1 Samuel 23 Study Notes: David Rescues Keilah and Flees Saul
Guided by the LORD, David saves the town of Keilah from the Philistines, then leaves when God reveals that its people would hand him over to Saul. Jonathan encourages him in God at Horesh, the Ziphites betray his hiding place, and a Philistine raid calls Saul away just as he closes in.
General
What did Abiathar bring with him in his escape to David (1 Samuel 23:6)?
Answer: The priestly ephod
The narrator explains that Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son, had carried the ephod along in his escape to David (23:6). The ephod was a garment worn by the priest, and in these chapters it is the means by which David sought the LORD’s answers. When word came of Saul’s scheme against him, David had Abiathar fetch the ephod and then put his questions to the LORD (23:9-11). The law had placed the Urim in the high priest’s breastpiece for seeking the LORD’s judgment (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21), and David would ask Abiathar for the ephod again in a later crisis (30:7-8).
- 1 Samuel 23:6 (BSB)“(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)”Abiathar had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 23:9-11 (BSB)“When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD.”David calls for the ephod and asks the LORD about Saul and Keilah.
- Exodus 28:30 (BSB)“And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.”The law placed the Urim and Thummim in the high priest’s breastpiece before the LORD.
- Numbers 27:21 (BSB)“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.””Israel’s leader was to seek the LORD’s counsel through the priest.
- 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (BSB)“Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””David again calls for the ephod and receives the LORD’s answer.
Theological
What did Abiathar bring into David’s camp, according to 1 Samuel 23:6?
Answer: The priestly ephod
The parenthetical note in 23:6 explains how David could inquire of the LORD: Abiathar, Ahimelech’s son who escaped from Nob, had come carrying the ephod. When Saul’s plot becomes known, David calls for it and lays his questions before the LORD (23:9-11). The ephod belongs to the law’s provision for seeking the LORD’s judgment through the priest (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21), and David will use it again at Ziklag (30:7-8). While Saul has destroyed the priests, the LORD’s means of guidance now accompanies David.
- 1 Samuel 23:6 (BSB)“(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)”Abiathar had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 23:9-11 (BSB)“When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD.”David calls for the ephod and asks the LORD about Saul and Keilah.
- Exodus 28:30 (BSB)“And place the Urim and Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they will also be over Aaron’s heart whenever he comes before the LORD. Aaron will continually carry the judgment of the sons of Israel over his heart before the LORD.”The law placed the Urim and Thummim in the high priest’s breastpiece before the LORD.
- Numbers 27:21 (BSB)“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.””Israel’s leader was to seek the LORD’s counsel through the priest.
- 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (BSB)“Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””David again calls for the ephod and receives the LORD’s answer.
General
When David’s men said they were afraid to go to Keilah, what did David do (1 Samuel 23:3-5)?
Answer: He sought the LORD again and was promised victory
David’s men told him they were already afraid where they were in Judah, and far more so if they marched against the Philistine army at Keilah (23:3). David did not overrule them on his own judgment; he went back to the LORD. This time the answer came with a promise: the LORD Himself would hand the Philistines over to David (23:4). David’s band went, struck the Philistines hard, took their livestock, and rescued Keilah’s people (23:5). The victory came exactly as the LORD had said. God’s word tells His people not to fear in battle because the LORD is with them (Deuteronomy 20:1), and that a horse may be readied for war but the victory belongs to the LORD (Proverbs 21:31).
- 1 Samuel 23:3-5 (BSB)“But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah.”David’s men are afraid; David asks again, receives a promise, and saves Keilah.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”God’s people need not fear a stronger enemy, for the LORD is with them.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Victory in battle comes from the LORD.
Theological
How does David respond to his men’s fear about attacking the Philistines at Keilah (1 Samuel 23:3-5)?
Answer: He sought the LORD again and was promised victory
His men’s fear (23:3) prompts not a rebuke but a second inquiry, and the LORD now adds an explicit promise: He will give the Philistines into David’s hand (23:4). The outcome follows the word exactly — a decisive victory, captured livestock, and Keilah delivered (23:5). The episode illustrates the law’s charge not to fear a stronger enemy because the LORD goes with His people (Deuteronomy 20:1) and the proverb that victory belongs to the LORD, whatever preparations are made (Proverbs 21:31).
- 1 Samuel 23:3-5 (BSB)“But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David saved the people of Keilah.”David’s men are afraid; David asks again, receives a promise, and saves Keilah.
