1 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
13 Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds 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 subtilly.
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 Selahammahlekoth.
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.
1 Then they told H5046 David, H1732 saying, H559 Behold, the Philistines H6430 fight H3898 against Keilah, H7084 and they rob H8154 the threshingfloors. H1637
2 Therefore David H1732 enquired H7592 of the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Shall I go H3212 and smite H5221 these Philistines? H6430 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto David, H1732 Go, H3212 and smite H5221 the Philistines, H6430 and save H3467 Keilah. H7084
3 And David's H1732 men H582 said H559 unto him, Behold, we be afraid H3373 here in Judah: H3063 how much more then if we come H3212 to Keilah H7084 against the armies H4634 of the Philistines? H6430
4 Then David H1732 enquired H7592 of the LORD H3068 yet again. H3254 And the LORD H3068 answered H6030 him and said, H559 Arise, H6965 go down H3381 to Keilah; H7084 for I will deliver H5414 the Philistines H6430 into thine hand. H3027
5 So David H1732 and his men H582 went H3212 to Keilah, H7084 and fought H3898 with the Philistines, H6430 and brought away H5090 their cattle, H4735 and smote H5221 them with a great H1419 slaughter. H4347 So David H1732 saved H3467 the inhabitants H3427 of Keilah. H7084
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar H54 the son H1121 of Ahimelech H288 fled H1272 to David H1732 to Keilah, H7084 that he came down H3381 with an ephod H646 in his hand. H3027
7 And it was told H5046 Saul H7586 that David H1732 was come H935 to Keilah. H7084 And Saul H7586 said, H559 God H430 hath delivered H5234 him into mine hand; H3027 for he is shut in, H5462 by entering H935 into a town H5892 that hath gates H1817 and bars. H1280
8 And Saul H7586 called H8085 all the people H5971 together H8085 to war, H4421 to go down H3381 to Keilah, H7084 to besiege H6696 David H1732 and his men. H582
9 And David H1732 knew H3045 that Saul H7586 secretly practised H2790 mischief H7451 against him; and he said H559 to Abiathar H54 the priest, H3548 Bring hither H5066 the ephod. H646
10 Then said H559 David, H1732 O LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 thy servant H5650 hath certainly H8085 heard H8085 that Saul H7586 seeketh H1245 to come H935 to Keilah, H7084 to destroy H7843 the city H5892 for my sake.
11 Will the men H1167 of Keilah H7084 deliver me up H5462 into his hand? H3027 will Saul H7586 come down, H3381 as thy servant H5650 hath heard? H8085 O LORD H3068 God H430 of Israel, H3478 I beseech thee, tell H5046 thy servant. H5650 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 He will come down. H3381
12 Then said H559 David, H1732 Will the men H1167 of Keilah H7084 deliver H5462 me and my men H582 into the hand H3027 of Saul? H7586 And the LORD H3068 said, H559 They will deliver thee up. H5462
13 Then David H1732 and his men, H582 which were about six H8337 hundred, H3967 H376 arose H6965 and departed H3318 out of Keilah, H7084 and went H1980 whithersoever H834 they could go. H1980 And it was told H5046 Saul H7586 that David H1732 was escaped H4422 from Keilah; H7084 and he forbare H2308 to go forth. H3318
14 And David H1732 abode H3427 in the wilderness H4057 in strong holds, H4679 and remained H3427 in a mountain H2022 in the wilderness H4057 of Ziph. H2128 And Saul H7586 sought H1245 him every day, H3117 but God H430 delivered H5414 him not into his hand. H3027
15 And David H1732 saw H7200 that Saul H7586 was come out H3318 to seek H1245 his life: H5315 and David H1732 was in the wilderness H4057 of Ziph H2128 in a wood. H2793
16 And Jonathan H3083 Saul's H7586 son H1121 arose, H6965 and went H3212 to David H1732 into the wood, H2793 and strengthened H2388 his hand H3027 in God. H430
17 And he said H559 unto him, Fear H3372 not: for the hand H3027 of Saul H7586 my father H1 shall not find H4672 thee; and thou shalt be king H4427 over Israel, H3478 and I shall be next H4932 unto thee; and that also Saul H7586 my father H1 knoweth. H3045
18 And they two H8147 made H3772 a covenant H1285 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 and David H1732 abode H3427 in the wood, H2793 and Jonathan H3083 went H1980 to his house. H1004
19 Then came up H5927 the Ziphites H2130 to Saul H7586 to Gibeah, H1390 saying, H559 Doth not David H1732 hide H5641 himself with us in strong holds H4679 in the wood, H2793 in the hill H1389 of Hachilah, H2444 which is on the south H3225 of Jeshimon? H3452
20 Now therefore, O king, H4428 come down H3381 according to all the desire H185 of thy soul H5315 to come down; H3381 and our part shall be to deliver H5462 him into the king's H4428 hand. H3027
