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.
Currently Selected:
1 Samuel 23: ESV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Sign up to receive news and updates about the ESV:
1 Samuel 23
23
Deliverance at Keilah
1It was reported to David: “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah # Jos 15:44; Neh 3:17-18 and raiding the threshing floors.”
2So David inquired of the Lord: # 1Sm 23:4,6,9-12; 2Sm 5:19,23 “Should I launch an attack against these Philistines? ”
The Lord answered David, “Launch an attack against the Philistines and rescue Keilah.”
3But David’s men said to him, “Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces! ”
4Once again, David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will hand the Philistines over to you.” # Jos 8:7; Jdg 7:7 5Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, drove their livestock away, and inflicted heavy losses on them. So David rescued the inhabitants of Keilah. 6Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.
7When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.” 8Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
9When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, # 1Sm 22:20 “Bring the ephod.” # 1Sm 23:6; 30:7
10Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. 11Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”
The Lord answered, “He will come down.”
12Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul? ”
“They will,” # Jdg 15:10-13; 1Sm 23:20 the Lord responded.
13So David and his men, numbering about 600, # 1Sm 22:2; 25:13 left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. # 2Sm 15:20 When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition. 14David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. # Jos 15:55; 2Ch 11:8 Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him. # Ps 32:7
A Renewed Covenant
15David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. 16Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God, # 1Sm 30:6 17saying, “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel, # 1Sm 16:1-13; 24:20-22 and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.” # 1Sm 20:31 18Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord’s presence. # 1Sm 18:3; 20:12-17; 20:42 Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.
David’s Narrow Escape
19Some Ziphites # 1Sm 26:1; Ps 54 title came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “David is # Lit Is David not . . . Jeshimon? hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon. 20Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king.” # 1Sm 23:12
21“May you be blessed by the Lord,” replied Saul, “for you have taken pity on me. # 1Sm 22:8 22Go and check again. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes # Lit watch his place where his foot will be and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning. 23Look and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with accurate information, and I’ll go with you. If it turns out he really is in the region, I’ll search for him among all the clans # Or thousands of Judah.” 24So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon # Jos 15:55; 1Sm 25:2 in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, 25and Saul and his men went to look for him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. Saul heard of this and pursued David there.
26Saul went along one side of the mountain and David and his men went along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away from Saul, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. # Ps 17:9 27Then a messenger came to Saul saying, “Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land! ” 28So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation. 29 # 1Sm 24:1 in HbFrom there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi. # Jos 15:62; 2Ch 20:2
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.