1 Samuel 23:26

26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other. David was in full retreat, running, with Saul and his men closing in, about to get him.

1 Samuel 23:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:26

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his
men on that side of the mountain
Saul with his army came to the very mountain where David and his men were, the one was on one side of it, and the other on the other side; there was only one mountain between them:

and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul;
he fled on one side of the mountain, while Saul was pursuing him on the other, and hastening to get round unto him:

for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take
them;
he took methods by dividing his troops, and sending them different ways, to surround David and his men, and had very near effected it.

1 Samuel 23:26 In-Context

24 So the Ziphites set out on their reconnaissance for Saul.

25 Saul and his men arrived and began their search. When David heard of it, he went south to Rock Mountain, camping out in the wilderness of Maon. Saul heard where he was and set off for the wilderness of Maon in pursuit.

26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, David and his men on the other. David was in full retreat, running, with Saul and his men closing in, about to get him.

27 Just then a messenger came to Saul and said, "Hurry! Come back! The Philistines have just attacked the country!"

28 So Saul called off his pursuit of David and went back to deal with the Philistines. That's how that place got the name Narrow Escape.