1 Samuele 23:24 Commento

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 they arose, and went to Ziph, before Saul,.... Not before his person, as if he went with them, and they before him leading the way; but they went thither before he went, to prepare things more exactly, and with more certainty, before he came, and in order to return to him again and go with him: but David and his men were in the wilderness at Maon; for by the time the Ziphites returned home, David had intelligence of their design, and therefore removed from the wilderness of Ziph to the wilderness of Maon; which, though in the same tribe, was a distinct place; See Gill on Jos 15:55, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon; the same as in Sa1 23:19; only David was now farther to the south of it, and in a plain, whereas before he was on an hill.

But they rising up went to Ziph before Saul. Rightly the Ziphites who lay in wait for David are said to have gone to Ziph before Saul, because indeed the schismatics or heretics, the closer they are to Jews or pagans, having been admitted inside, the more wickedly and as if earlier they deprive the Church of its fruit. Which too in the times of the Antichrist, with the Jews raising greater persecutions than others, it will mainly happen in the Church, and daily it continues happening, would that we did not know. Finally, Judas, where he was received more inwardly, where he became the leader and known to the Lord, together with Him was taking sweet food, there he more mightily raised his heel against Him.

But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, etc. Maon is interpreted as dwelling. Jeshimon means bringing death. Generally, however, the faithful, having obtained Christ as their leader, rejoice to thirst for the eternal homeland, which the waterless places of the desert signify; they long with burning desire for the dwelling of heavenly blessedness, which the name Maon, that is Hab, suggests; they know to hope for eternal life from death endured for God, which the name Jeshimon figuratively expresses. But they cannot yet perfectly transcend the vast fields of earthly thoughts. Yet when the storm of persecution arises, the mind at once, humbling itself by casting aside all things of this world, gathers itself to the most fortified rock of faith, and with its feet secured upon this rock, and its steps directed, it now joyfully moves more sweetly in the heavenlies and burns to sing the song of new hope and joy more fervently, which is, after having taken to the refuge of the rock, David and his companions dwelling in the wilderness of Maon. For the same desert of Maon, the same dwelling, not only signifies the desire for the perpetual mansion because of the height burned by heat; but also because the desert takes its name from desertion, it indicates the very dwelling of heavenly rest, which man once deserted. Finally, in the parable of the Gospel, the Good Shepherd, having left the ninety-nine sheep in the desert, goes to seek the one that had wandered (Luke 15). In this very desert David moves as a leader, and those endowed with the grace of Christ can say: "But our citizenship is in heaven" (Philippians 3).

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.

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).

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.

With this answer the Ziphites arose and "went to Ziph before Saul" (who would speedily follow with his warriors); but David had gone farther in the meantime, and was with his men "in the desert of Maon, in the steppe to the south of the wilderness." Maon, now Man, is about three hours and three-quarters S.S.E. of Hebron (see at Jos 15:55), and therefore only two hours from Ziph, from which it is visible. "The table-land appears to terminate here; nevertheless the principal ridge of the southern mountains runs for a considerable distance towards the south-west, whereas towards the south-east the land falls off more and more into a lower table-land." This is the Arabah or steppe on the right of the wilderness (v. de Velde, ii. pp. 107-8).