1 Samuel 23:18-28

18 Then the two of them {made} a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 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 Hakilah, which [is] south of Jeshimon
20 So then, O king, {whenever you want} to come down, come down, and [it will be] for us to deliver him into the hand of the king."
21 And Saul said to them, "May you be blessed by Yahweh, for you have shown me compassion
22 Go, please, make certain again! Find out and see {exactly where he is} and who has seen him there! For they have said to me, 'He [is] very cunning.'
23 Look, find out all of the hiding places where he hides. Then return to me {with dependable information}, and I will go with you. And then if he [is] there in the land, then I will seek him among all the thousands of Judah."
24 Then they got up and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men [were] in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah, to the south of Jeshimon.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek [him], and they told David, so he went down [to] the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard [this], he pursued David [into] the wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul went {on one side of the mountain}, and David and his men {went on the other side of the mountain}. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men [were] closing in on David and his men to capture them.
27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, because [the] Philistines have made a raid on the land!"
28 So Saul returned from pursuing David, and he went to confront [the] Philistines. Therefore, they called that place the Rock of Division.

1 Samuel 23:18-28 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 8

  • [a]. Literally "cut"
  • [b]. Literally "for all the wanting of your soul"
  • [c]. Literally "his place where his foot [is]"
  • [d]. Literally "to being established"
  • [e]. Literally "from the side of the mountain from this"
  • [f]. Literally "from the side of the mountain from this"
  • [g]. Hebrew "to meet"
  • [h]. Hebrew "Sela' Hammahlekot"
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