The Amalekites hoped to sell the captured people as slaves.1 This would be more profitable than killing them. With David and his fighting men away to the north, it would have been easy to round up the women and children that were left behind. Most likely there were also a few men present among those captured.
2 après avoir fait prisonniers les femmes et tous ceux qui s'y trouvaient, petits et grands. Ils n'avaient tué personne, mais ils avaient tout emmené et s'étaient remis en route.