Free Online Course - Ancient Christianity - The first Christians were courageous
Chapter Book
Loading
Change Translation
Loading...
  • Recent Translations
  • All Translations

1 Samuel 23:19-29

Share

Settings

19 Then some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "David is hiding among us in the strongholds of Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of Jeshimon
20 Now, O king, whenever you wish to come down, do so; and our part will be to surrender him into the king's hand."
21 Saul said, "May you be blessed by the Lord for showing me compassion
22 Go and make sure once more; find out exactly where he is, and who has seen him there; for I am told that he is very cunning.
23 Look around and learn all the hiding places where he lurks, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you; and if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah."
24 So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.
25 Saul and his men went to search for him. When David was told, he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David into 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. 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 Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land."
28 So Saul stopped pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.
29 David then went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.
Read Chapter Compare

1 Samuel 23:19-29 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

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Or [Rock of Division]; Meaning of Heb uncertain
  • [b]. Ch 24.1 in Heb
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.