1 Samuel 23:13

13 So David and his men left Keilah. The total number of them was about 600. They kept moving from place to place. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah. So he didn't go there.

1 Samuel 23:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:13

Then David and his men, [which were] about six hundred
Having had an increase of two hundred since he was at the cave of Adullam, ( 1 Samuel 22:1 1 Samuel 22:2 ) , and upon his relief of Keilah, ( 1 Samuel 23:5 ) ; so that he sustained no loss of men by fighting with the Philistines, but had an addition to his small forces:

arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go;
not knowing whither they should go, having no particular place in view; but went where they thought they could be safest, or that appeared the most proper place for them; so the Targum,

``they went to a place which was fit to go unto;''

which was fittest for their purpose, and most for their safety and security, be it where it would:

and it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah;
very likely some of the inhabitants informed him of it, since they were disposed to deliver David to him, had he stayed among them, and Saul had come down:

and he forbore to go forth:
from the place where he was, in order to come to Keilah,

1 Samuel 23:13 In-Context

11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down here, as I've heard he would? Lord, you are the God of Israel. Please answer me." The LORD said, "He will come down."

12 Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will."

13 So David and his men left Keilah. The total number of them was about 600. They kept moving from place to place. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah. So he didn't go there.

14 Sometimes David stayed in places of safety in the desert. At other times he stayed in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul looked for him. But God didn't hand David over to him

15 David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph. There he learned that Saul had come out to kill him.