1 Samuel 23

This chapter belongs to the latter part of 1 Samuel, within the narrative of David's flight from Saul. It continues from 1 Samuel 22, in which the priests of Nob were put to death and only Abiathar escaped to David.

Outline

• Verses 1–5: When the Philistines attack Keilah, David inquires of the LORD twice, then goes down and delivers the inhabitants of Keilah.
• Verse 6: The narrator notes that Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had come to David bringing the ephod.
• Verses 7–13: When Saul prepares to besiege Keilah, David inquires by means of the ephod and receives the answer that the men of Keilah would deliver him up. He leaves Keilah with about six hundred men.
• Verses 14–18: Jonathan comes to David in a wood in the wilderness of Ziph and encourages him, and the two make a covenant before the LORD.
• Verses 19–24: The Ziphites inform Saul at Gibeah of David's hiding place.
• Verses 25–29: In the wilderness of Maon, Saul pursues on one side of the mountain while David flees on the other, until news of a Philistine invasion causes Saul to turn back. The place is named Selahammahlekoth, and David goes to the strongholds of En-gedi.

Key Verses

• 1 Samuel 23:2 "Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah." — David's practice of inquiring of the LORD before acting appears repeatedly in this chapter.
• 1 Samuel 23:16 "and strengthened his hand in God." — This verse shows the friendship of Jonathan, who sustained David while he was being hunted.
• 1 Samuel 23:28 "therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth." — The parting of Saul and David is preserved in a place name.

People and Places

• David, Saul, Jonathan
• Abiathar: Son of Ahimelech the priest of Nob. He fled to David, bringing the ephod with him.
• Philistines: The people who attacked Keilah and invaded the land of Israel.
• Keilah: A town in the lowlands of Judah. David delivered it, yet received the answer that its people would hand him over to Saul.
• Wilderness of Ziph and wilderness of Maon: Wilderness regions in southern Judah. The Ziphites revealed David's hiding place to Saul.
• En-gedi: A stronghold on the western shore of the Dead Sea. It is the setting of the following chapter, 1 Samuel 24.

Points for Reflection

• Many interpreters connect David's inquiring by means of the ephod with inquiry by the Urim and Thummim, although the text does not mention the Urim and Thummim directly.
• Verses 11–12 answer the question of what would happen if David remained in Keilah, and so they are frequently cited in discussions of God's knowledge of conditional future events and of divine providence. Traditions differ on how these verses should be explained theologically.
• Selahammahlekoth is commonly interpreted as "rock of separation" or "rock of escape."
• The superscription of Psalm 54 is linked to the occasion when the Ziphites told Saul of David's hiding place. The New Testament does not directly quote this chapter.

In the Korean Church

David's habit of inquiring of the LORD in every matter is frequently drawn upon in sermons on prayer and obedience. Verses 16–17, in which Jonathan seeks out and encourages David, are treated as part of the story of David and Jonathan in sermons and Sunday school lessons on friendship and encouragement in the faith.