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1 Samuel 30:12

in 1 Samuel 30

a piece of a fig cake and two clusters of raisins. So he ate and was revived, for he had not had any food or water for three days and three nights.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

KJV

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

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This verse in 1 Samuel 30

Commentary

9 notes on this verse

A commentator

Gregory the Dialogist

Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 36 · Written before 604.

The poor and the feeble, the blind and the lame, are called and come because the weak and the despised in this world are often quicker to hear the voice of God, as in this world they have nothing to delight them.The Egyptian servant of the Amalekites is a good example of this. When the Amalekites were plundering and moving about, he was left behind on the road sick and fainting from hunger and thirst.

This site's exposition

an Egyptian in the field

on 1 Samuel 30:11-13

An Amalekite master leaves a sick servant to die in the open, three days without bread or water, and David's men feed him before they question him. The contrast is plain without being stated: Amalek abandons what it no longer needs, and David's camp gives bread first and asks its questions after. The Egyptian's own account at verse fourteen supplies the geography no other verse gives for this raid.

The record, by era

The Medieval Church1 voice

A commentator

Bede

Commentary on Samuel · Written before 735.

proposed

Who, when he had eaten, etc. When he had received the nourishment of the true faith, he also received the confidence of mind by which he would hope to obtain the grace of mercy.

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

And they gave him a piece of cake of figs,.... That were dried and pressed together, and made into cakes: and two clusters of raisins; or dried grapes, as the Targum: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; he seemed to be quite dispirited, almost lifeless, but upon eating some food he was refreshed, and his spirits revived, and he was capable of conversing: for he had eaten no bread, nor drank any water, three days and three nights; that is, one whole day, and part of two days, as appears from 1Sa 30:13.

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

Three days and nights - One whole day and part of two others, as appears from the next verse, where he saith, three days ago I fell sick, but in the Hebrew it is, this is the third day since I fell sick.

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

Those are unworthy the name of Israelites who shut up the bowels of their compassion from persons in distress. It was also prudently done to relieve this Egyptian; for, though despicable, he was capable of doing them service: so it proved, though they were not certain of this when they relieved him.

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David--Old and homeborn slaves are usually treated with great kindness. But a purchased or captured slave must look to himself; for, if feeble or sick, his master will leave him to perish rather than encumber himself with any additional burden.

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase

2 more voices on this verse

The Nineteenth Century2 voices

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

A cake of figs - See on 1Sa 25:18 (note).
Three days and three nights - Indicating that at least so long a time had elapsed since the sack of Ziklag.

The words behind it

21 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַיִּתְּנוּ־and they gave

    vaiyitenu-H5414 →2011 times

  • לוֹ֩to <the> him

    lo

  • פֶ֨לַחa slice of

    felachH6400 →

  • דְּבֵלָ֜הfig cake

    develahH1690 →

  • וּשְׁנֵ֤יand two

    usheneiH8147 →768 times

  • צִמֻּקִים֙bunches of raisins

    tzimukimH6778 →

  • וַיֹּ֔אכַלand he ate

    vaiyokhalH398 →810 times

  • וַתָּ֥שָׁבand it returned

    vatashovH7725 →1056 times

  • רוּח֖וֹspirit his

    ruchoH7307 →378 times

  • אֵלָ֑יוto him

    ʾelavH413 →5510 times

  • כִּ֠יfor

    kiH3588 →4482 times

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • אָ֤כַלhe had eaten

    ʾakhalH398 →810 times

  • לֶ֙חֶם֙food

    lechemH3899 →298 times

  • וְלֹא־and not

    velo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • שָׁ֣תָהhe had drunk

    shatahH8354 →217 times

  • מַ֔יִםwater

    mayimH4325 →581 times

  • שְׁלֹשָׁ֥הthree

    sheloshahH7969 →432 times

  • יָמִ֖יםdays

    yamimH3117 →2304 times

  • וּשְׁלֹשָׁ֥הand three

    usheloshahH7969 →432 times

  • לֵילֽוֹת׃ סnights

    leilotH3915 →233 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

Related verses

10 in all, six open

The number beside each verse is how many compiled reference works tie it to this one. The strongest six stand open.

Judges 15:19So God opened up the hollow place in Lehi, and water came out of it. When Samson drank, his strength returned, and he was revived. That is why he named it En-hakkore, and it remains in Lehi to this day.5 works1 Samuel 14:27Jonathan, however, had not heard that his father had charged the people with the oath. So he reached out the end of the staff in his hand, dipped it into the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened.3 worksActs 9:19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.3 worksGenesis 45:27However, when they relayed all that Joseph had told them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob was revived.3 worksMatthew 27:63“Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’2 worksIsaiah 40:29–31He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.2 works
The other 4 cross-references, with their words ▾
Esther 4:16“Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast as you do. After that, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish!”2 worksJonah 1:17Now the LORD had appointed a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah spent three days and three nights in the belly of the fish.2 works1 Samuel 30:13Then David asked him, “To whom do you belong, and where are you from?” “I am an Egyptian,” he replied, “the slave of an Amalekite. My master abandoned me three days ago when I fell ill.2 worksJudges 19:5On the fourth day, they got up early in the morning and prepared to depart, but the girl’s father said to his son-in-law, “Refresh your heart with a morsel of bread, and then you can go.”2 works

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Esther 4:16

    “Go and assemble all the Jews who can be found in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, and I and my maidens will fast…

    it leads to

    • Acts 20:24

      But I consider my life of no value to me, if only I may finish my course and complete the ministry I have received from the Lord Jesus—the ministry of testifying to the good…

    • 2 Chronicles 20:3

      Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD. And he proclaimed a fast throughout Judah.

    • Joel 2:12–17

      “Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “return to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping, and mourning.”

    • Luke 9:24

      For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.

    • Genesis 18:19

      For I have chosen him, so that he will command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, in order that…

  • Through

    Matthew 27:63

    “Sir,” they said, “we remember that while He was alive that deceiver said, ‘After three days I will rise again.’

    it leads to

    • Luke 9:22

      “The Son of Man must suffer many things,” He said. “He must be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and He must be killed and on the third day be raised to…

    • Matthew 16:21

      From that time on Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must…

    • John 2:19

      Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

About 1 Samuel

David Slays Goliath, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
David Slays Goliath, Gustave Doré, 1866. Public domain.
1 Samuel: the study guide →Read 1 Samuel 30 →
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory the Dialogist, Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 36; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.

Read on in 1 Samuel 30 →