David Saves Keilah
Study note
David heard that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing floors. He asked God if he should go fight them. His men were afraid, but God told David to go and promised victory. David defeated the Philistines and saved Keilah. Abiathar the priest had joined David with the ephod, which was used to ask God for guidance.
1 Word came to David: "The Philistines are attacking the town of Keilah! They are stealing grain right off the threshing floors!" Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
2 David asked the Lord, "Should I go fight these Philistines?" The Lord told him, "Yes, go. Attack the Philistines and rescue Keilah." Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 But David's men pushed back: "We are already scared enough being here in Judah. It will be way worse if we march to Keilah and take on the entire Philistine army!" And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 David went back to the Lord a second time. The Lord answered, "Get moving. Go to Keilah. I am putting the Philistines in your hands." Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
5 David and his men marched to Keilah, fought the Philistines, drove off their livestock, and dealt them a crushing defeat. David saved the people of Keilah. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar son of Ahimelech had fled to David at Keilah, he brought the priestly ephod along with him. And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
David Escapes Keilah
Study note
When Saul learned David was in Keilah, a walled city, he thought David was trapped and began gathering his army. David used the priestly ephod to ask God two questions: Would Saul come? Would the people of Keilah hand him over? God said yes to both. So David and his men, now about six hundred, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. Saul searched for David every day but God did not let Saul find him.
7 Saul got word that David was in Keilah. He said, "God has delivered him right into my hands. David has walked into a trap by entering a town with gates and bars." And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
8 Saul called up his entire army, ordering them to march to Keilah and surround David and his men. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 David found out that Saul was scheming against him. He told the priest Abiathar, "Bring the ephod over here." And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 David prayed, "Lord, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me." Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 "Will the people of Keilah hand me over to Saul? Will Saul come here like I have been told? Lord, God of Israel, please tell me." The Lord answered, "Saul will come." Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.
12 David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah turn me and my men over to Saul?" The Lord said, "Yes, they will." Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
13 David and his men, about six hundred of them, packed up and left Keilah right away. They kept moving from place to place. When Saul learned that David had gotten out of Keilah, he dropped his plans to go there. Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 David stayed hidden in wilderness strongholds, moving through the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul hunted for David every day, but God never let Saul find him. And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
Jonathan Encourages David
Study note
While David was in the wilderness of Ziph, Jonathan came to visit him in secret. Jonathan encouraged David and helped him find strength in God. Jonathan told David, 'Don't be afraid. My father Saul will never find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you.' This was the last recorded meeting between the two friends. They renewed their covenant before the Lord, and Jonathan went home.
15 While David was hiding at Horesh in the wilderness of Ziph, he learned that Saul was on his way to kill him. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 Jonathan, Saul's own son, made the trip out to David at Horesh. He helped David find new courage and strength in God. And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 Jonathan told him, "Don't be afraid. My father Saul is never going to catch you. You are going to be king over Israel, and I will be right beside you as second in command. Even my father knows this is true." And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 The two of them renewed their covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, and David stayed behind at Horesh. And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
The Ziphites Betray David
Study note
The people of Ziph went to Saul and offered to hand David over. They told Saul exactly where David was hiding. Saul was pleased and blessed them for their loyalty. He told them to go back and find out David's exact movements so he could capture him. David had moved to the wilderness of Maon, further south.
19 Some people from Ziph went to Gibeah. They told Saul, "David hides near us. He is at the forts near Horesh. That is on the hill of Hakilah, south of the waste land." Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?
20 "Whenever you are ready to come down, O king, we will personally hand him over to you." Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.
21 Saul said, "Bless you for caring about me." And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
22 "Now go back and do some more digging. Find out exactly where David is staying and who has seen him around there. I hear he is extremely clever." Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.
23 "Scout out every hiding place he uses and report back with solid details. Once I know for sure, I will go with you. If he is anywhere in the land, I will hunt him down, even if I have to search every family in Judah." See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.
24 The men from Ziph headed back ahead of Saul. Meanwhile, David and his men had moved down to the wilderness of Maon, in a valley south of the wasteland. And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.
David's Narrow Escape
Study note
Saul and his men closed in on David at a mountain in the wilderness of Maon. They were on opposite sides of the mountain, with Saul's forces slowly surrounding David. Just when capture seemed certain, a messenger arrived telling Saul that the Philistines were raiding the land. Saul had to break off the pursuit to deal with the Philistines. The place was named 'the Rock of Escape.' David moved to the strongholds at En-gedi, an oasis near the Dead Sea.
25 Saul and his troops began the search. When David heard they were coming, he moved to a rocky area deeper in the wilderness of Maon. Saul got word of this and pursued David right into the wilderness of Maon. Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 Saul was on one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, moving fast to get away. Saul's army was closing in, about to surround them completely, And Saul 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 Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 when a messenger rushed up to Saul with urgent news: "Come back immediately! The Philistines are raiding the country!" But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
28 Saul broke off the chase and went to deal with the Philistine invasion. People named that place Sela-hammahlekoth, which means "the rock of escape." Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
29 David left that area and went to the strongholds near En-gedi. And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En-gedi.