1 Samuel 23:14

14 David stayed in the desert strongholds, remaining in the hills of the Zif Desert. Sha'ul kept trying to find him, but God did not hand him over to him

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 asked, "Will the men of Ke'ilah hand me and my men over to Sha'ul?"ADONAI said, "They will hand you over."

13 So David and his men, now around six hundred, got up, left Ke'ilah and went wherever they could. It was told Sha'ul that David had escaped from Ke'ilah, so he called off the expedition.

14 David stayed in the desert strongholds, remaining in the hills of the Zif Desert. Sha'ul kept trying to find him, but God did not hand him over to him

15 David saw that Sha'ul had mounted another expedition to seek his life. David was then at Horesh in the Zif Desert.

16 Y'honatan Sha'ul's son set out and went to David at Horesh to encourage him in God.