verse captures the sudden and devastating reality of complete loss.
1 Samuel 30 3 Context
David, seeking refuge from Saul, had allied himself with Achish, the Philistine king of Gath, who granted him the city of Ziklag as a dwelling place. While in Ziklag, David used it as a base to conduct raids, feigning attacks on Judah but actually attacking other enemies like the Amalekites. In the immediate events leading to this verse, David and his men were summoned to join the Philistine army for a battle against Israel. However, at the last moment, the Philistine commanders, distrusting David, sent him and his men back to Ziklag. While David was away, the Amalekites, whom David had previously raided, launched a retaliatory surprise attack on Ziklag. This verse describes the horrific discovery David and his men made upon their return: their city burned to the ground and their entire families taken captive, revealing the complete and sudden loss they faced.
1 Samuel 30 3 Word analysis
- So David and his men: This emphasizes the shared nature of the experience and the collective impact on the leadership (David) and the followers. It was a communal tragedy.
- came to the city: Refers to Ziklag. Their return journey, specifically mentioned as being on the third day in the preceding verse (1 Sam 30:1), implies weariness and anticipation of rest, which was then shockingly shattered.
- and behold: The Hebrew word is hinnêh (הִנֵּה). This particle serves as an immediate, attention-grabbing interjection. It functions to convey surprise, suddenness, and to emphasize the startling and dreadful nature of the sight that met their eyes, heightening the emotional drama of the discovery.
- it was burned with fire: Hebrew: sĕrufa ba’ēsh (שְׂרוּפָה בָאֵשׁ). Sĕrufa is the passive participle "burned," denoting a completed and total state of destruction. Ba’ēsh means "by fire" or "with fire," identifying the destructive agent. This signifies a thorough, unsparing destruction that left nothing habitable or intact.
- and their wives and their sons and their daughters: This specific and exhaustive listing highlights the most grievous aspect of the catastrophe. The loss of property and home was secondary to the loss of their families – the foundational unit of society, crucial for lineage, continuity, and personal well-being. This was a direct, cruel blow to the very core of their existence and future.
- had been taken captive: Hebrew: shāvu (שָׁבוּ). This verbal form indicates that the action of taking them as prisoners had already been completed. This signifies a hostile and forcible removal, stripping the families of their freedom and implying an unknown, perilous fate, deepening the anguish and helplessness of the returning men.
Words-group analysis
- "it was burned with fire; and their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive": This entire clause presents a devastating panorama of loss in two key parts. Firstly, "it was burned with fire" describes the complete material ruin of their home and possessions, erasing their physical community. Secondly, the subsequent and far more profound loss of "their wives and their sons and their daughters had been taken captive" describes the personal and generational devastation. The conjunction "and" links these two forms of catastrophe, showcasing the absolute nature of the desolation they faced, impacting both their environment and their most cherished relationships. It highlights the completeness of the enemy's victory in that moment.
1 Samuel 30 3 Bonus section
The scene at Ziklag serves as a powerful reminder of the physical and psychological toll of ancient warfare, particularly raids that targeted civilian populations for plunder and enslavement rather than just territorial conquest. The specific listing of "wives, sons, and daughters" underscores that the primary valuable assets were people. The Amalekite's actions here fulfilled a long-standing pattern of hostility against Israel, going back to the Exodus, and reinforced the historical animosity God commanded Israel to remember (Deut 25:17-19). This incident forced David into a crisis of leadership, demonstrating his growth beyond relying solely on cunning or strength. The sudden emptiness and silence of the burned city, devoid of the familiar sounds of family and daily life, must have deeply amplified the shock for David and every man.
1 Samuel 30 3 Commentary
1 Samuel 30:3 marks a pivotal moment in David's life, forcing him to confront dire circumstances. Returning from an unwanted alliance with the Philistines, he faced utter devastation orchestrated by the Amalekites. This verse depicts not just property loss, but the agonizing realization that their entire families had been carried off. The shock and sorrow experienced by David and his men were so profound that it brought them to the brink of rebellion against David himself (1 Sam 30:4-6). However, this severe trial served as a crucible for David’s faith. Instead of yielding to despair or human solutions, he chose to "strengthen himself in the LORD his God" (1 Sam 30:6) and seek divine counsel for his next steps. The incident highlights God's mysterious hand, allowing severe hardship to bring about a greater reliance on Him, ultimately preparing David for his kingship by solidifying his dependence on God’s will and strength rather than his own strategies or alliances. This catastrophe also served as a clear consequence of aligning too closely with foreign powers, even if for strategic reasons, and demonstrated the constant threat posed by God's historical enemies like the Amalekites.