1 Samuel 22:3

3 And David went forth from thence into Mizpeh, that is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray, dwell my father and my mother with you, till I know what thing God shall do to me. (And David went forth from there to Mizpeh, which is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother stay with you, until I know what God shall do for me.)

1 Samuel 22:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 22:3

And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab
So called to distinguish it from a place of the same name in the land of Israel; which Junius says is the same with Malle, and signifies a fortified place, and refers to the Apocrypha:

``And how that many of them were shut up in Bosora, and Bosor, and Alema, Casphor, Maked, and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and great:'' (1 Maccabees 5:26)

here he might think himself safer, though in an enemy's country, than in the land of Israel:

and he said unto the king of Moab, let my father and my mother, I pray
thee, come forth;
out of the land of Israel, or out of the cave of Adullam, whither they were come to him:

[and be] with you;
if not with the king of Moab at his court, yet in some part or other of his country, where they might be safe from the rage of Saul:

till I know what God will do for me;
on whose power and providence he wholly relied, and not upon the men that flocked to him, nor upon his own power and policy, courage and wisdom; he knew the promise of God to him, and he put his trust in him for the performance of it; but knew not the time, nor way, and manner, in which it would be performed; and expected in the meanwhile to be obliged to remove from place to place; and considering that his aged parents were not fit for such quick and sudden motions, and long flights, he provided as well as he could for their settlement; which was an instance of his filial affection for them, and piety towards them. His father's name is well known, Jesse, ( Ruth 4:22 ) ( 1 Samuel 17:12 ) but his mother's name is nowhere mentioned; the Jews say her name was Natzbet, the daughter of Adal ^F25.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Bava Bathra, fol. 91. 1.

1 Samuel 22:3 In-Context

1 Therefore David went from thence, and fled into the den of Adullam (And so David went from there, and fled to the cave of Adullam); and when his brethren, and all the house of his father had heard this, they came down thither to him.

2 And all men that were set in anguish, and oppressed with other men's debt, and in bitter soul, came together to him; and he was made the prince of them, and as four hundred men were with him. (And all men who were set in anguish, and were oppressed with owing debt to other men, and were bitter in soul, came together to him; and so about four hundred men were with him.)

3 And David went forth from thence into Mizpeh, that is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray, dwell my father and my mother with you, till I know what thing God shall do to me. (And David went forth from there to Mizpeh, which is in Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, I pray thee, let my father and my mother stay with you, until I know what God shall do for me.)

4 And he left them there before the face of the king of Moab; and they dwelled at him in all the days, that David was in stronghold. (And so he left them there with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the days that David was in his stronghold.)

5 And Gad, the prophet, said to David, Do not thou dwell in the forcelet, or the stronghold; go thou forth, and go into the land of Judah. And David went forth, and came into the forest of Hareth.