21 And Saul H7586 said, H559 Blessed H1288 be ye of the LORD; H3068 for ye have compassion H2550 on me.
22 Go, H3212 I pray you, prepare H3559 yet, and know H3045 and see H7200 his place H4725 where his haunt H7272 is, and who hath seen H7200 him there: for it is told H559 me that he dealeth very H6191 subtilly. H6191
23 See H7200 therefore, and take knowledge H3045 of all the lurking places H4224 where he hideth H2244 himself, and come ye again H7725 to me with the certainty, H3559 and I will go H1980 with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be H3426 in the land, H776 that I will search H2664 him out throughout all the thousands H505 of Judah. H3063
24 And they arose, H6965 and went H3212 to Ziph H2128 before H6440 Saul: H7586 but David H1732 and his men H582 were in the wilderness H4057 of Maon, H4584 in the plain H6160 on the south H3225 of Jeshimon. H3452
25 Saul H7586 also and his men H582 went H3212 to seek H1245 him. And they told H5046 David: H1732 wherefore he came down H3381 into a rock, H5553 and abode H3427 in the wilderness H4057 of Maon. H4584 And when Saul H7586 heard H8085 that, he pursued H7291 after H310 David H1732 in the wilderness H4057 of Maon. H4584
26 And Saul H7586 went H3212 on this side H6654 of the mountain, H2022 and David H1732 and his men H582 on that side H6654 of the mountain: H2022 and David H1732 made haste H2648 to get away H3212 for fear H6440 of Saul; H7586 for Saul H7586 and his men H582 compassed H5849 David H1732 and his men H582 round about H5849 to take H8610 them.
27 But there came H935 a messenger H4397 unto Saul, H7586 saying, H559 Haste H4116 thee, and come; H3212 for the Philistines H6430 have invaded H6584 the land. H776
28 Wherefore Saul H7586 returned H7725 from pursuing H7291 after H310 David, H1732 and went H3212 against H7125 the Philistines: H6430 therefore they called H7121 that place H4725 Selahammahlekoth. H5555
29 And David H1732 went up H5927 from thence, and dwelt H3427 in strong holds H4679 at Engedi. H5872
1 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.
2 Therefore David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 And David's men said unto him, Behold, 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 Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thy hand.
5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with a great slaughter. So David save the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.
10 Then said David, O Jehovah, the God of Israel, thy servant hath surely heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
16 And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said unto him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.
18 And they two made a covenant before Jehovah: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
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 up into the king's hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have had compassion on me.
22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, 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 subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me of a 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 among 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 Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down to the 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 made a raid upon the land.
28 So 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 the strongholds of En-gedi.
1 And they declare to David, saying, `Lo, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.'
2 And David asketh at Jehovah, saying, `Do I go? -- and have I smitten among these Philistines?' And Jehovah saith unto David, `Go, and thou hast smitten among the Philistines, and saved Keilah.'
3 And David's men say unto him, `Lo, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, unto the ranks of the Philistines?'
4 And David addeth again to ask at Jehovah, and Jehovah answereth him, and saith, `Rise, go down to Keilah, for I am giving the Philistines into thy hand.'
5 And David goeth, and his men, to Keilah, and fighteth with the Philistines, and leadeth away their cattle, and smiteth among them -- a great smiting, and David saveth the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it cometh to pass, in the fleeing of Abiathar son of Ahimelech unto David, to Keilah, an ephod came down in his hand.
7 And it is declared to Saul that David hath come in to Keilah, and Saul saith, `God hath made him known for my hand, for he hath been shut in, to enter into a city of doors and bar.'
