2 Samuel 23:14

14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.

2 Samuel 23:14 in Other Translations

14 And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem

14 David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.

14 While David was holed up in the Cave, the Philistines had their base camp in Bethlehem

14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and a Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.

2 Samuel 23:14 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 23:14

And David [was] then in an hold
In a strong hold; the strong hold of Zion, as Josephus ^F24, or one on a rock near the cave of Adullam, see ( 1 Chronicles 11:15 ) ;

and the garrison of the Philistines [was] then [in] Bethlehem;
which was about six miles from Jerusalem; the valley of Rephaim lay between that and Bethlehem; so far had they got into the land of Judea, and such footing in it, as to have a garrison so near its metropolis.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Antiqu. l. 7. c. 12. sect. 4.

2 Samuel 23:14 In-Context

12 But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief warriors came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.

15 David longed for water and said, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

16 So the three mighty warriors broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David. But he refused to drink it; instead, he poured it out before the LORD.

Cross References

• 1. 1 Samuel 22:4-5; S 2 Samuel 5:17
• 2. Ruth 1:19