1 Samuel 23:8
in 1 Samuel 23Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
KJV
And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 23
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd Saul called all the people together to war,.... Or "caused them to hear" (m) summoned them by an herald, whom he sent into all parts of the kingdom to proclaim war, and require them in his name to attend him; which was the prerogative of a king to do: to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men; that was what he privately intended, but the pretence was to make war against the Philistines. (m) ישמע "fecit audire", Montanus, Piscator.
This site's exposition
God has delivered him into my hand
on 1 Samuel 23:7-8
Saul says “God has delivered him into my hand” over a plan to besiege the town David has saved. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown read the muster of all his troops as a pretext for a manhunt. The verse states Saul's theology and lets the reader measure it against his actions.
This site's exposition
summoned all his troops to go to war
The Hebrew verb means that Saul made the people hear, and Gill takes it as a summons by herald in the king's name. Clarke limits the call to the local district. Its men were to scour the country and hunt David out of every hiding place.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
An ungrateful wretch he was, and for ever unworthy to have any service or kindness done him. Well might David complain of his enemies that they rewarded him evil for good, and that for his love they ere his adversaries, Ps. xxxv. Christ was used thus basely, John x.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand. 15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — verbatim-scripture
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Saul called all the people together to war--not the united tribes of Israel, but the inhabitants of the adjoining districts. This force was raised, probably, on the ostensible pretext of opposing the Philistines, while, in reality, it was secretly to arouse mischief against David.
Saul called all the people together - That is, all the people of that region or district, that they might scour the country, and hunt out David from all his haunts.
The words behind it
13 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְשַׁמַּ֥ע | vayshama' | and he summoned | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| שָׁא֛וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָעָ֖ם | haam | the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| לַמִּלְחָמָ֑ה | lamilchamah | for <the> battle | H4421 → | 320 times |
| לָרֶ֣דֶת | laredet | to go down | H3381 → | 381 times |
| קְעִילָ֔ה | keilah | Keilah | H7084 → | 18 times |
| לָצ֥וּר | latzur | to lay siege | H6696 → | |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֖ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וְאֶל־ | veel- | and against | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲנָשָֽׁיו׃ | ʾanashav | men his | H582 → | 566 times |
וַיְשַׁמַּ֥עand he summoned
vayshama'H8085 →1159 times
שָׁא֛וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הָעָ֖םthe people
haamH5971 →1873 times
לַמִּלְחָמָ֑הfor <the> battle
lamilchamahH4421 →320 times
לָרֶ֣דֶתto go down
laredetH3381 →381 times
קְעִילָ֔הKeilah
keilahH7084 →18 times
לָצ֥וּרto lay siege
latzurH6696 →
אֶל־against
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֖דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וְאֶל־and against
veel-H413 →5510 times
אֲנָשָֽׁיו׃men his
ʾanashavH582 →566 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.