1 Samuel 23:13

13 So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

1 Samuel 23:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:13

Then David and his men, [which were] about six hundred
Having had an increase of two hundred since he was at the cave of Adullam, ( 1 Samuel 22:1 1 Samuel 22:2 ) , and upon his relief of Keilah, ( 1 Samuel 23:5 ) ; so that he sustained no loss of men by fighting with the Philistines, but had an addition to his small forces:

arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go;
not knowing whither they should go, having no particular place in view; but went where they thought they could be safest, or that appeared the most proper place for them; so the Targum,

``they went to a place which was fit to go unto;''

which was fittest for their purpose, and most for their safety and security, be it where it would:

and it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah;
very likely some of the inhabitants informed him of it, since they were disposed to deliver David to him, had he stayed among them, and Saul had come down:

and he forbore to go forth:
from the place where he was, in order to come to Keilah,

1 Samuel 23:13 In-Context

11 Will the leaders of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul come down to Keilah, as I heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell me, your servant!" The Lord answered, "Saul will come down."

12 Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" The Lord answered, "They will."

13 So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

14 David stayed in the desert hideouts and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the Lord did not surrender David to him

15 While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him.