שמואל א, פרק ל׳, פסוק כ״ו

Upon returning to the city of Ziklag, which he likely rebuilt, David possessed an enormous amount of spoils. This immense wealth resulted from extensive Amalekite raids throughout the southern region, yielding riches that far exceeded what his soldiers had already divided among themselves [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. From this vast surplus, David decided to distribute offerings to the elders of Judah and to each and every one of his friends and supporters [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון].

This distribution served several distinct purposes. Because the Amalekites had previously plundered the territories of Judah, David's primary goal was to return the stolen property to its original owners [מלבי״ם]. Beyond simple restitution, sharing the spoils across various locations was a way to publicize God's kindness and the great miracle He had performed, while also displaying David's own generosity [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

David presented the offering as a blessing, conveying that it was a sincere gift [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. By emphasizing that this wealth was taken from the spoils of God's enemies, he delivered two critical messages to the recipients. First, he clarified the legal status of the property. Since the original owners had already given up hope of ever recovering their stolen goods, the spoils now legally belonged to David. Therefore, he was not returning their property out of a strict legal obligation, but was instead granting it to them as a generous personal gift. Second, David wanted to ease any concerns that a curse might be attached to the plundered goods. He reassured his supporters that because the wealth was reclaimed from the enemies of God, those who enjoyed it would not suffer from the cries of the originally robbed victims, but would instead receive a blessing from heaven [אברבנאל].