Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:1, was a fortified city allotted to Judah, Joshua 15:44, and it was located near the Philistine border. In the time of Nehemiah, the city was reoccupied by the Israelites returning from the captivity in Babylon, Nehemiah 3:17-18.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following concerning the threshing floors, 1 Samuel 23:1.
‘The ‘threshing floors’ were the natural objects of plunder, Judges 6:11.’
After hearing reports about the Philistine’s fight against Keilah, David inquires of the Lord if he should attack them, God tells him to go and attack them, 1 Samuel 23:2, but in response, his men objected, 1 Samuel 23:3.
This was possibly because they didn’t want to fight against the Philistines and fight against Saul’s army at the same time. David inquires of the Lord again, and God tell him that He is going to give the Philistines into his hand, 1 Samuel 23:4. And after doing so, his men are now convinced that this is God’s will, 1 Samuel 23:5.
Since Abiathar, a priest, one of Ahimelek’s sons, 1 Samuel 23:6, was now with David’s army, 1 Samuel 22:20-23, they gave them the chance to inquire of the Lord, concerning decisions that were made.
The ephod was worn by the Levitical priests, and inside the pockets of the ephod, there would be the Urim and Thummim. This was how they received the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers to their questions from the Lord, 1 Samuel 14:19.
Here again, we see just how delusional Saul has become; he thinks that God had delivered David into his hand, 1 Samuel 23:7, but the truth is that Samuel categorically told him that God had rejected him because of his sins, 1 Samuel 13:13-14 / 1 Samuel 15:23 / 1 Samuel 15:26.
After hearing that David was in Keilah, Saul called his army together, 1 Samuel 23:8. His reason for doing so was to get his army to go against David and his men. When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he asked Abiathar the priest for the ephod, 1 Samuel 23:9.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It seems as if David himself, clothed with the ephod, had consulted the Lord, and 1 Samuel 23:10-12, contain the words of the consultation, and the Lord’s answer, 1 Samuel 23:2.’
David now inquires of the Lord concerning Saul coming to Keilah to destroy the town on account of him, 1 Samuel 23:10. He asks will the citizens of Keilah surrender him to Saul? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? And God says, he will, 1 Samuel 23:11. David asks God the same question and received the same answer, 1 Samuel 23:12.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The conduct of the men of Keilah would be like that of the men of Judah to Samson, their deliverer, Judges 15:10-13.’
David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place and when Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there, 1 Samuel 23:13. It’s clear that the men of Keilah feared Saul more than David, despite David delivering them out of the hands of the Philistines, 1 Samuel 23:5.
David is now hiding in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph, 1 Samuel 23:14. Located five miles south southeast of Hebron, was a town called Ziph which was in the hill country of Judah, Joshua 15:55.
It was founded by Mesha, a son of Caleb, 1 Chronicles 2:42, and it was near this place that David twice hid from Saul, and the citizens of this place twice betrayed the secret of David’s hiding place to Saul, 1 Samuel 23:19 / 1 Samuel 26:1.
Ziph, at this time in history, was covered with a great forest, along with many caves, which was the perfect hiding place for David and his six-hundred men from Saul and his army.
Saul was searching for him and notice the reason, God dint give David into Saul’s hands, 1 Samuel 23:14. While David was hiding in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life, 1 Samuel 23:15.
Notice that Johnathon went to David helped him find strength in God, 1 Samuel 23:16, and encouraged him in three ways. He reminds David that Saul wouldn’t be able to find him because God would protect him, David would become king, and he tells him that Saul knows this full well, 1 Samuel 23:17.
Even though he was the son of Saul, he knew that David would become king of Israel. This again shows us Johnathon’s humility in accepting God’s will for David to be Israel’s future king.
They renewed their covenant agreement with each other as before, 1 Samuel 23:18 / 1 Samuel 18:3 / 1 Samuel 20:8, but sadly, this would be the last time the two of them would see each other.
The Ziphites tell Saul, who is very crafty, where David is located, 1 Samuel 23:19. They invite Saul to come down whenever it pleases him, and they will be responsible for giving David into Saul’s hands, 1 Samuel 23:20.
Saul asks God to bless them and then asks them to reconfirm his location because he knows that David is very wise and cunning, 1 Samuel 23:21-23. Saul says when they find out where he is then he will go with them and if he is in the area, he will track him down among all the clans of Judah, 1 Samuel 23:23.
The reason for the Ziphites betrayal was because of their zeal for Saul or the fact that David levied protection money against them as he did against Nabal, 1 Samuel 25:1-44. This whole shameful episode is recorded by David in Psalm 54:1-7.
The Ziphites now set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul, 1 Samuel 23:24. David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon, 1 Samuel 23:24.
Maon is a city in the hill country of Judah, and the home of Nabal the wealthy flock master, 1 Samuel 25:4. David knows the best way not to be found by your enemy is to keep moving, keep changing your location.
Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon, and when Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David, 1 Samuel 23:25.
While Saul and his men went along one side of a mountain, David and his men were going the other side of the mountain, 1 Samuel 23:26. Saul and his men were closing in on David, but he received a message informing him that the Philistines were raiding the land, 1 Samuel 23:26.
Notice that Saul had to call off the search for David and his men because the Philistines were attacking the land, 1 Samuel 23:27. Because of this they called the place, ‘Sela Hammahlekoth’, which possibly means ‘Rock of Smoothness’, 1 Samuel 23:28, because it was slippery, or it could mean, ‘Rock of Division’ because it was the place which came between Saul and David.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following.
‘See the providence of God exerted for the salvation of David’s life! David and his men are almost surrounded by Saul and his army, and on the point of being taken, when a messenger arrives and informs Saul that the Philistines had invaded the land! But behold the workings of Providence! God had already prepared the invasion of the land by the Philistines, and kept Saul ignorant of how much David was in his power; but as his advanced guards and scouts must have discovered him in a very short time, the messenger arrived just at the point of time to prevent it. Here David was delivered by God, and in such a manner too as rendered the Divine interposition visible.’
David and his men went on to live in the strongholds of En Gedi, 1 Samuel 23:29, which was a safe hiding place for now. It was here that David would wait, as he said, until he saw what God was going to do for him, 1 Samuel 22:3.
Clarke, in his commentary, says the following concerning En Gedi.
‘En-Gedi was situated near the western coast of the Dead Sea, not far from Jeshimon. It literally signifies the kid’s well, and was celebrated for its vineyards, Song of Solomon 1:14. It was also celebrated for its balm. It is reported to be a mountainous territory, filled with caverns, and consequently proper for David in his present circumstances.’