- Deuteronomy 20:1 (BSB)“When you go out to war against your enemies and see horses, chariots, and an army larger than yours, do not be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, is with you.”God’s people need not fear a stronger enemy, for the LORD is with them.
- Proverbs 21:31 (BSB)“A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory is of the LORD.”Victory in battle comes from the LORD.
General
True or False: Although Saul kept searching for David in the wilderness, God did not let David fall into Saul’s hands (1 Samuel 23:14).
Answer: True
This is true. David stayed in desert strongholds and among the hills of Ziph, and Saul hunted him continually, yet God refused to hand David over to him (23:14). The verse places David’s safety in God’s hands, not in David’s skill or Saul’s weakness. The psalms say the same: the times of God’s servant are in His hands (Psalm 31:15), and the LORD does not abandon the righteous to the wicked who seek their lives (Psalm 37:32-33). With God on His people’s side, no enemy can prevail against them (Romans 8:31).
- 1 Samuel 23:14 (BSB)“And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.”Saul searches daily, but God does not hand David over.
- Psalm 31:15 (BSB)“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”The psalmist’s times are in God’s hands, including deliverance from pursuers.
- Psalm 37:32-33 (BSB)“Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.”The LORD will not leave the righteous in the power of the wicked.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”If God is for His people, no one can stand against them.
Theological
True or False: 1 Samuel 23:14 attributes David’s survival in the wilderness to God’s refusal to give him into Saul’s hand.
Answer: True
This is true. The narrator’s summary is explicitly theological: Saul searched continually, yet God refused to give David up to him (23:14). David’s survival is ascribed to divine preservation rather than to his cunning or Saul’s incompetence. The psalms confess the same sovereign care — the times of God’s servant are in His hand (Psalm 31:15), and the LORD does not abandon the righteous to the wicked who seek their lives (Psalm 37:32-33) — and the apostle states the same truth for all God’s people: with God on their side, no opponent can stand against them (Romans 8:31).
- 1 Samuel 23:14 (BSB)“And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.”Saul searches daily, but God does not hand David over.
- Psalm 31:15 (BSB)“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”The psalmist’s times are in God’s hands, including deliverance from pursuers.
- Psalm 37:32-33 (BSB)“Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them, the LORD will not leave them in their power or let them be condemned under judgment.”The LORD will not leave the righteous in the power of the wicked.
- Romans 8:31 (BSB)“What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”If God is for His people, no one can stand against them.
General
When David heard that Philistine raiders were attacking Keilah, what did he do first (1 Samuel 23:1-2)?
Answer: He asked the LORD whether he should go and fight
Word reached David that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and plundering its threshing floors, where the harvested grain was processed (23:1). Before doing anything, David asked the LORD whether he should go and strike these raiders, and the LORD told him to go, defeat them and rescue Keilah (23:2). Though he was being hunted by Saul, David acted as a deliverer for God’s people, and he did so at the LORD’s direction. Seeking the LORD’s counsel before going out to battle was the pattern the law had set for Joshua as Israel’s leader (Numbers 27:21). By contrast, when Saul once sought God about attacking the Philistines, God gave him no answer that day (14:37).
- 1 Samuel 23:1-2 (BSB)“Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.””Hearing of the raid on Keilah, David asks the LORD and is told to go and save the town.
- Numbers 27:21 (BSB)“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.””The law had Israel’s leaders seek the LORD’s counsel before going out to battle.
- 1 Samuel 14:37 (BSB)“So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.”Saul had once inquired of God about the Philistines and received no answer.
Theological
What is David’s first response to the Philistine raid on Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1-2)?
Answer: He asked the LORD whether he should go and fight
Informed of the Philistine raid on Keilah’s threshing floors (23:1), David’s first act is inquiry: should he attack? The LORD commands him to attack the raiders and rescue the town (23:2). The fugitive already acts as Israel’s deliverer, and he does so under divine direction, in keeping with the pattern the law set for Joshua, who was to go out to battle at the LORD’s word (Numbers 27:21). Saul, by contrast, had once inquired about pursuing the Philistines and met with silence (14:37).
- 1 Samuel 23:1-2 (BSB)“Now it was reported to David, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors.” So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.””Hearing of the raid on Keilah, David asks the LORD and is told to go and save the town.
- Numbers 27:21 (BSB)“He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.””The law had Israel’s leaders seek the LORD’s counsel before going out to battle.