8 And Saul summoneth the whole of the people to battle, to go down to Keilah, to lay siege unto David and unto his men.
9 And David knoweth that against him Saul is devising the evil, and saith unto Abiathar the priest, `Bring nigh the ephod.'
10 And David saith, `Jehovah, God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul is seeking to come in unto Keilah, to destroy the city on mine account.
11 Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up into his hand? doth Saul come down as Thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, declare, I pray Thee, to Thy servant.' And Jehovah saith, `He doth come down.'
12 And David saith, `Do the possessors of Keilah shut me up, and my men, into the hand of Saul?' And Jehovah saith, `They shut `thee' up.'
13 And David riseth -- and his men -- about six hundred men, and they go out from Keilah, and go up and down where they go up and down; and to Saul it hath been declared that David hath escaped from Keilah, and he ceaseth to go out.
14 And David abideth in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abideth in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeketh him all the days, and God hath not given him into his hand.
15 And David seeth that Saul hath come out to seek his life, and David `is' in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.
16 And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,
17 and saith unto him, `Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father doth not find thee, and thou dost reign over Israel, and I am to thee for second, and also so knoweth Saul my father.'
18 And they make a covenant both of them before Jehovah; and David abideth in the forest, and Jonathan hath gone to his house.
19 And the Ziphites go up unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, `Is not David hiding himself with us in fortresses, in the forest, in the height of Hachilah, which `is' on the south of the desolate place?
20 And, now, by all the desire of thy soul, O king, to come down, come down, and ours `is' to shut him up into the hand of the king.'
21 And Saul saith, `Blessed `are' ye of Jehovah, for ye have pity on me;
22 go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his foot is; who hath seen him there? for `one' hath said unto me, He is very subtile.
23 And see and know of all the hiding-places where he hideth himself, and ye have turned back unto me prepared, and I have gone with you, and it hath been, if he is in the land, that I have searched him out through all the thousands of Judah.'
24 And they rise and go to Ziph before Saul, and David and his men `are' in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain, at the south of the desolate place.
25 And Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare to David, and he goeth down the rock, and abideth in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul heareth, and pursueth after David `to' the wilderness of Maon.
26 And Saul goeth on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain, and David is hastened to go from the face of Saul, and Saul and his men are compassing David and his men, to catch them.
27 And a messenger hath come in unto Saul, saying, `Haste, and come, for the Philistines have pushed against the land.'
28 And Saul turneth back from pursuing after David, and goeth to meet the Philistines, therefore they have called that place `The Rock of Divisions.'
29 And David goeth up thence, and abideth in fortresses `at' En-gedi.
1 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.
2 And David inquired of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 But David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 And David inquired of Jehovah yet again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into thy hand.
5 And David and his men went to Keilah, and fought against the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. Then Saul said, God has cast him off into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a city that has gates and bars.
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 And when David knew that Saul devised mischief against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod.
10 Then said David, Jehovah, God of Israel, thy servant hath heard for certain that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? Jehovah, God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
12 And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver [thee] up.
13 Then David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, and he forbore to go forth.
14 And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
15 And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 And he said to him, Fear not; for the hand of Saul my father will not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; and that also Saul my father knows.
18 And they two made a covenant before Jehovah; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Does not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the waste?
20 And now, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and it will be for us to deliver him up into the king's hand.
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of Jehovah; for ye have compassion upon me.
22 Go, I pray you, make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his track is, who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtilly.
23 And see, and ascertain all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come ye again to me with sure information, that I may go with you; and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout 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 the waste.
25 And Saul and his men went to seek [him]. And they told David; and he came down from the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard [that], and 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 from Saul; and Saul and his men sought to surround David and his men to take them.
27 But there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee and come; for the Philistines have made a raid against the land.
28 And 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 abode in the strongholds of Engedi.
1 They told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.
2 Therefore David inquired of Yahweh, saying, Shall I go and strike these Philistines? Yahweh said to David, Go, and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.
3 David's men said to him, Behold, 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 Yahweh yet again. Yahweh answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.
5 David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
7 It was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. Saul said, God has delivered him into my hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
8 Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
9 David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring here the ephod.
10 Then said David, O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Yahweh, the God of Israel, I beg you, tell your servant. Yahweh said, He will come down.
