1 Samuel 23:1–29

23:2 David responds to the implicit plea for assistance in a way appropriate to covenantal kingship. He “inquired of the Lord” regarding a possible attack on “these Philistines.” As Abiathar arrives only after David is at Keilah (v. 6), it may be through the prophet Gad that David consults the Lord. He is not merely granted permission to attack but is also assured he will “save Keilah.”

23:3 However, the assorted group of men with David is not convinced, as they are already struggling to elude Saul in the hill country of Judah. Venturing into lower, more open ground and exposing themselves to the Philistine “armies” (lit., “battle lines”; cf. 17:8) in formal combat is viewed as suicidal.

23:4 In response, David again brings the matter before the Lord, who directs him to act immediately (“arise”) and “go down” to the lower ground, assuring him of divine assistance to overpower the Philistines.

23:5 David and his men then successfully attack the Philistines and come away with booty. “Their livestock” is probably beasts of burden used for transporting equipment and supplies but might also include cattle previously looted by the Philistines.

23:6 Although Abiathar’s escape to David is recorded in 22:20–23, it is not until now that we learn where precisely their meeting occurred. This information is included to explain how David is able to consult the Lord in 23:9. “Hand” occurs throughout the account as a key word indicating possession or control.

23:7 When Saul’s agents report David’s presence at Keilah, Saul immediately makes preparations to besiege the town—one of his own cities! He obviously believes David cannot slip away from a “town that has gates and bars” as easily as he moves around in rugged terrain. Saul also claims to be able to discern the divine purpose in this occurrence, but he has not grasped that God is working against him because of his rebellion (cf. v. 14).

23:8 Saul’s obsessive reaction with a general muster of his forces is overkill, but he is determined for there to be no escape route for David and his men from Keilah.

23:9 The flow of intelligence is obviously not all one way, for “David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him.” Indeed it would have been difficult to conceal that the whole Israelite army was being called up. David, however, has learned not to act on his own initiative, commanding Abiathar to “bring the ephod” (cf. 2:28) he had taken with him from Nob. In this way he may consult God through the use of the Urim and Thummim (cf. comment on 14:41).

23:10 David respectfully (“your servant”) brings before the Lord the situation as he understands it. After the incident at Nob, David is chary about Saul, fearing he will have no compunction in perpetrating another atrocity because of Keilah’s involvement with David.

23:11 Two questions are addressed to the Lord, probably one at a time and in the reverse order from how they are presented here. In “Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand?” the term translated “men” (from baʻal, “lord”) refers to the town’s landowners or leading citizens. Since they too know about Nob, David suspects that self-preservation might overwhelm any gratitude they feel for him (cf. 2 Sam. 20:14–22). In “Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard?” David seeks confirmation of the intelligence report he has received, and the Lord assures him that Saul will come down.

23:12 Regarding the other question, the Lord discloses that in the event of a siege the men of Keilah will “surrender you.” Fear of Saul, not loyalty to David, will determine their conduct.

23:13 David immediately quits Keilah at the head of a growing community of “about six hundred” (cf. 22:2). If David had hoped to make Keilah his headquarters, his departure adds to the pathos of the following comment: “They went wherever they could go” (lit., “They went to and fro where they went to and fro”). They do not scatter but, with few options open to them, move as opportunities develop. Meanwhile, Saul “gave up the expedition” against Keilah, which will not suffer from David’s presence there.

23:14 It is not clear how many localities are included in this transitional verse. The ESV omits one occurrence of “and he remained”: “And David remained in the wilderness in the strongholds, [and he remained] in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph” (AT). “Strongholds” are not buildings constructed as military forts but natural sites capable of being defended. Possibly later David focuses on those located in the “wilderness” (rough pastureland; cf. 17:28) around Ziph, a city in Judah southeast of Hebron. Presumably to evade Saul, David keeps on the move.

The narrator is careful to point out the lesson to be learned. Saul’s pursuit of David is unremitting and lasts “every day” (lit., “all the days”) of the remainder of his reign. But, for all the manpower at Saul’s disposal, and despite the information he is provided with, Saul cannot find David because “God did not give him into his hand” (cf. comment on 23:6). There can be no doubt about who is in control of the situation.

23:15 Even though this section is brief, Jonathan’s visit to David plays a significant role in the Lord’s provision for him. This is especially so if the Septuagint is followed: “David was afraid because . . .” rather than “David saw that . . .” The realization that Saul continues to “seek his life” (cf. 19:2) would cause David perplexity as to where and how it would all end. His weariness can easily be imagined, especially since “come out” points to an intensive military campaign to capture him.

The site of “Horesh” (“thicket”) has not been identified, apart from its being in the wilderness of Ziph (23:14), perhaps just south of the town. Its name indicates just how few heights with trees and bushes existed in the area.

23:16 Jonathan has heard about events at Keilah and succeeds in locating David—something his father is prevented from doing. Jonathan’s action is probably at peril of his life if Saul ever hears about it. However, Jonathan, himself a man of faith, encourages David to maintain his strong faith in God. “Hand” continues to be a key term in this passage (cf. comment on 23:6) and is used to indicate that Jonathan not only raises David’s spirits by reminding him of God’s promises to him but also urges him to act valiantly in light of those promises (“strengthened his hand in God”; cf. 30:6). This would provide David with a significant boost in his unsettled and perilous circumstances.

