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
New King James Version
David Saves the City of Keilah
23 Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against (A)Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”
2 Therefore David (B)inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and [a]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, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” 4 Then David inquired of the Lord once again.
And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and (C)fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech (D)fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” 8 Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
9 When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, (E)he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” 10 Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah (F)to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will come down.”
12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah [b]deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”
13 So David and his men, (G)about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.
David in Wilderness Strongholds
14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in (H)the mountains in the Wilderness of (I)Ziph. Saul (J)sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 15 So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph [c]in a forest. 16 Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and [d]strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said to him, (K)“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)Even my father Saul knows that.” 18 So the two of them (M)made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
19 Then the Ziphites (N)came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? 20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and (O)our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”
21 And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me. 22 Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty. 23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the [e]clans of Judah.”
24 So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness (P)of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon. 25 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down [f]to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. 26 Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. (Q)So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men (R)were encircling David and his men to take them.
27 (S)But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!” 28 Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place [g]the Rock of Escape. 29 Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at (T)En Gedi.
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 23:2 Lit. strike
- 1 Samuel 23:12 Lit. shut up
- 1 Samuel 23:15 Or in Horesh
- 1 Samuel 23:16 encouraged him
- 1 Samuel 23:23 Lit. thousands
- 1 Samuel 23:25 Or from the rock
- 1 Samuel 23:28 Heb. Sela Hammahlekoth
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