- 1 Samuel 14:37 (BSB)“So Saul inquired of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You give them into the hand of Israel?” But God did not answer him that day.”Saul had once inquired of God about the Philistines and received no answer.
General
While Saul was out to kill David, what did Jonathan do at Horesh (1 Samuel 23:15-16)?
Answer: He visited David and helped him find strength in God
While David was at Horesh in Ziph’s wilderness, aware that Saul had set out to kill him (23:15), Jonathan came to him there and built up his confidence in God (23:16). Jonathan’s encouragement pointed David beyond Jonathan’s own friendship or influence to God Himself. Later, in a desperate hour at Ziklag, David would again draw his strength from the LORD (30:6). Scripture calls God’s people to strengthen weak hands and to strengthen each other (Isaiah 35:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:11).
- 1 Samuel 23:15-16 (BSB)“While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,”Jonathan comes to David at Horesh and strengthens him in God.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 (BSB)“And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”In a later crisis David draws strength from the LORD his God.
- Isaiah 35:3 (BSB)“Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!”God’s people are called to strengthen weak hands.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (BSB)“Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.”Believers are to encourage and build one another up.
Theological
What did Jonathan do for David at Horesh, according to 1 Samuel 23:15-16?
Answer: He visited David and helped him find strength in God
With Saul in pursuit (23:15), Jonathan seeks David out at Horesh and strengthens him in God (23:16) — directing his friend’s confidence not to Jonathan’s influence at court but to God. In the later crisis at Ziklag, David will again draw strength from the LORD (30:6). Jonathan’s visit models the ministry Scripture commends among God’s people: strengthening weak hands (Isaiah 35:3) and mutual encouragement (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
- 1 Samuel 23:15-16 (BSB)“While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,”Jonathan comes to David at Horesh and strengthens him in God.
- 1 Samuel 30:6 (BSB)“And David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of every man grieved for his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.”In a later crisis David draws strength from the LORD his God.
- Isaiah 35:3 (BSB)“Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!”God’s people are called to strengthen weak hands.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (BSB)“Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.”Believers are to encourage and build one another up.
General
What did Jonathan tell David at Horesh about the future (1 Samuel 23:17-18)?
Answer: David would be king, and Jonathan would be next to him
Jonathan told David not to be afraid, because Saul would never get his hands on him. David would reign over Israel, Jonathan would serve as his second, and even Saul knew it (23:17). The two friends renewed their covenant in the LORD’s presence, and Jonathan went home (23:18). Saul himself would later admit that David would surely be king (24:20). Jonathan’s own hope of serving beside David did not come to pass: he was killed by the Philistines in battle (31:2). This was the last time the two friends met in the account.
- 1 Samuel 23:17-18 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.”Jonathan tells David he will be king, and they make a covenant before the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 24:20 (BSB)“Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.”Saul later admits that David will be king.
- 1 Samuel 31:2 (BSB)“The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.”Jonathan is later killed in battle by the Philistines.
Theological
What does Jonathan affirm about the future in 1 Samuel 23:17-18?
Answer: David would be king, and Jonathan would be next to him
Jonathan’s encouragement takes the form of explicit assurance: Saul will not lay hold of David; David will reign over Israel; Jonathan will be his second; and Saul himself knows it (23:17). They renew their covenant in the LORD’s presence (23:18). Saul will later make the same admission (24:20). Jonathan’s hope of serving at David’s side was not realized — he was killed by the Philistines in battle (31:2) — but his confession of the LORD’s chosen king stands.
- 1 Samuel 23:17-18 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.” So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.”Jonathan tells David he will be king, and they make a covenant before the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 24:20 (BSB)“Now I know for sure that you will be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands.”Saul later admits that David will be king.
- 1 Samuel 31:2 (BSB)“The Philistines hotly pursued Saul and his sons, and they killed Saul’s sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua.”Jonathan is later killed in battle by the Philistines.
General
In the desert of Maon, as Saul’s troops drew near, what made Saul abandon the chase (1 Samuel 23:26-28)?
Answer: News came that the Philistines had raided the land
Saul’s force was moving around a mountain on one side while David’s band hurried around the other, and Saul’s forces were closing in to capture them (23:26). Then a messenger arrived with word of a Philistine raid on the land, and Saul abandoned the chase to go and face them (23:27-28). The place was afterward named for this event (23:28), and David moved on to the En-gedi strongholds (23:29). The narrator had already said that God would not let David fall into Saul’s hands (23:14), and here He used a Philistine raid to turn Saul away at the last moment. The LORD directs the heart of a king wherever He pleases (Proverbs 21:1), and He frustrates human plans while His own counsel stands (Psalm 33:10-11).
