1 Samuel 23:7

7 It was told Sha'ul that David was come to Ke`ilah. Sha'ul said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.

1 Samuel 23:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:7

And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah
No doubt it was told him what he came thither for, to relieve it, and deliver it out of the hands of the Philistines, and what success he had; which one would have thought would have reconciled his mind to him, and made him think well of them; but instead of that, it only led him to contrive mischief against him:

and Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand;
as if the success he had given to David was against, him, and in favour of Saul:

for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars;
while he betook himself to caves, and fields, and woods, he had no great hopes of finding him out, and coming up with him, and seizing him; but now he had got into a fortified place, enclosed with walls, and that had gates to it, kept bolted and barred; when he brought his army against it, and surrounded it, he imagined he would not be able to get out, and escape his hands.

1 Samuel 23:7 In-Context

5 David and his men went to Ke`ilah, and fought with the Pelishtim, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David save the inhabitants of Ke`ilah.
6 It happened, when Avyatar the son of Achimelekh fled to David to Ke`ilah, that he came down with an efod in his hand.
7 It was told Sha'ul that David was come to Ke`ilah. Sha'ul said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
8 Sha'ul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Ke`ilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 David knew that Sha'ul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Avyatar the Kohen, Bring here the efod.
The Hebrew Names Version is in the public domain.