12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? Yahweh said, They will deliver you up.
13 Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went wherever they could go. It was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he gave up going there.
14 David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn't deliver him into his hand.
15 David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
16 Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
17 He said to him, Don't be afraid; for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you; and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you; and that also Saul my father knows.
18 They two made a covenant before Yahweh: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doesn't David hide himself with us in the strongholds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of the desert?
20 Now therefore, O king, come down, according to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him up into the king's hand.
21 Saul said, Blessed be you of Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me.
22 Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, [and] who has seen him there; for it is told me that he deals very subtly.
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking-places where he hides himself, and come you again to me of a certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall happen, if he be in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.
24 They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
25 Saul and his men went to seek him. They told David: why he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard [that], he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
26 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 to Saul, saying, Haste you, and come; for the Philistines have made a raid on the land.
28 So Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela Hammahlekoth.
29 David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.
1 And they sent word to David, saying, The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and taking the grain from the grain-floors.
2 So David, questioning the Lord, said, Am I to go and make an attack on these Philistines? And the Lord said to David, Go and make an attack on the Philistines so that Keilah may be kept from falling into their hands.
3 And David's men said to him, Even here in Judah we are full of fear: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
4 Then David put the question to the Lord again, and the Lord answering said, Up! go down to Keilah; for I will give the Philistines into your hands.
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and had a fight with the Philistines, and took away their cattle, and put them to the sword with great destruction. So David was the saviour of the people of Keilah.
6 Now when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, went in flight to David, he came down to Keilah with the ephod in his hand.
7 And news was given to Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, Now God has given him into my hands; for by going into a walled town with locked doors, he has let himself be shut in.
8 And Saul sent for all the people to come to the fight, and go down to Keilah to make an attack on David and his men.
9 And it was clear to David that Saul had evil designs against him, and he said to Abiathar the priest, Come here with the ephod.
10 Then David said, O Lord, the God of Israel, news has been given to your servant that it is Saul's purpose to come to Keilah and send destruction on the town because of me.
11 And now, is it true, as they have said to me, that Saul is coming? O Lord, the God of Israel, give ear to your servant, and say if these things are so. And the Lord said, He is coming down.
12 Then David said, Will the men of Keilah give me and my men up to Saul? and the Lord said, They will give you up.
13 Then David and his men, about six hundred of them, went out of Keilah, and got away wherever they were able to go. And Saul, hearing that David had got away from Keilah, did not go there.
14 And David kept in the waste land, in safe places, waiting in the hill-country in the waste land of Ziph. And Saul was searching for him every day, but God did not give him up into his hands.
15 And David was full of fear, in the knowledge that Saul had come out to take his life; and David was in the waste land of Ziph, in Horesh.
16 And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God;
17 And said to him, Have no fear, for Saul my father will not get you into his power; and you will be king of Israel, and I will be by your side, and my father Saul is certain of this.
18 And the two of them made an agreement before the Lord: and David went on living in Horesh, and Jonathan went back to his house.
19 Then the Ziphites came up to Gibeah to see Saul, and said, Is not David living secretly among us in the strong places in Horesh, in the hill of Hachilah to the south of the waste land?
20 So now, O king, have your soul's desire and come down, and we, for our part, will give him up into the king's hands.
21 And Saul said, The Lord's blessing will be yours, for you have had pity on me.
22 Go now, and take more steps, and see where he is living: for they say that he is expert in deceit.
23 So take care to get knowledge of all the secret places where he is taking cover, and be certain to come back to me, and I will go with you: and without doubt, if he is anywhere in the land, I will get him, among all the families of Judah.
24 And they went back and came to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the waste land of Maon, in the dry land south of the waste land.
25 And Saul and his men went in search of him. And David had word of it, so he came down to the rock in the waste land of Maon. And Saul, hearing of this, went after David into the waste land of Maon.
26 And Saul and his men went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men went on the other: and David's purpose was to get away as quickly as possible, for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men were making a circle round David and his men in order to take them.
