David Saves the City of Keilah

1 Samuel 23

1 Then they told David, saying, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against a Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors." 2 Therefore David b inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and 1 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, "Look, 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 the LORD once again. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand." 5 And David and his men went to Keilah and c fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

6 Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech d fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand. 7 And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, "God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars." 8 Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men. 9 When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, e he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." 10 Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah f to destroy the city for my sake. 11 "Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down." 12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah 2 deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will deliver you." 13 So David and his men, g about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition. 14 And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in h the mountains in the Wilderness of i Ziph. Saul j sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

  1. Cross References
    1 Kings 2:26
    And to Abiathar the priest the king said, "Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.
  2. Cross References
    Joshua 15:44
    Keilah, Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages.
    Nehemiah 3:17
    After him the Levites, under Rehum the son of Bani, made repairs. Next to him Hashabiah, leader of half the district of Keilah, made repairs for his district.
    Nehemiah 3:18
    After him their brethren, under Bavai the son of Henadad, leader of the other half of the district of Keilah, made repairs.
  3. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:10
    "And he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him ...
    1 Samuel 23:4
    Then David inquired of the LORD once again. And...
    1 Samuel 23:6
    Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahime...
    1 Samuel 23:9
    When David knew that Saul plotted evil against ...
    1 Samuel 28:6
    And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD di...
    1 Samuel 30:8
    So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I...
    2 Samuel 5:19
    So David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I...
    2 Samuel 5:23
    Therefore David inquired of the LORD, and He sa...
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:8
    And there was war again; and David went out and fought with the Philistines, and struck them with a mighty blow, and they fled from him.
    2 Samuel 5:20
    So David went to Baal Perazim, and David defeated them there; and he said, "The LORD has broken through my enemies before me, like a breakthrough of water." Therefore he called the name of that place Baal Perazim.
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:20
    Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
  6. Cross References
    Numbers 27:21
    "He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire before the LORD for him by the judgment of the Urim. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, he and all the children of Israel with him - all the congregation."
    1 Samuel 23:6
    Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.
    1 Samuel 30:7
    Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "Please bring the ephod here to me." And Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:19
    Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep - with the edge of the sword.
  8. Cross References
    1 Samuel 22:2
    And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
    1 Samuel 25:13
    Then David said to his men, "Every man gird on his sword." So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.
  9. Cross References
    Psalms 11:1
    In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain"?
  10. Cross References
    Joshua 15:55
    Maon, Carmel, Ziph, Juttah.
    2 Chronicles 11:8
    Gath, Mareshah, Ziph.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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