- 1 Samuel 23:26-29 (BSB)“Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.”As Saul closes in, news of a Philistine raid turns him back, and David moves on to En-gedi.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD frustrates human plans while His own counsel stands.
Theological
What interrupted Saul’s hunt for David in the desert of Maon (1 Samuel 23:26-28)?
Answer: News came that the Philistines had raided the land
The narrative brings David to the brink: the two forces are on opposite sides of a single mountain, and Saul’s men are converging (23:26). At that moment a messenger reports a Philistine raid, and Saul withdraws (23:27-28); the place is named for the event (23:28), and David goes up to the En-gedi strongholds (23:29). The timing is providential: this is how the narrator’s statement in 23:14, that God would not give David into Saul’s hand, is worked out. The LORD turns a king’s heart where He wills (Proverbs 21:1) and overrules the plans of men while His own counsel stands (Psalm 33:10-11).
- 1 Samuel 23:26-29 (BSB)“Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them. Then a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly, for the Philistines have raided the land!” So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth. And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En-gedi.”As Saul closes in, news of a Philistine raid turns him back, and David moves on to En-gedi.
- Proverbs 21:1 (BSB)“The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD; He directs it where He pleases.”The LORD directs a king’s heart wherever He pleases.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD frustrates human plans while His own counsel stands.
General
When Saul heard that David was in Keilah, what did he conclude (1 Samuel 23:7)?
Answer: That God had trapped David for him in a walled town
Saul reasoned that David had shut himself inside a walled town with barred gates, and he claimed that God had handed David over to him (23:7). He summoned his whole army to march on Keilah and lay siege to it (23:8) — the very town David had just rescued. Saul spoke as if God were on his side, but he was wrong. The narrator states that no matter how long Saul searched, God kept David out of his grasp (23:14). People make many plans, but it is the LORD’s purpose that stands (Proverbs 19:21), and the LORD thwarts what the nations scheme while His own counsel stands forever (Psalm 33:10-11).
- 1 Samuel 23:7-8 (BSB)“When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.”Saul claims God has delivered David to him and musters his army.
- 1 Samuel 23:14 (BSB)“And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.”The narrator says God would not hand David over to Saul.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”Human plans are many, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD frustrates human plans while His own counsel stands.
Theological
How does Saul interpret the news that David is in Keilah (1 Samuel 23:7)?
Answer: That God had trapped David for him in a walled town
Saul reads providence to suit his own aims: David has enclosed himself in a walled town, so God must have given him into Saul’s hand (23:7). He musters his army to besiege Keilah (23:8). The narrator’s verdict is the opposite — God would not give David into Saul’s hand however long he searched (23:14). Saul invokes God while opposing God’s anointed, but the LORD’s purpose prevails over human plans (Proverbs 19:21), and His counsel stands while He thwarts what the nations scheme (Psalm 33:10-11).
- 1 Samuel 23:7-8 (BSB)“When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.”Saul claims God has delivered David to him and musters his army.
- 1 Samuel 23:14 (BSB)“And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.”The narrator says God would not hand David over to Saul.
- Proverbs 19:21 (BSB)“Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail.”Human plans are many, but the LORD’s purpose prevails.
- Psalm 33:10-11 (BSB)“The LORD frustrates the plans of the nations; He thwarts the devices of the peoples. The counsel of the LORD stands forever, the purposes of His heart to all generations.”The LORD frustrates human plans while His own counsel stands.
General
David asked the LORD whether Saul would come and whether Keilah’s citizens would hand him over. What did the LORD answer (1 Samuel 23:10-12)?
Answer: Saul would come, and Keilah would hand David over
David prayed to the LORD, the God of Israel, about Saul’s plan to destroy Keilah because of him (23:10). He asked whether Saul would come down and whether Keilah’s citizens would surrender him and his men, and the LORD’s reply was yes to both (23:11-12). The town David had just rescued would have given him up. So David’s band, now about six hundred, left Keilah and kept on the move, and once Saul learned of it, he called off his march (23:13). Neither event ever happened, because David left — yet the LORD truly knew what would have happened if he had stayed. God knows not only what will happen but what would happen under other conditions; Jesus spoke the same way about how Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have responded to His miracles (Matthew 11:21, 23). God announces the future before it happens (Isaiah 46:10), and He used that knowledge to protect David.