27 But a man came to Saul saying, Be quick and come; for the Philistines have made an attack on the land.
28 So turning back from going after David, Saul went against the Philistines: so that place was named Sela-hammah-lekoth.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 23
Commentary on 1 Samuel 23 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
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, 1 Samuel 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, 1 Samuel 23:7; and of David's being in the wilderness of Ziph, where, in a wood there, he had an interview with Jonathan, 1 Samuel 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, 1 Samuel 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, 1 Samuel 23:24.
Then they told David,.... Either the men of Keilah sent to him, being near them, or some well wishers of theirs, and of their country, acquainted him with their case:
saying, behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah; had laid siege to it, being a fortified place, 1 Samuel 23:7; it was a city in the tribe of Judah, on the borders of the Philistines; of which See Gill on Joshua 15:44,
and they rob the threshing floors; took away the corn upon them, which they were threshing and winnowing, which were usually done without the city for the sake of wind, see Judges 6:11; it was harvest time when the three mighty men came to David in the cave of Adullam, and so now it might be the time of threshing, harvest being over, see 1 Samuel 22:1; compared with 2 Samuel 23:13.
Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I go and smite these Philistines?.... For though David was well disposed to serve his country, and was desirous of freeing them from their enemies the Philistines, he might have some doubts in his mind whether it would be right for him to engage with them now; partly because he could not act under a commission from his prince, Saul the king; and partly because he had such a small number of forces with him, that it might be hazardous for him to attack the armies of the Philistines with them, and attempt to raise the siege of Keilah; and therefore he thought it advisable, as doubtless it was, to inquire of the Lord what was his mind and will in this matter: how and by what means he inquired it is not said, very probably it was by the prophet Gad, who was with him, 1 Samuel 22:5; for as for Abiathar, he was not yet come with the ephod, the Urim and Thummim, to inquire by them, 1 Samuel 23:6; though some think that is observed there to show in what way David did inquire, namely, by Urim and Thummim; and so Kimchi and Abarbinel understand it; and it is supposed that he came to David when he was about Keilah, and near unto it, and so before he came thither, and time enough for him to inquire by him whether he should go thither or not:
and the Lord said unto David, go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah; which was not only giving him leave to go, and signifying it was his mind and will he should; but that he should be successful, and rout the Philistines, and raise the siege of Keilah, and save the city from falling into their hands.
And David's men said unto him, behold, we be afraid here in Judah,.... Of Saul and his army falling upon them, and crushing them, though they were in the tribe of Judah, where they had many friends, and in the heart of that tribe:
how much more then if we come to Keilah; which, though in the same tribe, yet in the further parts of it, and on the borders of the Philistines: and there engage
against the armies of the Philistines? too numerous and powerful for them, and so by this means be driven out of their place of safety, the forest of Hareth, where they could hide themselves upon occasion; to be exposed not only to the Philistines, before them, on the edge of their country, from whence they could have re-enforcements easily, but to Saul and his army behind them; and so, being between two fires, would be in danger of being cut off.
Then David inquired of the Lord yet again,.... Not for his own sake, who firmly believed it was the will of God he should go and succeed, but for the sake of his men, and to remove the doubts and fears that hung on their minds:
and the Lord answered him, and said, arise, go down to Keilah; immediately, make no stay, nor hesitate about it, but go with all haste to the relief of the place:
for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hands; which is still more explicit, and is a promise not only of delivering Keilah out of the hands of the Philistines, but of delivering them into David's hands, and so of an entire: victory; and therefore none of David's men had anything to fear after such a declaration of the will of God.
So David and his men went to Keilah,.... Animated by a commission from God, and a promise of success by him:
and fought with the Philistines; encamped before Keilah:
and brought away their cattle; which they had brought with them for the support of their army; or having routed them, they pursued them into their own country, and brought off their cattle from thence:
and smote them with a great slaughter; killed great numbers of them, and put the rest to flight:
so David saved the inhabitants of Keilah; from falling into the hands of the Philistines, by timely raising the siege of the city.
