1 Samuel 23:10-20

10 Then David prayed to God: "God of Israel, I've just heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the city because of me.

11 Will the city fathers of Keilah turn me over to him? Will Saul come down and do what I've heard? O God, God of Israel, tell me!" God replied, "He's coming down."

12 "And will the head men of Keilah turn me and my men over to Saul?" And God said, "They'll turn you over."

13 So David and his men got out of there. There were about six hundred of them. They left Keilah and kept moving, going here, there, wherever - always on the move. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the raid.

14 David continued to live in desert hideouts and the backcountry wilderness hills of Ziph. Saul was out looking for him day after day, but God never turned David over to him

15 David kept out of the way in the wilderness of Ziph, secluded at Horesh, since it was plain that Saul was determined to hunt him down.

16 Jonathan, Saul's son, visited David at Horesh and encouraged him in God.

17 He said, "Don't despair. My father, Saul, can't lay a hand on you. You will be Israel's king and I'll be right at your side to help. And my father knows it."

18 Then the two of them made a covenant before God. David stayed at Horesh and Jonathan went home.

19 Some Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Did you know that David is hiding out near us in the caves and canyons of Horesh? Right now he's at Hakilah Hill just south of Jeshimon

20 So whenever you're ready to come down, we'd count it an honor to hand him over to the king."

1 Samuel 23:10-20 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.