1 Samuel 22:23

23 Stay with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life; with me you shall be in safekeeping."

1 Samuel 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 22:23

Abide thou with me, fear not
He appeared to be in a fright; which is not to be wondered at, as not knowing what to do, and where to go and provide for his safety; when, to allay his fears, and make him easy, David invites and encourages him to stay with him, and not be afraid of Saul, nor any other:

for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life;
or, as Kimchi observes, it may be interpreted, "my life he seeks who seeks thy life"; we are in the same circumstances, and have the same common enemy, and therefore it is best and safest to be together; as the Targum,

``he that seeks to kill me seeks to kill thee;''

and as Jarchi adds, he that loves me will love thee, and he that keeps my life will keep thine:

but with me thou [shalt be] in safeguard;
intimating, that he would be as careful of him as of himself; and that for this reason, as Ben Gersom suggests, because he brought the ephod with the Urim and Thummim with him, by which he could inquire of God for him; but this was the thing David was confident of, that God would preserve him, and raise him to the kingdom, and therefore Abiathar might be sure of safety with him: at this time he penned the fifty second psalm, which shows the frame of spirit he was now in; see ( Psalms 52:1-9 ) .

1 Samuel 22:23 In-Context

21 And Abi'athar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
22 And David said to Abi'athar, "I knew on that day, when Do'eg the E'domite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house.
23 Stay with me, fear not; for he that seeks my life seeks your life; with me you shall be in safekeeping."
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.