And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah,.... Either when he was there, or near the place:
that he came down with an ephod in his hand; not with a linen ephod on his back, which the priests in common wore, but the ephod with the Urim and Thummim in his hand, which was peculiar to the high priest; and his father the high priest being dead, it belonged to him, and therefore he took care to bring it with him; though the words may be literally rendered, "the ephod came down in his hand"F11אפוד ירד בידו "ephod descendit in manu sua", Pagninus, Montanus; "ephod descendebat in manu sua", Munsterus; so Tigurine version and Piscator. , as it were by chance, and not with design; and so some Jewish interpretersF12Kimchi & Ben Melech. understand it, that in his fright and flight, among his garments and other things he took hold of to carry with him, and not minding well what he took, this happened to be, being so ordered by the providence of God; though the Targum renders it,"the ephod he made to descend in his hand,'or brought it in his hand; and so Kimchi and Abarbinel observe it may be interpreted, though they seem to incline to the other sense.
And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah,.... No doubt it was told him what he came thither for, to relieve it, and deliver it out of the hands of the Philistines, and what success he had; which one would have thought would have reconciled his mind to him, and made him think well of them; but instead of that, it only led him to contrive mischief against him:
and Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; as if the success he had given to David was against, him, and in favour of Saul:
for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars; while he betook himself to caves, and fields, and woods, he had no great hopes of finding him out, and coming up with him, and seizing him; but now he had got into a fortified place, enclosed with walls, and that had gates to it, kept bolted and barred; when he brought his army against it, and surrounded it, he imagined he would not be able to get out, and escape his hands.
And Saul called all the people together to war,.... Or "caused them to hear"F13ישמע "fecit audire", Montanus, Piscator. summoned them by an herald, whom he sent into all parts of the kingdom to proclaim war, and require them in his name to attend him; which was the prerogative of a king to do:
to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men; that was what he privately intended, but the pretence was to make war against the Philistines.
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.
Then said David,.... By the priest, for it was he that put the questions for and in the name of the inquirer:
O Lord God of Israel; the great Jehovah, the covenant God of his people, who always has a merciful regard unto them:
thy servant hath certainly heard; had good information of it, on which he could depend:
that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah; that was his intention and resolution:
to destroy the city for my sake; to besiege it, and demolish it, if that was necessary, in order to take him.
Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hands? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard?.... That is, if David continued there, which is the supposition all proceeds upon. The questions are not orderly put, as may easily be observed, the last should have been first; which shows some perturbation of mind David was in upon hearing the design of Saul against him:
O Lord God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant; give an answer by Urim and Thummim, as he did:
and the Lord said, he will come down; if David abode there; that was in his thoughts, in his purpose and design, which the Lord, being omniscient, full well knew, who knows all future contingencies: hence the JewsF14T. Bab. Yoma, fol. 73. 1,2. gather, that two things are not to be asked together; and if they are asked, only answer is made to one, and the answer is only made to that which it was proper to ask first; and that which is asked out of order should be asked again, which was the case here, as follows.
Then said David, will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?.... That is, the lords and great men of the place, the governor of the city, and the heads of it, the chief magistrates in it:
and the Lord said, they will deliver thee up: that is, provided he stayed there; for the Lord knew the dispositions and affections of their minds, that they were inclined to do it, and would do it, if he continues among them till Saul came down; which showed the great ingratitude of this people to their deliverer.
Then David and his men, which were about six hundred,.... Having had an increase of two hundred since he was at the cave of Adullam, 1 Samuel 22:1, and upon his relief of Keilah, 1 Samuel 23:5; so that he sustained no loss of men by fighting with the Philistines, but had an addition to his small forces:
arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go; not knowing whither they should go, having no particular place in view; but went where they thought they could be safest, or that appeared the most proper place for them; so the Targum,"they went to a place which was fit to go unto;'which was fittest for their purpose, and most for their safety and security, be it where it would:
and it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; very likely some of the inhabitants informed him of it, since they were disposed to deliver David to him, had he stayed among them, and Saul had come down:
and he forbore to go forth: from the place where he was, in order to come to Keilah,
And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds,.... In the wilderness of Ziph, in high and strong rocks there, as it seems to be explained by what follows:
and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph; which had its name from a city in the tribe of Judah, of which See Gill on Joshua 15:55,
and Saul sought him every day; for though he did not go forth from the place where he was to Keilah, yet hearing which way he went, and whereabout he lurked, he sought after him continually, if haply he might find him:
but God delivered him not into his hand: which suggests, that it was only the providence of God that secured him, or, in all probability, such was the diligence of Saul, that he would have found him out, and he must have fallen into his hands, as he expected.