- 1 Samuel 23:11-13 (BSB)“Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD. Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.”The LORD tells David that Saul will come and Keilah will surrender him, so David leaves.
- Matthew 11:21 (BSB)““Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”Jesus states what Tyre and Sidon would have done had they seen His miracles.
- Matthew 11:23 (BSB)“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.”Jesus states that Sodom would have remained had His miracles been done there.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares what is to come and accomplishes His purpose.
Theological
What were the LORD’s answers to David’s two questions about Saul and the men of Keilah (1 Samuel 23:10-12)?
Answer: Saul would come, and Keilah would hand David over
David lays the threat before the LORD, the God of Israel (23:10), and asks two questions: would Saul descend on the town, and would Keilah’s people hand him over? Both answers are affirmative (23:11-12). David leaves with his six hundred, and Saul abandons the expedition (23:13). The LORD’s answers concerned events that, as it turned out, never took place — God’s knowledge includes not only what will be but what would be under conditions that never come to pass. Jesus speaks the same way of how Tyre, Sidon and Sodom would have responded to His miracles (Matthew 11:21, 23). The God who foretells what is to come (Isaiah 46:10) employs that knowledge in the providential preservation of His anointed.
- 1 Samuel 23:11-13 (BSB)“Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD. So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD. Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.”The LORD tells David that Saul will come and Keilah will surrender him, so David leaves.
- Matthew 11:21 (BSB)““Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”Jesus states what Tyre and Sidon would have done had they seen His miracles.
- Matthew 11:23 (BSB)“And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to heaven? No, you will be brought down to Hades! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day.”Jesus states that Sodom would have remained had His miracles been done there.
- Isaiah 46:10 (BSB)“I declare the end from the beginning, and from ancient times what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and all My good pleasure I will accomplish.’”God declares what is to come and accomplishes His purpose.
General
How did Saul respond when the Ziphites offered to hand David over to him (1 Samuel 23:19-23)?
Answer: He blessed them and sent them to track David’s hideouts
The men of Ziph traveled to Gibeah, told Saul David was hiding among them at Horesh near Hachilah, and offered to hand him over whenever the king wished (23:19-20). Saul blessed them in the LORD’s name for taking pity on him (23:21). He sent them back to watch carefully, learn every hiding place, and return with sure information, since he had heard that David was very crafty (23:22-23). Saul pronounced the LORD’s blessing on men offering to betray the man the LORD had chosen. Psalm 54 is headed as David’s prayer from the time the Ziphites told Saul he was hiding among them, and in it David calls God his helper (Psalm 54:1, 4). The Ziphites would betray David to Saul a second time later (26:1).
- 1 Samuel 23:20-21 (BSB)“Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.” “May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me.”The Ziphites offer to deliver David, and Saul blesses them.
- Psalm 54:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might!”The psalm’s heading ties it to the Ziphites’ report to Saul.
- Psalm 54:4 (BSB)“Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”In that psalm David calls God his helper and sustainer.
- 1 Samuel 26:1 (BSB)“Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?””The Ziphites later report David’s hiding place to Saul again.
Theological
What was Saul’s response to the Ziphites’ offer to betray David (1 Samuel 23:19-23)?
Answer: He blessed them and sent them to track David’s hideouts
The Ziphites volunteer to deliver David to Saul (23:19-20), and Saul responds with a blessing in the LORD’s name for their compassion toward him (23:21), then commissions them to reconnoiter David’s every hideout before he moves (23:22-23). The irony is sharp: Saul invokes the LORD’s blessing on those helping him pursue the LORD’s anointed. The superscription of Psalm 54 sets that psalm at the Ziphites’ betrayal, and David confesses there that God is his helper and the sustainer of his soul (Psalm 54:1, 4). The Ziphites repeat their betrayal later (26:1).
- 1 Samuel 23:20-21 (BSB)“Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.” “May you be blessed by the LORD,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me.”The Ziphites offer to deliver David, and Saul blesses them.
- Psalm 54:1 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. When the Ziphites went to Saul and said, “Is David not hiding among us?” Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your might!”The psalm’s heading ties it to the Ziphites’ report to Saul.
- Psalm 54:4 (BSB)“Surely God is my helper; the Lord is the sustainer of my soul.”In that psalm David calls God his helper and sustainer.
- 1 Samuel 26:1 (BSB)“Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding on the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?””The Ziphites later report David’s hiding place to Saul again.