1 Samuel 30:18 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 30:18 mean?

1 Samuel 30:18 describes the outcome of David’s pursuit of the Amalekites, who had raided Ziklag. David got back everything they had taken, including his two wives. The verse marks the success of the rescue after the loss that sent David and his men in pursuit.

The sentence moves from the whole recovery to the rescue of two particular people. David’s wives, Ahinoam and Abigail, had been among the captives taken from Ziklag (1 Samuel 30:5).

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 30:18

• “recovered” — נָצַל (natsal): The word can mean to deliver or snatch away from danger or another’s control. The same Hebrew word stands behind “rescued” later in the verse, linking the recovery of what was taken with the rescue of David’s wives.

Why 1 Samuel 30:18 matters

• The rescue answered a question David had asked before the pursuit. In 1 Samuel 30:8, David asked God whether he would overtake the raiders; the answer was that he would overtake them and recover what was taken.

• David’s wives were not the only people recovered. The next verse says that nothing was missing, including the sons and daughters who had been taken.