Shmuel Alef 23:13

13 Then Dovid and his anashim, which were about shesh me’ot ish, arose and departed out of Ke’ilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Sha’ul that Dovid was escaped from Ke’ilah; and he refrained from going forth.

Shmuel Alef 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,

Shmuel Alef 23:13 In-Context

11 Will the Ba’alei Ke’ilah (citizens of Ke’ilah) deliver me up into his yad? Will Sha’ul come down, as Thy eved hath heard? Hashem Elohei Yisroel, tell now Thy eved. And Hashem said, He will come down.

12 Then said Dovid, Will the Baalei Ke’ilah shut me and my anashim up into the yad Sha’ul? And Hashem said, They will deliver thee up.

13 Then Dovid and his anashim, which were about shesh me’ot ish, arose and departed out of Ke’ilah, and went wherever they could go. And it was told Sha’ul that Dovid was escaped from Ke’ilah; and he refrained from going forth.

14 And Dovid stayed in the midbar in metzadot (strongholds, masadas) and remained on a har in the midbar Ziph. And Sha’ul searched for him every day, but Elohim delivered him not into his yad.

15 And Dovid saw that Sha’ul was come out to seek his nefesh: and Dovid was in the midbar Ziph at Choresh.