1 Samuel 23:1-14

David Saves the City of Keilah

1 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against ¹Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors. ”

2 Therefore David ²inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines? ” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah. ”

3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? ”

4 Then David ³inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, ⁴for I will give the Philistines into your hand. ”

5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 ⁵When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars. ”

8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, ⁶“Bring the ephod here. ”

10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account.

11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant. ” And the Lord said, “He will come down. ”

12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul? ” And the Lord said, ⁷“They will surrender you. ”

13 Then David and his men, ⁸who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went ⁹wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.

14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country ¹⁰of the wilderness of ¹¹Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

1 Samuel 23:1-14 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.

Cross References

• 1. 23:1 Josh. 15:44
• 2. 23:2 See ch. 22:10
• 3. 23:4 [See ver. 2 above]
• 4. 23:4 ver. 14; Josh. 24:11; Judg. 7:7; 20:28
• 5. 23:6 ch. 22:20
• 6. 23:9 ch. 30:7; [Num. 27:21]
• 7. 23:12 ver. 20
• 8. 23:13 ch. 25:13; 27:2; [ch. 22:2; 30:9, 10]
• 9. 23:13 [2 Sam. 15:20]
• 10. 23:14 See Ps. 63
• 11. 23:14 Josh. 15:24