1 Samuel · WEB-C
1 Samuel
23
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David was told, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.” See also: Joshua 15:44Micah 6:15Nehemiah 3:17-18Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” The LORD said to David, “Go strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.” See also: 1 Samuel 23:42 Samuel 5:192 Samuel 5:23David’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?” See also: 1 Samuel 23:23Psalms 11:11 Samuel 23:26Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. The LORD answered him, and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” See also: Judges 7:7Joshua 8:72 Samuel 5:19David 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. When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand. See also: 1 Samuel 22:201 Samuel 14:36-371 Samuel 14:18Saul was told 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.” See also: 1 Samuel 24:4-6Psalms 71:10-111 Samuel 23:14Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him. He said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” See also: 1 Samuel 30:71 Samuel 23:6Numbers 27:21Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. See also: Esther 3:61 Samuel 22:19Genesis 18:24Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? LORD, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant.” The LORD said, “He will come down.” See also: Matthew 7:7-8Jeremiah 33:3Psalms 50:15Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” The LORD said, “They will deliver you up.” See also: 1 Samuel 23:20Psalms 62:1Psalms 31:8Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there. See also: 1 Samuel 22:21 Samuel 25:131 Samuel 30:9-10David 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. See also: Psalms 54:3-4Psalms 32:7Joshua 15:55David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the woods. Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David into the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. See also: Isaiah 35:3-4Hebrews 12:12-13Job 4:3-4He said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father won’t find you; and you will be king over Israel, and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.” See also: 1 Samuel 20:311 Samuel 24:20Job 5:11-15They both made a covenant before the LORD. Then David stayed in the woods and Jonathan went to his house. See also: 1 Samuel 18:31 Samuel 20:422 Samuel 21:7Then the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, “Doesn’t David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert? See also: 1 Samuel 26:11 Samuel 26:3Psalms 54:1-7Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.” See also: 1 Samuel 23:12Proverbs 11:23Proverbs 29:26Saul said, “You are blessed by the LORD, for you have had compassion on me. See also: 1 Samuel 22:8Micah 3:11Isaiah 66:5Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I have been told that he is very cunning. See also: Job 5:13See 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. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.” See also: Numbers 10:36Mark 14:11 Kings 18:10They 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. See also: 1 Samuel 25:2Joshua 15:55Saul 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. See also: Judges 15:81 Samuel 23:28Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David hurried to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men surrounded David and his men to take them. See also: Psalms 17:9Psalms 22:12Psalms 118:11-13But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have made a raid on the land!” See also: 2 Kings 19:9Psalms 116:3Deuteronomy 32:36So Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth. David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi. See also: 2 Chronicles 20:2Joshua 15:62Song of Songs 1:14
See also: Cross references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), derived in part from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
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Notes · Haydock (1859, public domain)19 notes
Notes in English 19th-century Catholic commentary by Fr. George Leo Haydock, shown as published.
These notes keep the polemics of their time: some speak harshly of the Jewish people or of other Christians. The Church teaches otherwise today. The Jewish people may not be blamed for the death of Christ (Nostra Aetate 4; Catechism 597–598), and Christians of other communities are our brothers and sisters in the Lord (Unitatis Redintegratio 3). Christian unity
1 Samuel 23:1
Ver. 1. Barns. The floors were composed of earth and the dregs of oil, made into a sort of mortar, so that rain, mice, &c. could not hurt them. Cato 91 and 129. --- Hither the people of Ceila had gathered their corn, and the enemy came to plunder, or to spoil, according to custom.
Judg. v. 4. and xv. 5. C. --- Ceila was about seven miles from Hebron, and as many from Eleutheropolis. S. Jerom.
↑ 11 Samuel 23:2
Ver. 2. Lord, by the prophet Gad, (Salien. v. 6. M.) or by Abiathar, who brought the ephod along with him. David undertakes nothing without his advice.
↑ 21 Samuel 23:3
Ver. 3. Judea, in the midst of the country, remote from the Philistines; and in a forest, where Saul cannot so easily attack us, as in a city.
↑ 31 Samuel 23:4
Ver. 4. Again, in the presence of his soldiers. C. --- Thus Gedeon requested a double miracle of the Lord, to encourage his men. M.
