And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6)
David’s attitude now was entirely different from his attitude during the months of his duplicity before Achish. He had received unmistakable evidence of God’s protection during the time of his great blunder in running away from Judah, and now with humble heart he met the new crisis. He “encouraged,” literally, “strengthened,” his heart in the Lord, and proceeded to call on Abiathar to make inquiry of the Lord by means of the Urim and Thummim (v. 7). This is the course he should have followed when contemplating his flight to Philistia.
Grieved.
Heb. marah, literally, “was bitter.” See derivatives of the root marah in Ex. 15:23; Ruth 1:20. The bitterness of the men against their leader was evidently because David had left their home unprotected.