1 Samuelchapter 23

A.Keilah delivered — and Keilah would hand him overvv. 1-13

1 Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” 2 So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” 5 Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.) 7 When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men. 9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. 12 So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD. 13 Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

B.Jonathan strengthens his hand in Godvv. 14-18

14 And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand. 15 While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, 17 saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” 18 So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

C.The Ziphites inform, and the rock of escapevv. 19-29

19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? 20 Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.” 21 “May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. 22 Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. 23 Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.” 24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, 25 and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there. 26 Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27 Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” 28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. 29 And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.

Commentary on this chapter: read the Exposition

← Back: 1 Samuel 22 Continue: 1 Samuel 24 →

Chapter summary

David asks Jehovah twice whether to save Keilah from the Philistines, then asks with Abiathar's ephod whether the men of Keilah will betray him.

Read the rest, the context and the outline ▾Show less ▴

David asks Jehovah twice whether to save Keilah from the Philistines, then asks with Abiathar's ephod whether the men of Keilah will betray him. They will. So the outlaw who just delivered them leaves, and Saul hunts him through the wilderness of Ziph day by day, but God delivers him not into his hand. In the wood at Horesh comes the friends' last meeting: Jonathan strengthens David's hand in God with words he will not live to see fulfilled, thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee. Saul is compassing David about when word of a Philistine raid pulls him away; they call the place the Rock of Escape.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Samuel, Nathan, Gad — 1 Samuel overview

A. 1–13 Keilah delivered — and Keilah would hand him over
B. 14–18 Jonathan strengthens his hand in God
C. 19–29 The Ziphites inform, and the rock of escape

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

1 Samuel 237 verses
- 1 Samuel 23:4Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
- 1 Samuel 23:6(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
- 1 Samuel 23:12So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 23:14And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.
- 1 Samuel 23:20Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”
- 1 Samuel 23:23Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”
- Read 1 Samuel 23: 1 more there →
Joshua 154 verses
- Joshua 15:24Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
- Joshua 15:44Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah—nine cities, along with their villages.
- Joshua 15:55Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah,
- Joshua 15:62Beth-arabah, Middin, Secacah, Nibshan, the City of Salt, and En-gedi—six cities, along with their villages.
- Read Joshua 15 →
1 Samuel 223 verses
- 1 Samuel 22:2And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.
- 1 Samuel 22:8Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.”
- 1 Samuel 22:20But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
- Read 1 Samuel 22 →
1 Samuel 263 verses
- 1 Samuel 26:1Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?”
- 1 Samuel 26:3Saul camped beside the road at the hill of Hachilah opposite Jeshimon, but David was living in the wilderness. When he realized that Saul had followed him there,
- 1 Samuel 26:8Abishai said to David, “Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand. Now, therefore, please let me thrust the spear through him into the ground with one stroke. I will not need to strike him twice!”
- Read 1 Samuel 26 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

2 Samuel 52 verses
- 2 Samuel 5:19So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
- 2 Samuel 5:23So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
- Read 2 Samuel 5 →
1 Samuel 242 verses
- 1 Samuel 24:4So David’s men said to him, “This is the day about which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do with him as you wish.’” Then David crept up secretly and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.
- 1 Samuel 24:20Now I know for sure that you will be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.
- Read 1 Samuel 24 →
1 Samuel 302 verses
- 1 Samuel 30:7Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him,
- 1 Samuel 30:9So David and his six hundred men went to the Brook of Besor, where some stayed behind
- Read 1 Samuel 30 →
1 Samuel 252 verses
- 1 Samuel 25:2Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel. He was a very wealthy man with a thousand goats and three thousand sheep, which he was shearing in Carmel.
- 1 Samuel 25:13And David said to his men, “Strap on your swords!” So David and all his men put on their swords, and about four hundred men followed David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.
- Read 1 Samuel 25 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.