1Sa 23:1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
The Philistines fight against Keilah - Keilah was a fortified town in the tribe of Judah . Keilah was in the Shephelah, probably close to the Philistine border, but its site is uncertain.
Rob the threshing floors - The “threshing floors” were the natural objects of plunder Jdg_6:11. This was an ancient custom of the Philistines, Midianites, and others. Jdg_6:4. When the grain was ripe and fit to be threshed, and they had collected it at the threshing-floors, which were always in the open field, then their enemies came upon them and spoiled them of the fruits of their harvest.
Then they told David - David’s growing importance, fugitive as he was, is marked by this appeal to him for deliverance from the Philistines. 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:
The Philistines fight against Keilah - had laid siege to it, being a fortified place, 1Sa_23:7; it was a city in the tribe of Judah , on the borders of the Philistines; Probably it was the departure of God and David from Saul, that encouraged the Philistines to make this inroad.
1Sa 23:2 Therefore David enquired 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.
Therefore David inquired of the Lord - In what way David made this inquiry we are not told, but it was perhaps by means of the prophet Gad, for Abiathar had not yet come with the ephod, the Urim and Thummim, to inquire by them; Some scholars think Abiathar had already joined David before the inquiry of the Lord. The adventure mentioned here was truly noble. In most cases a man with David’s wrongs would have joined with the enemies of his country, and avenged himself on the author of his adversities; but he thinks of nothing but using his power and influence in behalf of his brethren! This is a rare instance of disinterested heroism.
The Lord said Go and smite - He might now go with confidence, being assured of success. When God promises success, who need be afraid of the face of any enemy?
Therefore David inquired of the Lord - 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 with them now; partly because he could not act under a commission from Saul the king; and partly because he had such a small number of forces with him, that it might be hazardous for him to attack the armies of the Philistines with them, and attempt to raise the siege of Keilah; and therefore he thought it advisable to inquire of the Lord what was his mind and will in this matter:
1Sa 23:3 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?
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, yet in the further parts of it, and on the borders of the Philistines.
against the armies of the Philistines - too numerous and powerful for them.
1Sa 23:4 Then David enquired 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.
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: This was to satisfy his men, who made the strong objections mentioned in the preceding verse.
I will deliver the Philistines into thine hands - which is still more explicit, and is a promise not only of delivering Keilah out of the hands of the Philistines, but of delivering them into David's hands, and so of an entire: victory; and therefore none of David's men had anything to fear after such a declaration of the will of God.
1Sa 23:5 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.
1Sa 23:6 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.
Abiathar fled to David to Keilah - Either when he was there, or near the place:
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 was peculiar to the high priest; and his father the high priest being dead, it belonged to him, and therefore he took care to bring it with him; It had, probably, been committed to his care, while Ahimelech and the other priests repaired to Gibeah, in obedience to the summons of Saul.
1Sa 23:7 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.
for he is shut in - by entering into a town that hath gates and bars; while before he betook himself to caves, and fields, and woods, Saul had no great hopes of finding David out, and coming up with him, and seizing him; but now he had got into a fortified place, enclosed with walls, and that had gates to it, kept bolted and barred; when he brought his army against it, and surrounded it, he imagined he would not be able to get out, and escape his hands. Saul imagined himself now certain of his victim, who would be hemmed within a fortified town.
1Sa 23:8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
Saul called all the people together - That is, all the people of that region or district, that they might scour the country, and hunt out David from all his haunts. This force was raised, probably, on the ostensible pretext of opposing the Philistines, while, in reality, it was secretly to arouse mischief against David.
1Sa 23:9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
David knew that Saul practiced 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 there:
Bring hither the ephod--not for David to put on, but for the priest himself, that being clothed with it, and the Urim and Thummim in it, he might inquire for him of the Lord.
1Sa 23:10 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.
O Lord God of Israel - the great Jehovah, the covenant God of his people, who always has a merciful regard unto them:
1Sa 23:11 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.
Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hands -That is, if David continued there, which is the supposition all proceeds upon. The questions are not orderly put, as may easily be observed, the last should have been first; which shows some perturbation of mind David was in upon hearing the design of Saul against him: The answer is only made to that which it was proper to ask first; and that which is asked out of order had to be asked again
And the Lord said - In this short history we find an ample proof that there is such a thing as contingency in human affairs; that is, God has poised many things between a possibility of being and not being, leaving it to the will of the person to turn the scale. In the above answers of the Lord the following conditions were evidently implied: - If thou continue in Keilah, Saul will certainly come down; and If Saul come down, the men of Keilah will deliver thee into his hands. We may observe from this that, however positive a declaration of God may appear that refers to any thing in which man is to be employed, the prediction is not intended to suspend or destroy free agency, but always comprehends in it some particular condition.
1Sa 23:12 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.
they will deliver thee up - the Lord knew the dispositions and affections of their minds, that the men of Keilah were inclined to do it, and would do it, if David continues among them till Saul came down; which showed the great ingratitude of this people to their deliverer.
1Sa 23:13 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.
went whithersoever they could go - not knowing whither they should go, having no particular place in view; but went where they thought they could be safest, or that appeared the most proper place for them;
1Sa 23:14 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.
Wilderness of Ziph - Ziph was a city in the southern part of Judea , not far from Carmel . The wilderness of Ziph apparently had high and strong rocks
God delivered him not into his hand - which suggests, that it was only the providence of God that secured him.
Saul sought him all the days - This is a general remark, intended to introduce the accounts which follow, of the various attempts made by Saul to get David into his power.
