1 Samuel 23:6

6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

1 Samuel 23:6 in Other Translations

6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

6 Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.

6 After Abiathar took refuge with David, he joined David in the raid on Keilah, bringing the Ephod with him.

6 Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, and he brought an ephod with him.

1 Samuel 23:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:6

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled
to David to Keilah
Either when he was there, or near the place:

[that] he came down with an ephod in his hand;
not with a linen ephod on his back, which the priests in common wore, but the ephod with the Urim and Thummim in his hand, which was peculiar to the high priest; and his father the high priest being dead, it belonged to him, and therefore he took care to bring it with him; though the words may be literally rendered, "the ephod came down in his hand" ^F11, as it were by chance, and not with design; and so some Jewish interpreters ^F12 understand it, that in his fright and flight, among his garments and other things he took hold of to carry with him, and not minding well what he took, this happened to be, being so ordered by the providence of God; though the Targum renders it,

``the ephod he made to descend in his hand,''

or brought it in his hand; and so Kimchi and Abarbinel observe it may be interpreted, though they seem to incline to the other sense.

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FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wdyb dry dwpa) "ephod descendit in manu sua", Pagninus, Montanus; "ephod descendebat in manu sua", Munsterus; so Tigurine version and Piscator.
F12 Kimchi & Ben Melech.

1 Samuel 23:6 In-Context

4 Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”

8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

Cross References

• 1. S 1 Samuel 22:20
• 2. S 1 Samuel 2:28