23:17 Furthermore, Jonathan urges David not to give way to fear that Saul would one day capture him. Instead Jonathan is confident that David would one day “be king over Israel” (cf. 20:13). Jonathan then adds how he views his personal role in that scenario: “And I shall be next [or “second”] to you.” It is the height of submission to the known will of God and of unselfish generosity that the crown prince should without any resentment accept such a subordinate role. Moreover, Jonathan assures David that “Saul my father also knows this” (confirmed in 24:20), where “this” may refer only to David’s becoming king, not to Jonathan’s becoming his subordinate.

23:18 Although David’s reaction is again not recorded, the language of “the two of them made a covenant before the Lord” implies that they renew their bond as equals, which differs from earlier occasions (18:3; 20:16). While David would remain as a hunted man in the wilderness, Jonathan “went home” to Gibeah (not to join Saul’s forces). This is the final parting of the ways, and Jonathan is not mentioned again until his death (31:2).

23:19 Even though the record of the period after Jonathan’s visit contains no mention of God (apart from once on the lips of Saul!), these events prove to be an impressive display of divine providential concern and control.

While Saul’s search parties continue to scour the area, Saul remains in Gibeah until he unexpectedly receives fresh information. The Ziphites, who occupy territory in the south of Judah (v. 14), are members of David’s tribe. Some of them (there is no article with “Ziphites” in v. 19) go to Saul and inform him as to where David is hiding. Whereas the men of Keilah had just wanted to stay out of trouble, the Ziphites are willful traitors. Psalm 54:3 describes them as “ruthless men” who seek David’s life. The question they pose to Saul is an emphatic declaration that they know where David has taken refuge. His hideout is at Horesh, where there are natural strongholds (1 Sam. 23:14–15). The hill of Hachilah is a substantial feature perhaps east of Horesh and south of Jeshimon or possibly a general term for the wilderness of Judah.

23:20 The Ziphites invite Saul to do as he wishes, and they undertake to surrender David to him.

23:21 Saul employs conventionally pious language to implore the Lord’s blessing on them (cf. 15:13). He continues to manipulate the situation by portraying himself as beleaguered and grateful for any favor extended to him in his difficulties (“had compassion”; cf. comment on 15:3). In Saul’s twisted interpretation of events, he himself is the only one who counts (18:12), and so the Ziphites are true patriots.

23:22 But Saul does not want to lead another abortive expedition, and he requires precise information about “the place where his foot is”—exactly where David’s footprints are visible. He commands them to “make yet more sure” precisely where David is. Saul claims he has been informed that David is “very cunning,” able to conceal his tracks—something Saul in fact knows from his own attempts to capture David.

23:23–24a “See . . . and take note” (lit., “see . . . and know”) reverses the order of the terms from the previous verse. Saul seeks information about “all the lurking places where he hides” so that he can catch him wherever he turns. On that basis, Saul will come and hunt David down “among all the thousands [“clans”] of Judah.” With these instructions the Ziphites go “ahead of Saul” to gather the intelligence needed for his proposed operation.

23:24b Meanwhile “David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon,” an area of rough grazing near the hometown of Nabal (25:2), 5 miles (8 km) south of Ziph, on the western edge of the Wilderness of Judah.¹ “The Arabah” refers to the rift valley in which the Dead Sea lies, while Jeshimon is probably the wilderness of Judah in general (cf. 23:19). It is a harsh, inhospitable area where David has gone only to evade Saul.

23:25 The focus is on Saul as the instigator and driving force behind the search. When David is informed of what is going on, he moves to “the rock,” a steep, bare cliff, perhaps in a gorge in the hills. Each side is provided with good scouts, and in response Saul shifts the area of his search.

23:26 Saul is getting close to David. They are on opposite sides of a mountain, and “David was hurrying to get away from Saul,” probably by moving east toward the Dead Sea. “Hurry” conveys a reaction caused by alarm as David realizes that “Saul and his men were closing in” from the west, probably in a pincer movement to the north and south of the mountain—and it seems they are on the point of success.

23:27 At this point there is a providential intervention when “a messenger came to Saul” with news requiring him to act immediately. The Philistines, perhaps having heard that Saul is diverted by his pursuit of David, have “made a raid against the land.” The security of the land should be Saul’s primary focus, but his obsession with David has drawn his attention away from dealing with the true enemy.

23:28 Saul has no choice but to give up pursuing David at this juncture. If he does not deal with the Philistines, there might be no realm left for him to keep out of the hands of David. The incident is commemorated by naming the site “the Rock of Escape.”

23:29 After this close call, feeling insecure because of the treachery of the Ziphites, David goes “up from there.” Engedi (“spring of the kid-goat”) is an oasis on the western shore of the Dead Sea, due east of Ziph, where steep cliffs with many caves offer protection and avoidance of detection for David and his band of six hundred men.