The Amalekites attack Ziklag (1 Sam 30:1-30:6)

“Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid upon the Negeb and on Ziklag. They had attacked Ziklag. They had burned it down. They had taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed none of them, but carried them off, and went their way. When David and his men came to the city, they found it burned down, and their wives, sons, and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel also had been taken captive. David was in great danger. The people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in Yahweh his God.”

Ziklag was about 80 miles south of Aphek, so they would have been tired when they arrived on the 3^rd day on foot. When they got to Ziklag, the Amalekites, the ones that David had attacked in chapter 27, had burned down their town and taken everyone captive. For some reason, the Amalekites did not kill the people the way that David had done. The Amalekites were wandering marauders who had taken all these people capture, including the 2 wives of David. David and his men were tired, hungry, and devastated. They wept until they could not weep anymore. However, everyone was mad at David because he let this happen. Some wanted to stone him because of they had lost their sons and daughters. David got his strength back from Yahweh.