David Saves the City of Keilah

1 Samuel 23

1 Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against e Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors." 2 Therefore David f inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah." 3 But 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 f inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, g for I will give the Philistines into your hand." 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 h When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand. 7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars." 8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men. 9 David knew that Saul was plotting harm against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, i "Bring the ephod here." 10 Then said David, "O Lord, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, the God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the Lord said, "He will come down." 12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, j "They will surrender you." 13 Then David and his men, k who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went l wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. 14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country m of the wilderness of n Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

  1. Cross References
    Joshua 15:44
    Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:10
    And he inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
  3. Cross References
    1 Samuel 23:2
    Therefore David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" And the Lord said to David, "Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 23:14
    And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
    Joshua 24:11
    And you went over the Jordan and came to Jericho, and the leaders of Jericho fought against you, and also the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I gave them into your hand.
    Judges 7:7
    And the Lord said to Gideon, "With the 300 men who lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hand, and let all the others go every man to his home.
    Judges 20:28
    And Phinehas the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, ministered before it in those days), saying, "Shall we go out once more to battle against our brothers, the people of Benjamin, or shall we cease?" And the Lord said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will give them into your hand.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:20
    But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
  6. Cross References
    1 Samuel 30:7
    And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
    Numbers 27:21
    And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 23:20
    Now come down, O king, according to all your heart's desire to come down, and our part shall be to surrender him into the king's hand.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:13
    And David said to his men, "Every man strap on his sword!" And every man of them strapped on his sword. David also strapped on his sword. And about four hundred men went up after David, while two hundred remained with the baggage.
    1 Samuel 27:2
    So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.
    1 Samuel 22:2
    And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became captain over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
    1 Samuel 30:9 - 10
    So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
  9. Cross References
    2 Samuel 15:20
    You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.
  10. Cross References
    Psalms 63:1
    O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
  11. Cross References
    Joshua 15:24
    Ziph, Telem, Bealoth.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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