1 Samuel 30:11 Commentary and Bible Study

A further test of faith is that, although a large gathering of men leaves some trace of their movement, the trail had gone cold, and they had no idea where the Amalekites were. Although there are many of them, perhaps they took more than one route to where they were heading. But they were confused, and the verses show they were lost with regard to pursuing and following this great host. How was this rescue ever going to be brought about? But now David is renewed in faith and so are many of the others, and God provides guidance.‘And they found in Egyptian in the field and brought into David, and gave him bread and he did eat, and they made him bring drink water.’ They have found a young Egyptian in the field, and they bring him to David. At first they had no idea that this Egyptian, this young man as he turned out to be, was part of the Amalekites party. It turns out that he hadn't eaten or drunk anything for three days. An act of compassion solves the problem, and great good comes out of saving the life of an Egyptian they just happen to find. It even gives the details: a cake of figs, two clusters of raisins and bread and water. But the man revived, ‘And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou?’ ‘I am a young man of Egypt,’ the servant of an Amalekite who he seems to be terrified of. He has got two problems. A little later, he says to David, ‘Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master’, almost as though they are equal bad fates. ‘I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.’ And then he says, ‘We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.’ He knows about the invasion, and he also knew where the base was that they had worked from. ^‘And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company?’ He asked for his life, and then he leads them. He knows the route they had come to Ziklag by, and he can find the way back. He is quite smart, this young Egyptian, even though he has just been revived. He knows David is an Israelite, and so uses Israelite language. ‘He said, swear unto me by God’ – singular God, Israelite God – ‘that thou wilt neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master’ – he knows, all of a sudden, how to be a monotheist – ‘and I will bring thee down to this company, and he brought them.’