1Sa 23:15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
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, 1Sa_23:14; or he perceived, he understood by information given him by his friends,
1Sa 23:16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
strengthened his hand in God - He comforted and supported him against all his fears, by minding him of God's infallible promises made to him, and his singular providence which hitherto had and still would be with him. It is probable that there was always a secret contact between David and Jonathan, and that by this most trusty friend he was apprised of the various designs of Saul to take away his life. As Jonathan well knew that God had appointed David to the kingdom, he came now to encourage him to trust in the Most High, and to assure him that the hand of Saul should not prevail against him; and at this interview they renewed their covenant of friendship. Now all this Jonathan could do, consistently with his duty to his father and his king. He knew that David had delivered the kingdom; he saw that his father was ruling unconstitutionally; and he knew that God had appointed David to succeed Saul. This he knew would come about in the order of Providence ; and neither he nor David took one step to hasten the time. Jonathan, by his several interferences, prevented his father from imbruing his hands in innocent blood: a more filial and a more loyal part he could not have acted; and therefore, in his attachment to David, he is wholly free of blame.
1Sa 23:17 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.
thou shalt be king over Israel - meaning after the death of his father; which he knew either by some special revelation made to him; or rather by being informed he had been anointed by Samuel, and which he had either from Samuel or from David himself; and this he most firmly believed, though David was now in so low a condition:
and I shall be next unto thee - not succeed him in the kingdom; but if living when he came to the throne, he should be the second man in civil affairs, as he now was, and that he should be content with:
1Sa 23:18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
they 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. They then parted, and never came together again, that we find, in this world. The treachery of the Ziphites forms a striking contrast to Jonathan's treatment of David.
1Sa 23:19 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?
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, and hither came the Ziphites with a proposal to deliver him to Saul; for though they were of the same tribe with David, yet being terrified with what Saul had done to Nob, they thought it best for their own security to inform Saul where he was, and make an offer to deliver him to him. at this time it was that David wrote the fifty fourth psalm, Psalms 54:1 To the Chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A contemplation. A Psalm of David, when the Ziphites came and said to Saul, Does not David hide himself among us? Save me, O God, by Your name, and judge me by Your strength.
in the hill of Hachilah – possibly where, according to Josephus, Jonathan the high priest (not Saul’s son) built a castle, and called it Masada , where Herod built a wall around it.
Jeshimon - or the wilderness.
1Sa 23:20 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.
1Sa 23:21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.
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 sympathized with him, which others did not, of which he complained, 1Sa_22:8 But all of you have conspired against me, and none of you was revealing in my ear when my son cut a covenant with the son of Jesse? And not one of you is sorry for me, even to reveal in my ear that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as today.
1Sa 23:22 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.
know and see his place where his haunt - 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:
1Sa 23:23 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.
I will go with you - upon such certain information relayed back to Saul: it is apparent that he did not seize this opportunity, and go directly with them; for by this delay, David being informed of the Ziphites coming to Saul to betray him, had time to depart elsewhere:
throughout all the thousands of Judah - through all the divisions of that tribe, which, as others, were divided into thousands.
1Sa 23:24 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.
went to Ziph, before Saul - they went thither before he went, to prepare things more exactly before he came, and in order to return to him again and go with him:
in the plain on the south of Jeshimon - the same as in 1Sa_23:19; only David was now farther to the south of it, and in a plain, whereas before he was on an hill.
the wilderness of Maon - a city in the most southern parts of the tribe of Judah , and a neighboring town to Carmel . Hence Nabal (1Sa_25:2) is described as a man of Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel ; and though he might dwell generally in Maon, yet he is styled Nabal the Carmelite, from the place where his estate lay. Maon was a mountainous district in the most southern parts of Judah .
1Sa 23:25 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.
came down into a rock - That is, into a cave which was in the rock; where at first he might think to hide himself, but upon farther consideration he removed from there upon Saul's approach.
came down into a rock - “The rock” is probably the conical mountain of Main (Maon), the top of which is now surrounded with ruins, probably remains of a tower, as the rock from which David came down can only have been the mountain (1Sa_23:26), along one side of which David went with his men whilst Saul and his warriors went on the other, namely when Saul pursued him into the desert of Maon.
1Sa 23:26 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.
Saul went on this 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: Evidently not knowing that David and his men were on the other side.
1Sa 23:27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
There came a messenger - See the providence of God exerted for the salvation of David’s life. The wisdom of God is never at a loss for ways, and means to preserve his people. David and his men are almost surrounded by Saul and his army, and on the point of being taken, when a messenger arrives and informs Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land.
the Philistines have invaded the land - perhaps they had taken the advantage of Saul's departure in quest of David, to penetrate into the tribe of Benjamin, where his patrimony, residence, and court were, and which were liable to fall into their hands; and therefore his presence was immediately required, and haste was necessary.
1Sa 23:28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.
They called that place Selahammahlekoth - That is, the rock of divisions; because, says the Targum, the heart of the king was divided to go hither and thither. Here Saul was obliged to separate himself from David, in order to go and oppose the invading Philistines which deliverance of David was of such a nature as made the Divine interposition fully visible.
Saul returned from pursuing after David - Stopped short at once, as soon as ever he received the message:
1Sa 23:29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
Strong holds at En-gedi - another place in the tribe of Judah, and which lay in the wilderness of Judah, En-gedi was situated near to the western coast of the Dead Sea, not far from Jeshimon: it literally signifies the kid’s well, and was celebrated for its vineyards, Son 1:14 My Beloved is to me like a cluster of henna in the vineyards of Engedi. It was also celebrated for its balm. It is reported to be a mountainous territory, filled with caverns; and consequently proper for David in his present circumstances.
