1 Samuel 23:14

14 David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the Lord did not give him into his hand

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 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" The Lord said, "They will surrender you."

13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, set out and left Keilah; they wandered wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.

14 David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but the Lord did not give him into his hand

15 David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned that Saul had come out to seek his life.

16 Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh; there he strengthened his hand through the Lord.

Footnotes

• [a]. Q Ms Gk: MT [God]