Summary: David and his men fight off the Philistines, because they were pilfering food in Keilah (vv.1-5). Saul heard that David was at Keilah and roused his entire army to surround him (v.7). David takes the ephod from Abiathar, the priest, to determine what to do. God tells David that the leaders of Keilah will hand him over, if Saul comes (v.12). This caused David to roam the hills, and Saul never sent him men after all (v.13). God protected David so Saul wouldn’t find him (v.14). When Saul was about to find David, he was called away by the Philistines (vv.27-28).
They probably called out to God, but he was too busy trying to kill David.
Saul didn’t come to Keilah until David was there!
David retreated—even though it was against his instincts.
Can’t feel bad for the people of Keilah. Saul just killed Ahimelech.
(23:1) Just when you think the story couldn’t get any worse, the Philistines reappear to attack one of Judah’s towns, Keilah. Imagine how stressful it would be to be in David’s shoes: On the one hand, Saul is trying to kill you, and on the other, the Philistines are relentlessly attacking your countrymen.
(23:2-3) David must have been “inquiring” through the use of the ephod brought from Abiathar (v.2). God gives David the green light to go (v.2), but his men aren’t getting the same message (v.3). They are already scared about Saul, and now, David wants them to pick a fight with the Philistines, too?
David was doing a lot of prayer here.
(23:4) David asks for reaffirmation from God, and God tells him to go fight. Notice that God doesn’t promise that he will protect David from Saul—only that he will give David victory over the Philistines.
(23:5) God empowered David and his men to drive out the Philistines, as he promised.
(23:6) Again, Abiathar was the rejected priest working with the rejected king (David).
(23:7-8) Saul thinks that he has David trapped like an animal in a cage. Keilah likely only had one entrance and exit, and so, Saul sends him men to trap David.
(23:9) Instead of panicking, David turned to God for wisdom and direction.
(23:10) Why would the people of Keilah give over David after he had just rescued them? Likely, the people were thankful to David for rescuing them from the Philistines, but they would’ve felt like being tossed from the frying pan and into the fire when Saul arrived. They probably would’ve thought, “We just avoided massacre… Do we really want to allow Saul to slaughter us?”
(23:11-12) God’s foreknowledge is so extensive that he knows what the men would do in a given situation—even if it was never actualized. It’s interesting that David needs to ask twice whether the men of Keilah would surrender him to Saul.
(23:13) David’s army has grown from 400 to 600 men. Perhaps more joined him at Keilah. These men stick by David’s side throughout the rest of the book (1 Sam. 25:13; 27:2; 30:9).
Saul knew his reign was over—similar to Satan.
Saul calls the betrayers “blessed by God.”
David writes Psalm 54 during this time.
A messenger wasn’t out of the blue, but out of heaven. What are examples of a “rock of escape” in David’s life?
David is using this to prepare David for the throne. We are going to sit on a throne too.
(23:14) Ziph is roughly twelve miles southeast of Keilah.[] David wasn’t on his own to survive. Rather, we read, “God did not deliver [David] into [Saul’s] hand.”
(23:15) David knows that Saul is close on his tail.
(23:16-18) Jonathan sees David one last time. He encourages him to not fear Saul, because God was with him. They make another covenant together. Sadly, this is the last time David will see Jonathan alive.
Final meeting. Saul knows that David is going to take the throne.
(23:19-20) Psalm 54 was written during this time. The Ziphites rat David out to Saul.
(23:21) Saul is a seething hypocrite. None of this has to do with God or God’s blessing. This is Saul’s maniacal bloodlust for David.
Incredible hubris!
(23:22-23) Saul asks for more reconnaissance on David’s whereabouts.
(23:24) The Ziphites begin a manhunt for David, combing all of the nooks and crannies of the land to find him. Maon was five miles south of Ziph.[]
(23:25-26) Saul finds David’s location. He is just about to close in on him, when…
(23:27-29) The Philistines just so happen to attack at the perfect time. Saul has no choice but to retreat and fight the Philistines. David escapes to Engedi by the skin of his teeth.
Notice how much God is doing to direct and protect David in this chapter. As believers who are following the will of God, we should be confident that God is taking care of us. We shouldn’t sit around worrying about the problems that can fall on us. God is in control of these things. Worrying about them won’t change anything anyway.
God knows what could happen or will happen—even if it never occurs.
Saul thinks that God is behind him (v.7), when God is actually behind David (v.14). We can become so deluded in our thinking that we can believe God is behind us when he isn’t.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 741.
Ronald F. Youngblood, “1, 2 Samuel,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 742.
James is an elder at Dwell Community Church, where he teaches classes in theology, apologetics, and weekly Bible studies.
