1 Samuel 23
23
David Saves the City of Keilah
1Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against #Josh. 15:44Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2Therefore David #See ch. 22:10inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4Then David #[See ver. 2 above] inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, #ver. 14; Josh. 24:11; Judg. 7:7; 20:28for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 # ch. 22:20 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, #ch. 30:7; [Num. 27:21]“Bring the ephod here.” 10Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, #ver. 20“They will surrender you.” 13Then David and his men, #ch. 25:13; 27:2; [ch. 22:2; 30:9, 10] who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went #[2 Sam. 15:20]wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country #See Ps. 63 of the wilderness of #Josh. 15:24Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
Saul Pursues David
15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. #ch. 24:20; [ch. 20:31]Saul my father also knows this.” 18#ch. 18:3; 20:8, 16, 42; [2 Sam. 21:7]And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 # ch. 26:1; See Ps. 54 Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of #Num. 21:20Jeshimon? 20Now come down, O king, according to all your heart’s desire to come down, #ver. 12and our part shall be to surrender him into the king’s hand.” 21And Saul said, #See Ruth 2:20 “May you be blessed by the Lord, #[ch. 22:8]for you have had compassion on me. 22Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were #ch. 25:2; Josh. 15:55 in the wilderness of Maon, #See Deut. 1:1 in the Arabah to the south of #[See ver. 19 above]Jeshimon. 25And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went 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. 26Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.#23:28 Or Rock of Divisions 29#23:29 Ch 24:1 in Hebrew And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of #Josh. 15:62; 2 Chr. 20:2; Song 1:14; Ezek. 47:10Engedi.
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Sh'mu'el Alef (1 Sa) 23
23
1David was told, “The P’lishtim are fighting Ke‘ilah and plundering the threshing-floors.” 2David consulted Adonai, asking, “Should I go and attack these P’lishtim?” Adonai answered David, “Go, and attack the P’lishtim, and save Ke‘ilah.” 3David’s men said to him, “Look, we’re already afraid here in Y’hudah. How much more, then, if we go to Ke‘ilah to fight the armies of the P’lishtim!” 4David consulted Adonai again; and Adonai answered him, “Set out, and go down to Ke‘ilah, because I will hand the P’lishtim over to you.” 5David and his men went to Ke‘ilah and fought the P’lishtim. They defeated them in a great slaughter and led away their livestock. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Ke‘ilah.
6When Avyatar the son of Achimelekh fled to David in Ke‘ilah, he had brought a ritual vest with him. 7Now Sha’ul, on being informed that David had gone to Ke‘ilah, had said, “God has put him into my hands. He’s trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8So Sha’ul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Ke‘ilah and besiege David and his men. 9David knew that Sha’ul was plotting something against him, so he told Avyatar the cohen, “Bring the ritual vest here.” 10Then David said, “Adonai God of Isra’el, your servant has certainly heard that Sha’ul intends to come to Ke‘ilah and destroy the city just to get me. 11Will the men of Ke‘ilah turn me over to him? Will Sha’ul come down, as your servant has heard? Adonai God of Isra’el, please tell your servant!” Adonai said, “He will come down.” 12Then David asked, “Will the men of Ke‘ilah hand me and my men over to Sha’ul?” Adonai said, “They will hand you over.” 13So David and his men, now around six hundred, got up, left Ke‘ilah and went wherever they could. It was told Sha’ul that David had escaped from Ke‘ilah, so he called off the expedition. 14David stayed in the desert strongholds, remaining in the hills of the Zif Desert. Sha’ul kept trying to find him, but God did not hand him over to him.
15David saw that Sha’ul had mounted another expedition to seek his life. David was then at Horesh in the Zif Desert. 16Y’honatan Sha’ul’s son set out and went to David at Horesh to encourage him in God. 17He said to him, “Don’t be afraid, because my father’s forces will not find you; you will be king over Isra’el, and I will be second to you. Sha’ul my father knows this, too.” 18Then the two of them made a covenant in the presence of Adonai, after which David stayed at Horesh and Y’honatan returned home.
19The people of Zif came to Sha’ul in Giv‘ah and said, “David is hiding himself with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on Hakhilah Hill, south of Yeshimon. 20So now, king, since you’ve wanted so much to come down, come down! Our part will be to turn him over to you.” 21Sha’ul said, “May Adonai bless you for showing me compassion! 22Please go and make still more certain exactly where he is and who has seen him there, because I’ve been told that he’s very tricky. 23So look closely, find out where all his hiding-places are, and come back when you’re sure. Then I will go with you, and if he is there in that territory, I’ll search till I find him among all the thousands of Y’hudah.”
24They set out and went to Zif before Sha’ul. But David and his men had gone on to the Ma‘on Desert, in the ‘Aravah south of Yeshimon. 25Sha’ul and his men went searching for him. David was told, so he came down to the rock and stayed in the Ma‘on Desert. When Sha’ul heard that, he pursued David in the Ma‘on Desert. 26Sha’ul went along one side of the mountain, while David and his men went along the other. David was hurrying to get away from Sha’ul, while Sha’ul and his men were trying to surround David and his men in order to capture them. 27But then a messenger came to Sha’ul, saying, “Hurry, come, because the P’lishtim are invading the country!” 28So Sha’ul stopped chasing David and went to fight the P’lishtim. Therefore they called that place Sela-Hamachlekot [rock of divisions].
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