1 Samuel 23:14

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

1 Samuel 23:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:14

And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds
In the wilderness of Ziph, in high and strong rocks there, as it seems to be explained by what follows:

and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph;
which had its name from a city in the tribe of Judah, of which (See Gill on Joshua 15:55);

and Saul sought him every day;
for though he did not go forth from the place where he was to Keilah, yet hearing which way he went, and whereabout he lurked, he sought after him continually, if haply he might find him:

but God delivered him not into his hand:
which suggests, that it was only the providence of God that secured him, or, in all probability, such was the diligence of Saul, that he would have found him out, and he must have fallen into his hands, as he expected.

1 Samuel 23:14 In-Context

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.

16 Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh. He told David that God would make him strong.