Towards the end of the period when David was fleeing from Saul, he had established his residence in Ziklag, a land of the Philistines. At this time, the forces following David had grown considerably, becoming a formidable warlord group. Achish, the Philistine king at the time, sought to mobilize David's army for the war against Saul. Although David and his army were summoned, Achish's officials objected, and David returned to Ziklag. However, during that time, the Amalekites came and plundered all the families and possessions of David and his army, leading David to face a rebellion crisis from his men. But David, strengthened by God, persuaded his men again and pursued the Amalekite army. Finally, he attacked them and recovered all the stolen possessions and families. In this process, David allowed his tired and weary soldiers to rest by the Brook Besor. When they returned victorious, the soldiers who participated in the battle suggested that only the families should be returned to those who had rested at Besor, and not the spoils of war. However, David refused and distributed the spoils equally to these men as well.

1 Samuel 30:1and had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They didn’t kill any, but carried them off, and went their way.1 Samuel 30:2When David and his men came to the city, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, their sons, and their daughters were taken captive.1 Samuel 30:3Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept until they had no more power to weep.1 Samuel 30:4David’s two wives were taken captive, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.1 Samuel 30:5David) was greatly distressed; for the people spoke of stoning him, because the souls of all the people were grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.1 Samuel 30:6David) said to Abiathar) the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod) here to me.” Abiathar brought the ephod to David.1 Samuel 30:7David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “If I pursue after this troop, will I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you will surely overtake them, and will without fail recover all.”1 Samuel 30:8So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.1 Samuel 30:9But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred stayed behind, who were so faint that they couldn’t go over the brook Besor.1 Samuel 30:10They found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he ate; and they gave him water to drink.1 Samuel 30:11They gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins. When he had eaten, his spirit came again to him; for he had eaten no bread, and drank no water for three days and three nights.1 Samuel 30:12David asked him, “To whom do you belong? Where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I got sick.1 Samuel 30:13We made a raid on the South of the Cherethites, and on that which belongs to Judah, and on the South of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.”1 Samuel 30:14David said to him, “Will you bring me down to this troop?” He said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me and not deliver me up into the hands of my master, and I will bring you down to this troop.”1 Samuel 30:15When he had brought him down, behold, they were spread around over all the ground, eating, drinking, and dancing, because of all the great plunder that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.1 Samuel 30:16David struck them from the twilight even to the evening of the next day. Not a man of them escaped from there, except four hundred young men, who rode on camels and fled.1 Samuel 30:17David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.1 Samuel 30:18There was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither plunder, nor anything that they had taken to them. David brought back all.1 Samuel 30:19David) took all the flocks and the herds, which they drove before those other livestock, and said, “This is David’s plunder.”1 Samuel 30:20David)) came to the two hundred men, who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom also they had made to stay at the brook Besor; and they went out to meet David, and to meet the people who were with him. When David came near to the people, he greeted them.1 Samuel 30:21Then all the wicked men and worthless fellows, of those who went with David, answered and said, “Because they didn’t go with us, we will not give them anything of the plunder that we have recovered, except to every man his wife and his children, that he may lead them away, and depart.”1 Samuel 30:22Then David said, “Do not do so, my brothers, with that which Yahweh has given to us, who has preserved us, and delivered the troop that came against us into our hand.1 Samuel 30:23Who will listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays with the baggage. They shall share alike.”1 Samuel 30:24It was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel to this day.

📍Besor

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