↑ 41 Samuel 23:6
Ver. 6. An ephod, or the ephod. That is, the vestment of the high priest, with the Urim and Thummim, by which the Lord gave his oracles.
↑ 61 Samuel 23:7
Ver. 7. Bars. This was what David's men apprehended. Saul thinks this is a fit opportunity for taking them all prisoners; and he supposes that God was on his side, though, after his repeated crimes, he had little reason to flatter himself with hopes of this nature. The wicked, however, easily delude themselves. H.
↑ 71 Samuel 23:8
Ver. 8. People, in the neighbourhood. It is hardly probable that all Israel should be put in motion to take a few men. C.
↑ 81 Samuel 23:9
Ver. 9. Secretly. He might have pretended that the armament was against the Philistines. M. ---
Ephod. Some say that David put it on. But this was the privilege of the high priest, who gave the answer to David's consultation, which he might perhaps repeat after him. C. --- He put on the rational to consult God. Ex. xxviii. Lev. viii.
W.
↑ 91 Samuel 23:12
Ver. 12. Up. God had only answered the first question before. He now informs David, that it is the intention of the men of Ceila to deliver him into the hands of Saul, who was preparing to attack their city, and that he would inevitably fall into his hands, (C.) if he did not retire. W. ---
God sees contingent events with the same certainty as those which will really take place. H. ---
The people of Ceila could not have justly delivered up the innocent David, but they might have insisted that he should quit their city, to save it from destruction; or they might have forced him.
Scholastic. T.
↑ 121 Samuel 23:14
Ver. 14. Ziph, eight miles east of Hebron, (S. Jer.) towards the southern Carmel.
Euseb. ---
Abdias (v. 3) takes notice of the clefts of the rocks of Edom. S. Jerom says, this mountain was
"dark and cloudy." M.
↑ 141 Samuel 23:16
Ver. 16. In God exceedingly, reminding him of God's promises. C. --- He hoped to see David king, and himself next to him in power. H.
↑ 161 Samuel 23:17
Ver. 17. Next, in dignity; thy helper and associate. See Eccli. iv. 8. 11. --- This, our league, (C.) or the decree appointing David to be king. M.
↑ 171 Samuel 23:18
Ver. 18. Lord, Gad or Abiathar being present. S. Jer. --- This is the third time they had confirmed their alliance, to satisfy their love. M.
↑ 181 Samuel 23:19
Ver. 19. Hand, to the south. D.
↑ 191 Samuel 23:22
Ver. 22. Him, and therefore will be upon his guard. H. --- Syriac, "because I am told he is crafty." C. --- Sept. "because Saul said, lest this crafty man should exert all his art;" or, "lest he should be very cunning." H. --- Saul foreboded that he would again elude his pursuit. Vatable.
↑ 221 Samuel 23:23
Ver. 23. And if. Heb. "if he be in the land, I will." --- Thousands; the cities, or with all the troops. D.
↑ 231 Samuel 23:24
Ver. 24. Maon, in Arabia Petrea, not far from Bersabee. C.
↑ 241 Samuel 23:26
Ver. 26. Other side, to the south. --- Despaired, without the divine assistance.
Salien. --- Heb.
nechpaz, "feared, or (D.) made haste to flee." Sept. "David was screened to depart." He used all possible precautions not to fall into Saul's hands, though he knew he should succeed him. He might still experience some fear of ill treatment. H.
↑ 261 Samuel 23:28
Ver. 28. Division, as it alone had been between the two rivals. Saul was obliged to leave the place, though he and his men were in suspense what to do. C.
↑ 28License: Notes by Fr. George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), from the Douay-Rheims Bible with Haydock's commentary (first ed. Thomas Haydock, Manchester/Dublin, 1811–1814; New York: Edward Dunigan & Brother, 1859); New Testament notes compiled with Fr. Benedict Rayment. Public domain. Digital text: "The Haydock Bible", Internet Archive (archive.org/details/TheHaydockBible), uploaded 2011 under the Public Domain Mark. · Credits and licenses