1 Samuel 23 Study Notes

23:16 Somehow, perhaps through Saul’s intelligence reports, Jonathan knew David’s whereabouts. Jonathan came to David and encouraged him in his faith (lit “strengthened his hand”) in God.

23:17 Jonathan’s words were partly correct because David would indeed be king over Israel. Jonathan, despite his humble willingness, would never become David’s second-in-command because he would die in battle (31:2). Jonathan also suggested that his father Saul knew David would succeed him, a fact that would have made Saul’s mental state all the more painful (24:20-21).

23:18 David and Jonathan made a covenant as they had done before (18:3; 20:14-16).

23:19-20 The Ziphites informed Saul of David’s position in their territory and offered to hand him over to the king. Perhaps these Judahites feared Saul might do to them what he had done at Nob (22:18-19) and what he had considered doing at Keilah (23:7-8).

23:21-22 Saul’s response was audaciously inappropriate since it was the Lord’s anointed they were betraying (see Robert Bergen).

23:23 Saul apparently was willing to hunt David among all the clans of Judah if the Ziphites gave him information specific enough that Saul did not have to wage a long, protracted battle with his own people.

23:24 David and his men had moved near Maon about five miles south. Arabah means a desert or wilderness area with sparse vegetation, yet enough to sustain those accustomed to the life of a shepherd.

23:25 Rock denotes a large rock formation, perhaps a large cliff.

23:26 David may have hurried because he was outnumbered. On the other hand, he was Israel’s most skilled warrior and he occupied the advantageous high ground. Perhaps David and his men were trying to avoid a bloody civil war.

23:27-28 Saul’s desire to pursue David deep into the Judean wilderness gave the Philistines the opportunity to push into Israel’s heartland again. Israel’s enemies were capitalizing on Saul’s internal troubles.

23:29 Located about fifteen miles northeast of the Wilderness of Maon near the Dead Sea’s north-south midpoint, En-gedi provided David’s men with shelter and spring water.