1 Samuel 23:26

26 Sha'ul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Sha'ul; for Sha'ul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

1 Samuel 23:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:26

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his
men on that side of the mountain
Saul with his army came to the very mountain where David and his men were, the one was on one side of it, and the other on the other side; there was only one mountain between them:

and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul;
he fled on one side of the mountain, while Saul was pursuing him on the other, and hastening to get round unto him:

for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take
them;
he took methods by dividing his troops, and sending them different ways, to surround David and his men, and had very near effected it.

1 Samuel 23:26 In-Context

24 They arose, and went to Zif before Sha'ul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Ma`on, in the `Aravah on the south of the desert.

25 Sha'ul and his men went to seek him. They told David: why he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Ma`on. When Sha'ul heard [that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Ma`on.

26 Sha'ul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Sha'ul; for Sha'ul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

27 But there came a messenger to Sha'ul, saying, Haste you, and come; for the Pelishtim have made a raid on the land.

28 So Sha'ul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Pelishtim: therefore they called that place Sela-Hammachlekot.