1 Samuel 23:1-11

1 David was told, "The P'lishtim are fighting Ke'ilah and plundering the thresh-ing-floors."

2 David consulted ADONAI, asking, "Should I go and attack these P'lishtim?"ADONAI answered David, "Go, and attack the P'lishtim, and save Ke'ilah."

3 David's men said to him, "Look, we're already afraid here in Y'hudah. How much more, then, if we go to Ke'ilah to fight the armies of the P'lishtim!"

4 David consulted ADONAI again; and ADONAI answered him, "Set out, and go down to Ke'ilah, because I will hand the P'lishtim over to you.

5 David and his men went to Ke'ilah and fought the P'lishtim. They defeated them in a great slaughter and led away their livestock. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Ke'ilah.

6 When Avyatar the son of Achimelekh fled to David in Ke'ilah, he had brought a ritual vest with him.

7 Now Sha'ul, on being informed that David had gone to Ke'ilah, had said, "God has put him into my hands. He's trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars."

8 So Sha'ul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Ke'ilah and besiege David and his men.

9 David knew that Sha'ul was plotting something against him, so he told Avyatar the cohen, "Bring the ritual vest here."

10 Then David said, "ADONAI God of Isra'el, your servant has certainly heard that Sha'ul intends to come to Ke'ilah and destroy the city just to get me.

11 Will the men of Ke'ilah turn me over to him? Will Sha'ul come down, as your servant has heard? ADONAI God of Isra'el, please tell your servant!"ADONAI said, "He will come down."

1 Samuel 23:1-11 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.