1 SamuelChapter 23

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They told David, "The Philistines are attacking Keilah and looting the threshing floors."

So David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the LORD said to David, "Go, attack the Philistines, and rescue Keilah."

But David's men said to him, "Look, even here in Judah we live in fear. How much worse if we go to Keilah against the Philistine battle lines!"

So David inquired of the LORD once more, and the LORD answered him, "Get up, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into your hand."

Then David and his men went to Keilah and fought the Philistines. He drove off their livestock and dealt them a heavy blow. So David rescued the people of Keilah.

Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

When Saul was told that David had come to Keilah, he said, "God has handed him over to me, for he has shut himself in by entering a town with gates and bars."

So Saul summoned all the people to war, to march down to Keilah and besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting harm against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

Then David said, "LORD, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town on my account.

Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."

Then David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will."

So David and his men, about six hundred of them, set out and left Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.

David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul searched for him day after day, but God did not give him into his hand.

David saw that Saul had come out to take his life; David was then at Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph.

And Jonathan, Saul's son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and he strengthened his hand in God.

He said to him, "Do not be afraid. The hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."

The two of them made a covenant before the LORD. Then David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

Some Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Isn't David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah, south of Jeshimon?

Now come down, O king, whenever you wish, and it will be our part to hand him over to the king."

Saul replied, "The LORD bless you for showing me such compassion.

Go and make further preparations. Find out and see where he sets foot and who has seen him there, for I am told he is very crafty.

Scout out all the hiding places where he conceals himself, and come back to me with reliable information. Then I will go with you, and if he is in the land, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah."

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon.

Saul and his men went to search for him, but David was told of it, so he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard this, he pursued David into the Wilderness of Maon.

Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. David was hurrying to get away from Saul, while Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

Then a messenger came to Saul and said, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land."

So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call that place the Rock of Divisions.[^1] [^1]: Hebrew *Sela Hammahlekoth*, meaning "Rock of Divisions" or "Rock of Escape."

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Summary2

Chapter 23

Main Theme: David’s flight from Saul and God’s guidance through repeated prayer and divine protection.

Content: After seeking the Lord’s will, David saves the city of Keila from the Philistines but must flee when God reveals that the people of the city intend to hand him over to Saul. In the Desert of Ziph, Jonathan visits him and confirms that David will become king, and they renew their covenant. The Ziphites betray David’s hiding place to Saul, who launches an intense pursuit, but at the last moment Saul is forced to abandon the chase due to a Philistine attack.

Key Words/Images:

Ephod: The sacred instrument brought by the priest Abiathar, which David uses to seek God’s guidance.
Keila: The city David saves, yet which would have betrayed him—showing that human loyalty is unreliable.
Desert of Ziph: The area where David hides and where Jonathan strengthens his faith in God’s promises.
Sela Hammahlekot (Rock of Partings): The place where Saul had to abandon the pursuit—a testimony to God’s intervention.

Historical context

Historical and Cultural Context for 1 Samuel 23

Places

The chapter mentions several geographical locations that provide a picture of David's movements in the wilderness of Judah. Keilah (קְעִילָה) was a fortified city in the lowlands of Judah (the Shephelah), identified with Khirbet Qila, about 13 km northwest of Hebron. As a city with "gates and bars" (v. 7), it was a typical fortified town that could be besieged. Its location near Philistine territory made it vulnerable to attack.

The Wilderness of Ziph (מִדְבַּר־זִיף) lies southeast of Hebron, in the rugged desert region. The place called Horesah (חֹרְשָׁה, "the wooded area") and the hill of Hakilah (גִּבְעַת הַחֲכִילָה) are mentioned as David's hiding places. The Wilderness of Maon (מִדְבַּר מָעוֹן), further south, borders the Arabah desert. These areas, with their caves, ravines, and inaccessible terrain, were ideal for a fugitive like David. Archaeological surveys have revealed many caves in this region that could provide shelter.

People

Abiathar (אֶבְיָתָר), the son of Ahimelech, is introduced as the surviving priest who fled to David with the ephod after the massacre at Nob (chapter 22). His presence gave David access to "inquire of the Lord" through the ephod, which was crucial for David's decisions in this chapter.

The Ziphites (זִפִים) were the inhabitants of Ziph who chose to betray David to Saul (v. 19). This shows that not everyone in Judah supported David, even though he was from their own tribe. Their loyalty lay with the reigning king.

Events and Customs

Inquiring of the Lord through the ephod (שָׁאַל בַּיהוָה) was an established practice for seeking divine guidance (vv. 2, 4, 9–12). The ephod likely contained the Urim and Thummim, sacred objects used to receive yes/no answers from God. David's repeated inquiries show that this was a dialogical process in which follow-up questions could be asked.

Raiding threshing floors (v. 1) was a common wartime tactic. Threshing floors were often located outside city walls, and stealing grain during the harvest was both economically devastating and strategically effective for weakening the enemy.

Key Terms

The expression "strengthened his hand in God" (וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־יָדוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים, v. 16) describes Jonathan's encouragement of David. To "strengthen the hand" was an idiom for giving courage and support, and "in God" indicates that this strength was rooted in trust in God's promises.

The place name Sela-Hammahlekoth (סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת, v. 28) means "Rock of Partings" or "Rock of Slipperiness." The name marks the place where Saul had to abandon his pursuit—a physical marker of the providential deliverance David experienced.

People6

Ahimelech1 David20 Abiathar2 Jonathan1 Saul17 Jacob2

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Key words9

David — A young shepherd and later king of Israel, known for his courage and devotion.
Ziklag — A city in the southern part of the kingdom of Judah, which David and his men received from the Philistine king Achish.
Keilah — A city in Judah where David rescued its inhabitants from a Philistine attack.
Saul — The first king of Israel, who hunted down David to kill him because he saw him as a threat to his rule.
Jonathan — Saul's son and David's close friend, who helped David and protected him from his father.
Priests — Religious leaders who performed ritual acts and sacrifices according to the Jewish faith.
The Prophet — A person who receives and delivers messages from God, often concerning future events or divine guidance.
Ziphites — Inhabitants of the town of Ziph who reported David's location to King Saul.
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