1 Samuel 23:9 Komentář

Saul, having made himself drunk with the blood of the priests of the Lord, is here, in this chapter, seeking David's life, who appears here doing good, and suffering ill, at the same time. Here is, I. The good service he did to his king and country, in rescuing the city of Keilah out of the hands of the Philistines (Sa1 23:1-6). II. The danger he was thereby brought into from the malice of the prince he served and the treachery of the city he saved, and his deliverance, by divine direction, from that danger (Sa1 23:7-13). III. David in a wood and his friend Jonathan visiting him there and encouraging him (Sa1 23:14-18). IV. The information which the Ziphites brought to Saul of David's haunts, and the expedition Saul made, in pursuit of him (Sa1 23:19-25). The narrow escape David had of falling into his hands (Sa1 23:26-29). "Many are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth them out of them all."

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 23 This chapter gives an account of David's relieving Keilah, when it had like to have fallen into the hands of the Philistines, Sa1 23:1; and of Saul's design to surprise him there, which David having notice of, and inquiring of the Lord, departed from thence; which when Saul heard of, he forbore to come forth, Sa1 23:7; and of David's being in the wilderness of Ziph, where, in a wood there, he had an interview with Jonathan, Sa1 23:14; and of the Ziphites offering to deliver him up to Saul, for which he commends them, and gives them instructions how they should behave to him in that affair, Sa1 23:19; and of his seeking him in the wilderness of Maon, where David and his men were in great danger of being taken; which was prevented by the news of the Philistines invading the land coming to Saul just at the nick of time, Sa1 23:24.

And. David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him,.... That is, plotted and contrived it, formed schemes in order to do him mischief, giving out one thing, and designing another; so he pretended war against the Philistines, but his intention was to come against Keilah, and take David there: and he said to Abiathar the priest, bring hither the ephod; not for David to put on, but for the priest himself, that being clothed with it, and the Urim and Thummim in it, he might inquire for him of the Lord.

When David learned that Saul was secretly planning evil against him, etc. After bringing the ephod with Abiathar, David consulted the Lord, asking whether Saul would come to destroy Keilah, and whether the citizens would hand him over. Hence it can be inferred by what order he consulted the Lord before, that is, by putting on the priestly vestment and thus seeking the Lord's response through the mouth of the priest, and that this was the custom of those consulting God at that time, especially those who could not approach the Ark of the Lord. For it is written about this: "There I will speak to you, from above the mercy seat, between the two cherubim" (Exodus 25). But when David discovered both the impending enemy and the unfaithful refuge of the host city, he went out with his about six hundred men and wandered uncertainly here and there. For the holy ones, namely the members of the supreme King, seek through men of great virtue and knowledge of the holy scriptures how the state of the Church will be in the last times; and through the Scriptures, they learn that to its overthrow will come the empire of the Jewish people; and the men of Keilah, that is, of a restless mind and willing to live for themselves, not for the Creator, will quickly betray the faith they have initiated. Christ will depart from such, nor will He make His abode among them. The teachers, too, perfect in hope and work, depart. For six signify works, a hundred hope of eternal things, marking the perfection of men. For they abandon the lukewarm so that by speaking to those who do not preserve it, they do not harm further, in the example of the history which, describing the deeds of David, adds:

David succours Keilah, besieged by the Philistines; defeats them, and delivers the city, Sa1 23:1-6. Saul, hearing that David was at Keilah, determines to come and seize him, Sa1 23:7, Sa1 23:8. David inquires of the Lord concerning the fidelity of the men of Keilah towards him; is informed that if he stays in the city, the men of Keilah will betray him to Saul, Sa1 23:9-12. David and his men escape from the city, and come to the wilderness of Ziph, Sa1 23:13-15. Jonathan meets David in the wood of Ziph, strengthens his hand in God, and they renew their covenant, Sa1 23:16-18. The Ziphites endeavor to betray David to Saul, but he and his men escape to Maon, Sa1 23:19-22. Saul comes to Maon; and having surrounded the mountain on which David and his men were, they must inevitably have fallen into his hands, had not a messenger come to call Saul to the succor of Judah, then invaded by the Philistines, Sa1 23:25-27. Saul leaves the pursuit of David, and goes to succor the land; and David escapes to En-gedi, Sa1 23:28, Sa1 23:29.

Bring hither the ephod - It seems as if David himself, clothed with the ephod, had consulted the Lord; and Sa1 23:10-12 contain the words of the consultation, and the Lord's answer. But see on Sa1 23:2 (note).

DAVID RESCUES KEILAH. (Sa1 23:1-6) Then they told David--rather, "now they had told"; for this information had reached him previous to his hearing (Sa1 23:6) of the Nob tragedy. Keilah--a city in the west of Judah (Jos 15:44), not far from the forest of Hareth. and they rob the threshing-floors--These were commonly situated on the fields and were open to the wind (Jdg 6:11; Rut 3:2).

he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod--The consultation was made, and the prayer uttered, by means of the priest. The alternative conditions here described have often been referred to as illustrating the doctrine of God's foreknowledge and preordination of events.

David Delivers Keilah. He Is Betrayed by the Ziphites, and Marvellously Saved from Saul in the Desert of Maon - 1 Samuel 23 The following events show how, on the one hand, the Lord gave pledges to His servant David that he would eventually become king, but yet on the other hand plunged him into deeper and deeper trouble, that He might refine him and train him to be a king after His own heart. Saul's rage against the priests at Nob not only drove the high priest into David's camp, but procured for David the help of the "light and right" of the high priest in all his undertakings. Moreover, after the prophet Gad had called David back to Judah, an attack of the Philistines upon Keilah furnished him with the opportunity to show himself to the people as their deliverer. And although this enterprise of his exposed him to fresh persecutions on the part of Saul, who was thirsting for revenge, he experienced in connection therewith not only the renewal of Jonathan's friendship on this occasion, but a marvellous interposition on the part of the faithful covenant God.