1 Samuel 23: Saved Keilah, Hunted Still
David rescues a city from the Philistines, learns it would betray him, and is strengthened by Jonathan as Saul hunts him relentlessly.
1 Samuel 23 (WEB)
1 David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.”
2 Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” Yahweh said to David, “Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
3 David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”
4 Then David inquired of Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
5 David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their livestock, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 It was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.”
8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
10 Then David said, “O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant.” Yahweh said, “He will come down.”
12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” Yahweh said, “They will deliver you up.”
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. It was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there.
14 David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand.
15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
16 Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose, and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 He said to him, “Don’t be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows.”
18 They both made a covenant before Yahweh: and David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.”
21 Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.
22 Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”
24 They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 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 surrounded David and his men to take them.
27 But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!”
28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.
29 David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
1 Samuel 23 (KJV)
1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
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.
18 And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
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?
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.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela–hammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at En–gedi.
1 Samuel 23 (ASV)
1 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.
2 Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 Then David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew 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.
7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
13 Then David and his men, who 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.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
16 And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
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.
18 And they two made a covenant before Jehovah: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
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 up into the king’s hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have had compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, 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 subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a 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 among all the thousands of Judah.
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heardthat, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
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.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.
28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in the strongholds of En-gedi.
Summary
Hearing that the Philistines are robbing the threshing floors of Keilah, David inquires of Yahweh and is told to go and save the city. His men are afraid, so David inquires a second time, and the Lord assures him of victory. David defeats the Philistines and delivers Keilah. But Saul, learning David is shut up in a walled town, gathers his army to besiege him. Sensing the danger, David asks the Lord through the ephod whether the men of Keilah will hand him over, and Yahweh answers that they will, so David and his six hundred men slip away. He hides in the wilderness strongholds of Ziph, and though Saul seeks him every day, God does not deliver David into his hand. There Jonathan comes to him and strengthens his hand in God, reminding him he will surely be king, and the two renew their covenant. The Ziphites betray David's hiding place to Saul, and the pursuit closes in until Saul has David nearly surrounded, when a Philistine raid suddenly recalls the king. David moves on to the strongholds of En-gedi.
Main Characters
- David — The fugitive who repeatedly inquires of the Lord, rescues Keilah, evades betrayal, and trusts God's protection while Saul hunts him daily.
- Saul — The relentless pursuer who interprets David's confinement as God's gift into his hand, only to be turned aside by a Philistine raid.
- Jonathan — Saul's son who seeks David in the woods, strengthens his hand in God, and reaffirms that David will be king of Israel.
- The Ziphites — Local inhabitants who twice betray David's hiding place to Saul, eager to deliver him into the king's hand.
Key Verse
1 Samuel 23:16 (WEB)
Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose, and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God.
Lessons Learned
- Seeking God's guidance before acting—and again when others doubt—keeps us walking in his will.
- Doing good for people is no guarantee they will stand with us when danger comes.
- God is sovereign over our circumstances; Saul sought David daily, but God did not give him over.
- A faithful friend strengthens us not with empty comfort but by pointing us back to God and his promises.
- Inquire of the Lord before you act. David asks, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” and obeys the answer (1 Samuel 23:2, WEB). He repeatedly seeks God's direction rather than trusting his own judgment.
- Human gratitude is fragile; God's faithfulness is not. The very city David saved would have handed him over (1 Samuel 23:12, WEB). We rest not on people's loyalty but on the Lord who keeps us.
- God guards his own. “Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand” (1 Samuel 23:14, WEB). No hunter can overtake whom the Lord protects.
- True friendship strengthens us in God. Jonathan “strengthened his hand in God” (1 Samuel 23:16, WEB), reminding David of God's promise rather than merely his own sympathy.
- How does David handle his men's fear before the rescue of Keilah?
- What does David learn when he inquires about the men of Keilah, and how does he respond?
- How does the narrator interpret David's safety in verse 14, and why does it matter?
- What does Jonathan do for David in the woods, and what makes his encouragement so effective?
- Who in your life 'strengthens your hand in God,' and how might you do the same for someone else?
- When his men are afraid, David does not press ahead on his own resolve but inquires of Yahweh a second time, receiving fresh assurance before he leads them into battle (23:3-4). He weighs others' fears against God's clear word.
- Yahweh tells David that the men of Keilah will deliver him to Saul, so he and his six hundred leave the city they had just rescued (23:11-13). David acts on God's knowledge rather than on the gratitude he might have expected.
- The narrator says plainly, “Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand” (23:14). David's survival is credited not to his cleverness but to God's protecting hand, a comfort for any believer who feels hunted.
- Jonathan seeks David out, tells him not to fear, reaffirms God's promise that he will be king, and renews their covenant (23:16-18). His encouragement works because it anchors David in God's purposes, not in wishful feelings.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name a 'Jonathan' who has pointed them back to God, and to consider whom they might encourage in the same way. Emphasize encouragement that directs others to God's promises.