1 Samuel 23:19-29

David's Narrow Escape

19 Some Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is^[a] hiding among us in the strongholds in Horesh on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon.

20 Now, whenever the king wants to come down, let him come down. Our part will be to hand him over to the king."

21 "May you be blessed by the Lord," replied Saul, "for you have taken pity on me

22 Go and check again. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes^[b] and who has seen him there; they tell me he is extremely cunning.

23 Look 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^[c] of Judah."

24 So they went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness near Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

25 and 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.

26 Saul 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.

27 Then a messenger came to Saul saying, "Come quickly, because the Philistines have raided the land!"

28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to engage the Philistines. Therefore, that place was named the Rock of Separation.

29 ^[d] From there David went up and stayed in the strongholds of En-gedi.

1 Samuel 23:19-29 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 23

This chapter gives an account of David's relieving Keilah, when it had like to have fallen into the hands of the Philistines, 1Sa 23:1-6; and of Saul's design to surprise him there, which David having notice of, and inquiring of the Lord, departed from thence; which when Saul heard of, he forbore to come forth, 1Sa 23:7-13; and of David's being in the wilderness of Ziph, where, in a wood there, he had an interview with Jonathan, 1Sa 23:14-18; and of the Ziphites offering to deliver him up to Saul, for which he commends them, and gives them instructions how they should behave to him in that affair, 1Sa 23:19-23; and of his seeking him in the wilderness of Maon, where David and his men were in great danger of being taken; which was prevented by the news of the Philistines invading the land coming to Saul just at the nick of time, 1Sa 23:24-29.

Footnotes

• [a]. Lit Is David not . . . Jeshimon?
• [b]. 1 Sm 26:1; Ps 54 superscription
• [c]. Lit watch his place where his foot will be
• [d]. Or thousands
• [e]. 1 Sm 24:1 in Hb