1 Samuel 23:19-29

Saul's Pursuit of David. 1 Samuel 23:19-29

19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me.

22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilely.

23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.
28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela-hammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strongholds at En-gedi.

11.

Why did the Zipbites aid Saul? 1 Samuel 23:19

Saul had repeatedly scolded his courtiers and every other member of his kingdom. He charged them with being in league with David and aiding and abetting him in an attempt to usurp the throne. He charged them with failing to understand his position and to sympathize with him in his plight. He had slain the priests under the false charge of their being on David's side. Such activities on the part of the king would strike terror in the hearts of the weak and vacillating members of the kingdom of Israel. Some of these may have been rewarded for information which they brought to Saul. Others, who had knowledge of David's whereabouts, may have been afraid to conceal it lest they be charged with failing to support Saul. These people are especially despicable because of their repeated spying on David and reporting to Saul. Tell Zif itself is a conical hill. It stands above rich and beautiful valleys which surround it on every side. The base is terraced, and its light, rich soil produces a full harvest of grain. The summit is leveled and circular, being about one hundred yards in diameter. Nothing is left of the town, however, except a few cisterns, sepulchres, and pieces of pottery that are thickly intermixed with the soil. The view to the southeast is extensive and reaches out over a rich and beautiful country. Barren hills of the desert span the horizon (J. W. McGarvey, Lands of the Bible, p. 255).

12.

Where was Hachilah? 1 Samuel 23:19 b

Hachilah appears to be the long ridge now known as El Koleh. On this high hill is a ruin called Yukin. David's hiding here is apparently the only significant event which transpired at this place throughout the Bible history. The Ziphites betrayed him again when he was here later (1 Samuel 26:1).

13.

What was the meaning of Saul's benediction? 1 Samuel 23:21

Saul was very appreciative of the fact that the Ziphites had brought him information about David's hiding place. In his nearly ecstatic condition he pronounced a benediction upon these people. He was grateful that they had compassion on him and helped him. He prayed that they might be blessed of the Lord for what they had done. The benediction would be a lot of empty words to anybody who knew Saul's real character. Since Saul had turned his back on God and was forsaken of God, one could hardly expect that God would hear his prayer for a blessing to be upon anybody. Here is an instance of a pitiable reference to God by one who had essentially abandoned God and thereby had been left desolate by God.

14.

What is the meaning of the thousands of Judah? 1 Samuel 23:23

Judah had always been the most numerous of all the Israelite tribes. At the first numbering, while they were still at Sinai, Judah numbered 74,600 (Numbers 1:27). At the second numbering, just before the Israelites entered Canaan, Judah was still the largest and at that time she numbered 76,500 (Numbers 26:22). Those who were numbered were men twenty years of age and older. No doubt there were as many women of this same age as men. In addition there would be an equal number of boys as well as an equal number of girls under these ages. Judah may have had as many as 300,000 inhabitants. Saul faced an enormous task as he boasted that he would search David out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

15.

Where was Maon? 1 Samuel 23:24

Maon was a town on a high hill in the tribe of Judah, and located some seven miles to the south of Hebron. David hid himself here and later found many of Nabal's possessions nearby (1 Samuel 25:2). Tell Main, a rather small mound of ruins, has been taken to be the modern-day remnants of the location. The Scripture located Maon south of Jeshimon. Jeshimon is a word signifying a waste or desolation. This is a title given to the area north of the Dead Sea (Numbers 21:20; Numbers 23:28). At times this title is given to the desert area of Judea. The American Standard Version gives it the title of Arabah. This title is usually applied to the deep valley running between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Akabah. David's wandering must have taken him into an area that was sparsely inhabited and where little vegetation marked the landscape. It is little wonder that he referred to himself as a flea (1 Samuel 24:13).

16.

What was the rock? 1 Samuel 23:25

The rock is undoubtedly the cone-shaped height of Maon. The top of the height is covered with ruins, and there are some indications that these may be the remains of a tower. No reason is given for David's descending from the height of the mound, and he chose to remain in the desert of Maon. Perhaps this mound was more visible to an approaching army and David decided that he would be safer hiding behind it than staying on top of it. He did escape from Saul by going around one side of the hill while Saul was on the other.

17.

Was David's escape providential? 1 Samuel 23:27

The fact that a messenger came to Saul just at the time when he was about to take David and his men appears to be an act of providence. Certainly David could hardly have sent word to the Philistines and urged them to attack Saul while he was in the south part of his country. Probably the Philistines did keep an eye on Saul and knew where he was. They did, no doubt, take advantage of the opportunity to spread themselves over the land (marginal reading A.V.). Their attack must have been more than a skirmish or a small raid. Such a light attack would hardly have caused Saul to give up on his pursuit of David just at the time when he had him in his clutches.

18.

What is Sela-Hammablekoth? 1 Samuel 23:28

The spot cannot be identified definitely, but the word is a compound indicating the rock of divisions. This was the scene of one of David's most remarkable escapes from Saul. David must have given the spot this name in commemoration of his providential deliverance from the armies of Saul, just as Jacob gave the name House of God, to Luz when God revealed Himself there (Genesis 28:19) and Abraham gave the name Jehovah-jireh to Mount Moriah when God provided a ram to take the place of Isaac as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:14).

19.

Where was En-gedi? 1 Samuel 23:29

En-gedi is along the west shore of the Dead Sea. The Arabs call it Ain Jiddy. Travelers in this area say that nothing can surpass the gloomy grandeur of the mountain walls of this vicinity. The mountain-sides have turned brown and, in places, almost black by their long exposure to the elements. They are rendered still more gloomy by contrast with the rich green and the sparkling water of the oasis in the wilderness. The spot is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament, but not enough is said to give a very definite concept of it as it then existed. At En-gedi one is about halfway down the west side of the Dead Sea and at a point to look out over the Dead Sea to the eastern shore.

20.

What reference did David make to these events in the Psalms? Psalms 54:1-7

Many of the Psalms seem to arise out of particular instances in the life of David. The Shepherd Psalm, the Twenty-third Psalm, for example, must have been written in recollection of David's early life as a shepherd. No doubt God's spirit guided him to leave this treasure of devotion as a testimony of the way in which David had known God through his experiences as a humble shepherd boy. Many of the other Psalms carry headings which indicate the particular event in David's life out of which the Holy Spirit through David gave to us lasting testimony of God's providence. The Fifty-fourth Psalm is attributed to David and was written when the Ziphim, or the Ziphites, came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us? Certainly the sentiments are appropriate as David says, For he hath delivered me out of all trouble, and mine eyes have seen his desire upon my enemies (Psalms 54:7).