1 Samuel 23
Expanded Bible
David Saves the People of Keilah
23 ·Someone told [News came to; L They told] David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting ·against [at] Keilah and ·stealing grain from [L robbing; plundering; looting] the threshing floors.”
2 David ·asked [inquired of] the Lord, “Should I go and ·fight [attack; L strike] these Philistines?”
The Lord answered him, “Go. ·Attack [L Strike] the Philistines, and ·save [rescue; deliver] Keilah.”
3 But David’s men said to him, “We’re afraid here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah ·where the Philistine army is [L against the ranks of the Philistines].”
4 David ·again asked [inquired again of] the Lord, and the Lord [L again] answered, “Go down to Keilah. I will ·help you defeat [L give into your hand] the Philistines.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines and took their cattle. David ·killed [slaughtered] many Philistines and ·saved [rescued; delivered] the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ·holy vest [ephod] ·with him [L in his hand] when he came to David at Keilah [C the ephod probably held the Urim and Thummim used to determine God’s will; Ex. 28:30].)
Saul Chases David
7 Someone told Saul that David was now at Keilah. Saul said, “God has ·handed David over to me [L made a stranger of him into my hand; C the Hebrew is obscure]! He has ·trapped [imprisoned] himself, because he has entered a town with gates and bars [C Saul could lay siege to such a town].” 8 Saul called all his army together for battle, and they prepared to go down to Keilah to ·attack [L besiege] David and his men.
9 David learned Saul was ·making evil plans [plotting evil] against him. So he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ·holy vest [ephod].” 10 David prayed, “Lord, God of Israel, ·I have [L your servant has] heard that Saul plans to come to Keilah to destroy the town because ·of me [I am here]. 11 Will the ·leaders [citizens; men] of Keilah ·hand me over [surrender/betray me] 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 [citizens; men] of Keilah ·hand [surrender; betray] me and my men over to Saul?”
The Lord answered, “They will [L surrender/betray you].”
13 So David and his six hundred men left Keilah and ·kept moving from place to place [L went/roamed wherever they could]. When Saul found out that David had escaped from Keilah, he ·did not go there [gave up pursuit/the campaign].
14 David stayed in the ·desert [wilderness] ·hideouts [strongholds] and in the hills of the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph. Every day Saul looked for David, but the Lord did not ·surrender David to him [L give David into his hand].
15 While David was at Horesh in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him. 16 But Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and ·strengthened his faith [encouraged him; L strengthened his hand] in God. 17 Jonathan told him, “Don’t be afraid, because [L the hand of] my father Saul won’t ·touch [L find] you. You will be king of Israel, and I will be ·second [next] to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” 18 The two of them ·made [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; solemn pact] before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David stayed at Horesh.
19 The people from Ziph went to Saul at Gibeah and told him, “David is hiding in our land. He’s at the ·hideouts [strongholds] of Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, ·south of [in the southern part of] Jeshimon. 20 Now, our king, come down ·anytime you want [whenever you’re ready]. It’s our duty to hand David over to you.”
21 Saul answered, “The Lord bless you for ·helping [L showing concern for; having compassion on] me. 22 Go and ·learn more about him [make sure]. ·Find out [Investigate] where he is staying and who has seen him there. I have heard that he is ·clever [very cunning/crafty]. 23 Find all the hiding places he uses, and come back ·and tell me everything [when you are sure; with definite information]. Then I’ll go with you. If David is in the ·area [land], I will ·track him down [search him out] among all the ·families [clans; or thousands] in Judah.”
24 So they went back to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon[a] in the ·desert [wilderness] area south of Jeshimon. 25 Saul and his men went to look for David, but David heard about it and went down to ·a [the great] rock and stayed in the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon. When Saul heard that, he ·followed [pursued] David into the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon.
26 Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side. They were hurrying to get away from Saul, because Saul and his men were ·closing in on [surrounding] them. 27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are ·attacking [raiding] our land!” 28 So Saul stopped chasing David and went to ·challenge [meet; oppose] the Philistines. That is why people call this place Rock of ·Parting [Escape; or Separations]. 29 David also left the ·Desert [Wilderness] of Maon and stayed in the ·hideouts [strongholds] of En Gedi.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:24 Maon Some early Greek copies read “Maon.” Hebrew copies read “Paran.”
1 Samuel 23
English Standard Version
David Saves the City of Keilah
23 Now they told David, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against (A)Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.” 2 Therefore David (B)inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 3 But David's men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David (C)inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, (D)for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 (E)When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, “God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, (F)“Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the Lord said, “He will come down.” 12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the Lord said, (G)“They will surrender you.” 13 Then David and his men, (H)who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went (I)wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country (J)of the wilderness of (K)Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
Saul Pursues David
15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. (L)Saul my father also knows this.” 18 (M)And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.
19 (N)Then the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, which is south of (O)Jeshimon? 20 Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, (P)and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.” 21 And Saul said, (Q)“May you be blessed by the Lord, (R)for you have had compassion on me. 22 Go, make yet more sure. Know and see the place where his foot is, and who has seen him there, for it is told me that he is very cunning. 23 See therefore and take note of all the lurking places where he hides, and come back to me with sure information. Then I will go with you. And if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” 24 And they arose and went to Ziph ahead of Saul.
Now David and his men were (S)in the wilderness of Maon, (T)in the Arabah to the south of (U)Jeshimon. 25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And David was told, so he went down to the rock and lived in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon. 26 Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. And David was hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them, 27 a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.” 28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore that place was called the Rock of Escape.[a] 29 [b] And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of (V)Engedi.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:28 Or Rock of Divisions
- 1 Samuel 23:29 Ch 24:1 in Hebrew
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
