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1 Samuel 23:16-26

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16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and 1encouraged * him in God.
17 Thus he said to him, "2Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and 3Saul my father knows that also."
18 So 4the two of them made a covenant before the LORD; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then 5Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Is David not hiding with us in the strongholds at Horesh, on 6the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon
20 "Now then, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to do so; and 7our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand."
21 Saul said, "May you be blessed of the LORD, 8for you have had compassion on me
22 "Go now, make more sure, and investigate and see his place where * his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.
23 "So look, and learn about all the hiding places where * he hides himself and return to me with certainty, and I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."
24 Then they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. Now David and his men were in the wilderness of 9Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.
25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David, and he came down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard it, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul 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, for Saul and his men 10were surrounding David and his men to seize them.
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1 Samuel 23:16-26 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.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 10

  • 1. 1 Samuel 30:6; Nehemiah 2:18
  • 2. Psalms 27:1, 3; Psalms 118:6; Isaiah 54:17; Hebrews 13:6
  • 3. 1 Samuel 20:31; 1 Samuel 24:20
  • 4. 1 Samuel 18:3; 1 Samuel 20:12-17, 42; 2 Samuel 9:1; 2 Samuel 21:7
  • 5. 1 Samuel 26:1; Ps 54: title
  • 6. 1 Samuel 26:3
  • 7. 1 Samuel 23:12
  • 8. 1 Samuel 22:8
  • 9. Joshua 15:55; 1 Samuel 25:2
  • 10. Psalms 17:9

Footnotes 7

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, California.  All rights reserved.