1-6 David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah 7-13 God shewing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites, he escapes from Keilah 14-18 In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him 19-24 The Ziphites discover him to Saul 25-28 At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines 29 He dwells at En-gedi

Keilah Keilah was a city of Judah, situated, according to Eusebius, eight miles from Eleutheropolis, towards Hebron. Sozomen says that the prophet Habakkuk's tomb was shew there Jos 15:44 Ne 3:17,18

rob the Le 26:16 De 28:33,51 Jud 6:4,11 Mic 6:15

2 Therefore David inquired 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.

enquired In what way David made this enquiry we are not told; but it was probably by means of Abiathar; and therefore it would seem, that with Houbigant, we should read the sixth verse immediately after the first.-- This adventure was truly noble and patriotic. Had not David loved his country, and been above all motives of private and personal revenge, he would have rejoiced in this invasion of Judea, as producing a strong diversion in his favour, and embroiling his inveterate enemy. 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 calamities; but he thinks of nothing but succouring Keilah, and using his power and influence in behalf of his brethren. 1Sa 23:4,6,9-12 30:8 Nu 27:21 Jos 9:14 Jud 1:1 2Sa 5:19,23 1Ch 14:10 Ps 32:8 Pr 3:5,6 Jer 10:23

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?

Behold 1Sa 23:15,23,26 Ps 11:1 Jer 12:5

4 Then David inquired 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.

yet again 1Sa 28:6 Jud 6:39

for I will Jos 8:7 Jud 7:7 2Sa 5:19 2Ki 3:18

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.

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.

when Abiathar 1Sa 22:20

an ephod 1Sa 14:3,18,36,37 Ex 28:30,31

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.

A.M. 2943 B.C. 1061 A. Ex. Is. 430
God hath 1Sa 23:14 24:4-6 26:8,9 Ps 71:10,11

he is shut Ex 14:3 15:9 Jud 16:2,3 Job 20:5 Lu 19:43,44

8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

David Jer 11:18,19 Ac 9:24 14:6 23:16-18

Bring 1Sa 23:6 14:18 30:7 Nu 27:21 Jer 33:3

9 And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

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.

destroy the city 1Sa 23:8 22:19 Ge 18:24 Es 3:6 Pr 28:15 Ro 3:15,16

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.

And the Lord Ps 50:15 Jer 33:3 Mt 7:7,8

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.

deliver [heb] shut up Ps 31:8

They will 1Sa 23:7 Ps 62:1 118:8 Ec 9:14,15 Isa 29:15 Heb 4:13

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.

six hundred 1Sa 22:2 25:13 30:9,10

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.

a mountain Ps 11:1-3

the wilderness
Ziph is mentioned in Joshua with Carmel and Maon, near which it seems to have been situated; and as we have mention of Carmel and Maon in the history of David, as adjoining to Ziph, it cannot be doubted that by the Ziph, in the wilderness of which David now lay, and where was the hill of Hachilah, is to be understood Ziph near Carmel and Maon. Jos 15:24,55

Saul 1Sa 27:1 Ps 54:3,4 Pr 1:16 4:16

but God 1Sa 23:7 Ps 32:7 37:32,33 54:3,4 Pr 21:30 Jer 36:26 Ro 8:31 2Ti 3:11 4:17,18

15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

strengthened De 3:28 Ne 2:18 Job 4:3,4 16:5 Pr 27:9,17 Ec 4:9-12 Isa 35:3,4 Eze 13:22 Lu 22:32,43 Eph 6:10 2Ti 2:1 Heb 12:12,13

16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

strengthened De 3:28 Ne 2:18 Job 4:3,4 16:5 Pr 27:9,17 Ec 4:9-12 Isa 35:3,4 Eze 13:22 Lu 22:32,43 Eph 6:10 2Ti 2:1 Heb 12:12,13

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.

Fear not Isa 41:10,14 Heb 13:6

shall not Job 5:11-15 Ps 27:1-3 46:1,2 91:1,2 Pr 14:26 Isa 54:17

thou shalt be Lu 12:32

I shall be Pr 19:21 Ac 28:16 Ro 15:24

that also Saul 1Sa 20:31 24:20 Ac 5:39

18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

1Sa 18:3 20:12-17,42 2Sa 9:1 21:7

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?

the Ziphites 1Sa 22:7,8 26:1 Ps 54:1,3,4 Pr 29:12

Hachilah Calmet states, that Hachilah was a mountain about ten miles south of Jericho, where Jonathan Maccabaeus built the castle of Massada, west of the Dead Sea, and not far from En-gedi. 1Sa 26:1,3

on the south [heb] on the right hand.
Jeshimon. or, the wilderness. Eusebius places Jeshimon ten miles south of Jericho, near the Dead Sea; which agrees extremely well with the position of Hachilah, as stated by Calmet.

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.

all the desire De 18:6 2Sa 3:21 Ps 112:10 Pr 11:23

our part 1Ki 21:11-14 2Ki 10:5-7 Ps 54:3 Pr 29:26

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.

1Sa 22:8 Jud 17:2 Ps 10:3 Isa 66:5 Mic 3:11

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.

haunt is [heb] foot shall be Job 5:13

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.

take knowledge Mr 14:1,10,11 Joh 18:2,3

I will search 2Sa 17:11-13 1Ki 18:10 Pr 1:16 Ro 3:15,16

the thousands Nu 10:36 Mic 5:2

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.

the wilderness Maon, from which the adjoining mountainous district derived its name, was city in the most southern parts of the tribe of Judah, and a neighbouring town to Carmel. Hence Nabal (ch 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, form the place where his estate lay. Calmet supposes it to be the city Minois, which Eusebius places in the vicinity of Gaza; and the Moenoemi Castrum, which the Theodosian code places neat Beersheba.

Maon 1Sa 25:2 Jos 15:55

the south 1Sa 23:19

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.

into a rock. or, form the rock. 1Sa 23:28 Jud 15:8

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.

David made haste 1Sa 19:12 20:38 2Sa 15:14 17:21,22 Ps 31:22

away 2Ch 20:12 Ps 17:9,11 22:12,16 118:11-13 140:1-9 2Co 1:8 Re 20:9

27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.

there came Ge 22:14 De 32:36 2Ki 19:9 Ps 116:3

the Philistines 2Ki 19:9 Re 12:16

invaded [heb] spread themselves upon 1Ch 14:13

28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.

Sela-hammahlekoth. 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.

29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.

The district around En-gedi, near the western coast of the Dead Sea, is reported by travellers to be a mountainous territory, filled with caverns' and consequently, proper for David in his present circumstances. Dr. Lightfoot thinks this was the wilderness of Judah, in which David was when he penned the 63rd Psalm, which breathes as much pious and devout affection as almost any of his Psalms; for in all places and in all conditions he still kept up his communion with God.--If Christians knew their privileges better, and acted thereto, there would be less murmuring at the dark dispensations of Divine Providence. 1Sa 24:1 Ge 14:7 Jos 15:62 2Ch 20:2 So 1:14 Eze 47:10