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life,.... Either he saw him with his bodily eyes from the top of the mountain where he was, 1 Samuel 23:14; or he perceived, he understood by information given him by his friends, it may be by Jonathan, or by spies he sent to observe his motions:
and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood; where he and his men could hide themselves among the trees in it; sometimes he was in a mountain in this wilderness, and sometimes in a wood, where he thought himself the safest; thus was this great man obliged to shift about for his safety.
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose,.... And came from Gibeah, which, according to BuntingF15Travels, &c. p. 334. (text not clear could be 834 or some other number) , was twenty two miles from the place where David was:
and went to David into the wood: having had intelligence where he was, this being a proper place to have an interview with him privately:
and strengthened his hand in God; and his heart too, his hand of faith to lay hold on God, as his covenant God and lean and rely upon him; he strengthened him in his power and in his providence, and in his promises to him; the Targum is,"he strengthened him in the Word of the Lord;'not only in his word and promise, but in Christ the essential Word of God, who should spring from him according to the flesh.
And he said unto him, fear not,.... Distrust not the power, providence, and promises of God, nor dread the wrath of Saul, or fear falling into his hands:
for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; to lay hold on him, seize him, and do him any hurt:
and thou shalt be king over Israel; meaning after the death of his father; which he knew either by some special revelation made to him; or rather by being informed he had been anointed by Samuel, and which he had either from Samuel or from David himself; and this he most firmly believed, though David was now in so low a condition:
and I shall be next unto thee; not succeed him in the kingdom; but if living when he came to the throne, he should be the second man in civil affairs, as he now was, and that he should be content with:
and that also Saul my father knoweth; having knowledge of the anointing of David by Samuel; or he might, and did conclude this from various circumstances, that David was his neighbour Samuel had told him of, God had given his kingdom to, 1 Samuel 15:28.
And they two made a covenant before the Lord,.... Renewed the covenant they had before made in the name and fear of God, and before him as a witness of it. Kimchi and Abarbinel interpret this phrase:
before the Lord, of the covenant being made before Abiathar, with the Urim and Thummim in his hand; and so JeromF16Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 76. K. , before Gad the prophet, and Abiathar who wore the ephod:
and David abode in the wood; being a proper place for him for secrecy and safety:
and Jonathan went to his house; in Gibeah; and these two dear and cordial friends never saw one another more, as is highly probable.
Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah,.... Who though he had been out in quest of David, yet was now returned to Gibeah, the place of his residence, and where he kept his court; and hither came the Ziphites, the inhabitants of Ziph, in the wilderness of which David hid himself, with a proposal to deliver him to Saul; for though they were of the same tribe with David, yet being terrified with what Saul had done to Nob, they thought it best for their own security to inform Saul where he was, and make an offer to deliver him to him. Some interpreters, as Kimchi, think that this was done before Jonathan was with Saul, and should be rendered, "the Ziphites had come up to Saul"; and hence it is before said, and David saw, &c. for he had heard that the Ziphites should say to Saul, that David had hid himself there; and at this time it was that David wrote the fifty ninth psalm, Psalm 54:1,
saying, doth not David hide himself with us in the strong holds in the wood; which is in the wilderness of Ziph, in their neighbourhood; they were informed he had hid himself there, and they thought it their duty to let the king know of it: and particularly
in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon? Hachilah is by JeromF17De loc. Heb. fol. 91. C. called Echela; and he speaks of a village of that name seven miles from Eleutheropolis, and of Jeshimon as ten miles from Jericho to the south, near the dead sea; on the top of this hill, which was an ascent of thirty furlongs or about four miles, Jonathan the high priest built a castle, and called it Masada, often spoken of by Josephus; who saysF18De Bello Jud. l. 7. c. 8. sect. 3. Vid. Adrichom. Theatrum T. S. p. 38. 2. & 39. 1. , that Herod built a wall around it of seven furlongs or about a mile, twelve cubits high, and eight broad, and thirty seven towers of fifty cubits stood in it.
