This chapter gives an account of David’s relieving Keilah, when it had like to have fallen into the hands of the Philistines, 1 Sam. 23:1–6; and of Saul’s design to surprise him there, which David having notice of, and inquiring of the Lord, departed from thence; which when Saul heard of, he…

Then they told David Either the men of Keilah sent to him, being near them, or some well wishers of theirs, and of their country, acquainted him with their case: saying, behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah; had laid siege to it, being a fortified place, ; it was a city in the tribe of…

Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I go and smite these Philistines? &c.] For though David was well disposed to serve his country, and was desirous of freeing them from their enemies the Philistines, he might have some doubts in his mind whether it would be right for him to engage…

And David’s men said unto him, behold, we be afraid here in Judah Of Saul and his army falling upon them, and crushing them, though they were in the tribe of Judah, where they had many friends, and in the heart of that tribe: how much more then if we come to Keilah; which, though in the same tribe,…

Then David inquired of the Lord yet again Not for his own sake, who firmly believed it was the will of God he should go and succeed, but for the sake of his men, and to remove the doubts and fears that hung on their minds: and the Lord answered him, and said, arise, go down to Keilah; immediately,…

So David and his men went to Keilah Animated by a commission from God, and a promise of success by him: and fought with the Philistines; encamped before Keilah: and brought away their cattle; which they had brought with them for the support of their army; or having routed them, they pursued them…

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah Either when he was there, or near the place: that he came down with an ephod in his hand; not with a linen ephod on his back, which the priests in common wore, but the ephod with the Urim and Thummim in his hand, which…

And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah No doubt it was told him what he came thither for, to relieve it, and deliver it out of the hands of the Philistines, and what success he had; which one would have thought would have reconciled his mind to him, and made him think well of them; but…

And Saul called all the people together to war Or “caused them to hear” [[11]] summoned them by an herald, whom he sent into all parts of the kingdom to proclaim war, and require them in his name to attend him; which was the prerogative of a king to do: to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and…

And. David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him That is, plotted and contrived it, formed schemes in order to do him mischief, giving out one thing, and designing another; so he pretended war against the Philistines, but his intention was to come against Keilah, and take David…

Then said David By the priest, for it was he that put the questions for and in the name of the inquirer: O Lord God of Israel; the great Jehovah, the covenant God of his people, who always has a merciful regard unto them: thy servant hath certainly heard; had good information of it, on which he…

Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hands? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? &c.] That is, if David continued there, which is the supposition all proceeds upon.

Then said David, will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? &c.] That is, the lords and great men of the place, the governor of the city, and the heads of it, the chief magistrates in it: and the Lord said, they will deliver thee up: that is, provided he stayed there; for…

Then David and his men, which were about six hundred Having had an increase of two hundred since he was at the cave of Adullam, (1 Sam. 22:1, 1 Sam. 22:2) , and upon his relief of Keilah, ; so that he sustained no loss of men by fighting with the Philistines, but had an addition to his small…

And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds In the wilderness of Ziph, in high and strong rocks there, as it seems to be explained by what follows: and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph; which had its name from a city in the tribe of Judah, of which (See Gill on Josh.

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life Either he saw him with his bodily eyes from the top of the mountain where he was, ; or he perceived, he understood by information given him by his friends, it may be by Jonathan, or by spies he sent to observe his motions: and David was in the…

And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose And came from Gibeah, which, according to Bunting [[13]], was twenty two miles from the place where David was: and went to David into the wood: having had intelligence where he was, this being a proper place to have an interview with him privately: and strengthened…

And he said unto him, fear not Distrust not the power, providence, and promises of God, nor dread the wrath of Saul, or fear falling into his hands: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; to lay hold on him, seize him, and do him any hurt: and thou shalt be king over Israel; meaning…

And they two made a covenant before the Lord Renewed the covenant they had before made in the name and fear of God, and before him as a witness of it. Kimchi and Abarbinel interpret this phrase, before the Lord, of the covenant being made before Abiathar, with the Urim and Thummim in his hand; and…

Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah Who though he had been out in quest of David, yet was now returned to Gibeah, the place of his residence, and where he kept his court; and hither came the Ziphites, the inhabitants of Ziph, in the wilderness of which David hid himself, with a proposal to…

Now therefore, O king, come down From Gibeah to Ziph, and the wilderness of it, where David was: according to all the desires of thy soul to come down; to seize such a prey which he was greatly desirous of, and of nothing more so than of that according to Abarbinel, the sense is, that the thing was…

And Saul said, blessed be ye of the Lord He highly commends them for the offer they made to him, blesses God for them, and desires the blessing of God upon them for it: for ye have compassion on me; pitied him on account of the troubles he met with from his son-in-law, were sorry for him, and…

Go, I pray you, prepare yet That is, go home, return to their habitations, and get things in a greater readiness for him; inquire more diligently after David, get more intelligence of him, and inform themselves more exactly about him: and know and see his place where his haunt is; or “foot” [[17]]…

See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself Which he most frequents, that ye may be able to describe them, and the way to them, and easily find them when necessary: and come ye again to me with the certainty; of time and place, when and where he may be…

And they arose, and went to Ziph, before Saul Not before his person, as if he went with them, and they before him leading the way; but they went thither before he went, to prepare things more exactly, and with more certainty, before he came, and in order to return to him again and go with him: but…

And Saul also and his men went to seek him Whether the Ziphites returned to him with better intelligence, or sent him word where David was, is not said, however Saul with his army came out in search of him: and they told David; or it was told him, that Saul was come in quest of him: wherefore he…

And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain Saul with his army came to the very mountain where David and his men were, the one was on one side of it, and the other on the other side; there was only one mountain between them: and David made haste to…

But there came a messenger unto Saul From his court, by order of his council there; though the Jews [[18]] say it was an angel from heaven; but be it which it will, it was certainly the providence of God that directed this affair, that a messenger should come to Saul just at that very time that…

Therefore Saul returned from pursuing after David Stopped short at once, as soon as ever he received the message: and went against the Philistines; to stop them in their progress, and drive them out of his country: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth, which signifies the rock of…

And David went up from thence From the wilderness of Maon, having had a narrow escape for his life: and dwelt in strong holds in Engedi; another place in the tribe of Judah, and which lay in the wilderness of Judah, and from whence that is called the wilderness of Engedi; and here Dr.