1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves Keilah
1#Jos 15:44; Ne 3:17–18Then they told David, “Listen, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are looting the threshing floors.” 2#1Sa 23:4; 2Sa 5:19Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and rescue Keilah.”
3The men of David said to him, “We are afraid here in Judah. How much more then, if we go down to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4#Jdg 7:7; Jos 8:7Then David again inquired of the Lord. And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah because I am giving the Philistines into your hand.” 5Then David and his men went to Keilah. He fought with the Philistines and carried off their livestock, and he struck them with a great slaughter. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah. 6#1Sa 22:20When Abiathar the son of Ahimelek fled to David at Keilah, he came down with the ephod in his hand.
Saul Pursues David
7It was reported to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand. For he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.” 8Then Saul summoned all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9#1Sa 30:7; 23:6David found out that Saul was planning evil against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod near.” 10And David said, “O Lord, God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on account of me. 11Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will come down.”
12#1Sa 23:20Then said David, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”
13#1Sa 22:2; 25:13So David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and left Keilah. And they went wherever they could go. Now it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. So he halted the expedition.
14#Ps 54:3–4; Jos 15:24And David remained in the wilderness in strongholds, and dwelled in mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
15Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh. 16#Ne 2:18Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose and went to David at Horesh. And he strengthened his hand in God. 17#1Sa 20:31; 24:20He said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you. Saul my father knows this.” 18#1Sa 18:3; 20:42The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
19#1Sa 26:1; 26:3; Ps 54:1–7Then the Ziphites went up to Saul to Gibeah saying, “Is David not hiding himself with us in strongholds in Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, which is south of Jeshimon? 20#1Sa 23:12Now, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down. And our part will be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
21#1Sa 22:8Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord. For you have had compassion on me. 22Please go, make sure again. Investigate and see the place where his foot rests, and who has seen him there. For it has been said to me that he is very cunning. 23So look and learn about all the hiding places where he hides himself. And come to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it will be that if he is in the land, then I will track him throughout all the clans of Judah.”
24#Jos 15:55; 1Sa 25:2So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the desert south of Jeshimon. 25Saul and his men went to seek him, but they told David. Therefore he came down to the Rock, and lived in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon.
26#Ps 17:9Saul went on this side of the mountain and David and his men on that side of the mountain. And David hurried to get away from Saul. Now Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. 27#2Ki 19:9But a messenger came to Saul saying, “Hurry and go! For the Philistines have invaded the land.” 28So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and he went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place the Rock of Escape. 29#2Ch 20:2; Jos 15:62David then went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
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1 Samuel 23: MEV
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Military Bible Association
1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the Town of Keilah
1David heard that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and were stealing the newly harvested grain. 2So he asked the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines?”
“Yes,” the Lord answered. “Attack them and save Keilah.”
3But David's men said to him, “We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah; it will be much worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces!” 4So David consulted the Lord again, and the Lord said to him, “Go and attack Keilah, because I will give you victory over the Philistines.” 5So David and his men went to Keilah and attacked the Philistines; they killed many of them and took their livestock. And so it was that David saved the town.
6When Abiathar son of Ahimelech escaped and joined David in Keilah, he took the ephod with him.
7Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has put him in my power. David has trapped himself by going into a walled town with fortified gates.” 8So Saul called his troops to war, to march against Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9When David heard that Saul was planning to attack him, he said to the priest Abiathar, “Bring the ephod here.” 10Then David said, “Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah and destroy it on account of me, your servant. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul really come, as I have heard? Lord, God of Israel, I beg you to answer me!”
The Lord answered, “Saul will come.”
12“And will the citizens of Keilah hand my men and me over to Saul?” David asked again.
“They will,” the Lord answered.
13So David and his men—about six hundred in all—left Keilah at once and kept on the move. When Saul heard that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up his plan.
David in the Hill Country
14David stayed in hiding in the hill country, in the wilderness near Ziph. Saul was always trying to find him, but God did not turn David over to him. 15David saw that Saul was out to kill him.
David was at Horesh, in the wilderness near Ziph. 16Jonathan went to him there and encouraged him with assurances of God's protection, 17saying to him, “Don't be afraid. My father Saul won't be able to harm you. He knows very well that you are the one who will be the king of Israel and that I will be next in rank to you.” 18#1 S 18.3 The two of them made a sacred promise of friendship to each other. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 #
Ps 54 Title Some people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is hiding out in our territory at Horesh on Mount Hachilah, in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 20We know, Your Majesty, how much you want to capture him; so come to our territory, and we will make sure that you catch him.”
21Saul answered, “May the Lord bless you for being so kind to me! 22Go and make sure once more; find out for certain where he is and who has seen him there. I hear that he is very cunning. 23Find out exactly the places where he hides, and be sure to bring back a report to me right away. Then I will go with you, and if he is still in the region, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search the whole land of Judah.”
24So they left and returned to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in a desolate valley in the southern part of the Judean wilderness. 25Saul and his men set out to look for David, but he heard about it and went to a rocky hill in the wilderness of Maon and stayed there. When Saul heard about this, he went after David. 26Saul and his men were on one side of the hill, separated from David and his men, who were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul and his men, who were closing in on them and were about to capture them. 27Just then a messenger arrived and said to Saul, “Come back at once! The Philistines are invading the country!” 28So Saul stopped pursuing David and went to fight the Philistines. That is why that place is called Separation Hill. 29David left and went to the region of Engedi, where he stayed in hiding.
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