Daily Tanach Shmuel 1 Chapter 30 Part 2 – Dovid annihilates the enemy

1.      Dovid annihilates the enemy:

• Dovid and his men attacked them from the evening until the next night and not one man escaped with the exception to 400 young men who were riding on camels and fled. [These men were the reincarnations of the 400 men who had escorted Eisav to battle against Yaakov and in the end left him, and they were rewarded now by not being killed by Dovid.[1]]
• Dovid recaptures his wives, the other wives and children and all the booty: Dovid had saved everything that was taken by the Amalekites and as well Dovid saved his two wives. Not one person was missing from young to old, from son to daughter. Likewise, all the booty that was taken was recovered and Dovid took it all for himself as his personal booty. Dovid and his men took all of the flock and cattle and shepherded them [back to their land] and everyone said that this is the booty of Dovid [and they do not have a right to ask for it back even though it was originally theirs[2]].

2.      Dovid distributes the booty to all of his men including the ones who abstained from the battle:

• Dovid arrived by the 200 men who were exhausted and therefore abstained from following Dovid [to battle] and were thereby settled near the river of Besor [to wait until Dovid’s return]. These people came to greet Dovid and the people that were with him. Dovid approached the people and asked them as to how they are doing.
• The debate over the booty distribution: All of the thugs and bad natured men who were with Dovid in war said that since these men did not go with them to the battlefield, therefore, they will not give them any of the booty that they had saved, and will simply return to them their wives and children. However, Dovid would have nothing of it and said to them, “My brothers, you should not do this, as whatever we have gotten is from G-d. He is the one who guarded us and handed us the enemy into our hands, and therefore nobody should heed to what you are saying. Rather, all those who went to battle and all those who remained behind to guard the items will equally receive from the booty distribution.” And so it was from that day and onwards as a law and edict amongst Israel [to equally distribute the booty between all soldiers, both those who went to the battlefield and those who remained behind to guard the camp], and this law remains until this very day [i.e. Until the Jewish people were exiled and lost their monarchy[3]].
• Dovid distributes the booty to Tziklak: Dovid arrived in the city of Tziklak and he sent from the booty to the elders of Judea telling them, “I present to you presents from the booty of the enemies of G-d.” He likewise sent from the booty to all the following cities that he and his men had visited: Beis Eil, Ranos Negev, Sifmos, Eshtimona, Rachal, the cities of the Yerachmeily, the cities of the Kinites, Charma, Bevor Ashan, Aasach, Chevron. In short, all the cities that Dovid and his men visited received from the booty.

[1] See Rashi Vayishlach 33:16

[2] See Metzudos Dovid 30:20

[3] Metzudos Dovid 30:25