Now therefore, O king, come down,.... From Gibeah to Ziph, and the wilderness of it, where David was:
according to all the desires of thy soul to come down; to seize such a prey which he was greatly desirous of, and of nothing more so than of that according to Abarbinel, the sense is, that the thing was ready in whatever way he should desire it; if he chose to come down himself, and lay hold on him, they invite him to come down; but if he did not choose to come down himself, they would seize him, and bring him to him, and deliver him up into his hand, and so he would be under no necessity of going down after him:
and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand; this we will take upon us to do, and save the king the trouble of coming down.
And Saul said, blessed be ye of the Lord,.... He highly commends them for the offer they made to him, blesses God for them, and desires the blessing of God upon them for it:
for ye have compassion on me; pitied him on account of the troubles he met with from his son-in-law, were sorry for him, and sympathized with him, which others did not, of which he complained, 1 Samuel 22:8.
Go, I pray you, prepare yet,.... That is, go home, return to their habitations, and get things in a greater readiness for him; inquire more diligently after David, get more intelligence of him, and inform themselves more exactly about him:
and know and see his place where his haunt is; or "foot"F19רגלו "pes ejus", Pagninus, Montanus. is, where that steps and walks most frequently, not only get knowledge of it by information, but if they could get sight of it with their own eyes, that they might describe it more exactly:
and who hath seen him there; not only seen the place, but him in the place, and that often, that it may be certain it is the place he usually resorts to:
for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly; sometimes he is seen in one place, and sometimes in another; he is here today, and elsewhere tomorrow; and by such crafty methods it is not easy to know where the place is, and where to be found; this Saul had information of from some, who knew the methods David took to keep it unknown where it was; or "it says to me"; my heart says so to me, as R. Isaiah interprets it; my mind suggests this to me, knowing the man, that he uses such wiles as these: or "he said to me", so Kimchi; when he was with me, and we were intimate, when I used to ask him how he smote the Philistines, so and so, and preserved himself from them; his answer was, "that he dealt very subtilly", he used a good deal of craftiness; and so I imagine he does now.
See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself,.... Which he most frequents, that ye may be able to describe them, and the way to them, and easily find them when necessary:
and come ye again to me with the certainty; of time and place, when and where he may be certainly found:
and I will go with you; upon such certain intelligence: it is very much he did not seize this opportunity, and go directly with them; for by this delay, David being informed of the Ziphites coming to Saul to betray him, had time to depart elsewhere:
and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land; in the land of Israel, or rather in the land that is in the tribe of Judah:
that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah; through all the divisions of that tribe, which, as others, were divided into thousands, see Micah 5:2.
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 Joshua 15:55,
in the plain on the south of Jeshimon; the same as in 1 Samuel 23:19; only David was now farther to the south of it, and in a plain, whereas before he was on an hill.
And Saul also and his men went to seek him,.... Whether the Ziphites returned to him with better intelligence, or sent him word where David was, is not said, however Saul with his army came out in search of him:
and they told David; or it was told him, that Saul was come in quest of him:
wherefore he came down into a rock; either into a cave in it, or he came down from the hill Hachilah to a plain or valley, in order to go up to a rock, the same with the mountain in 1 Samuel 23:26,
and abode in the wilderness of Maon; in which was the rock or mountain he came to:
and when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon; for upon the intelligence of the Ziphites, he came out to seek for him in the wilderness of Ziph, but hearing that he was removed to the wilderness of Maon, he pursued him there.
And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain,.... Saul with his army came to the very mountain where David and his men were, the one was on one side of it, and the other on the other side; there was only one mountain between them:
and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; he fled on one side of the mountain, while Saul was pursuing him on the other, and hastening to get round unto him:
for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them; he took methods by dividing his troops, and sending them different ways, to surround David and his men, and had very near effected it.
But there came a messenger unto Saul,.... From his court, by order of his council there; though the JewsF20Midrash apud Yalkut in loc. say it was an angel from heaven; but be it which it will, it was certainly the providence of God that directed this affair, that a messenger should come to Saul just at that very time that David was like to fall into his hands:
saying, haste thee, and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land; were come into it, and spread themselves in it, as the word signifies, which expresses their numbers they had poured in, the force they came with, and the possessions they had already got; perhaps they had taken the advantage of Saul's departure in quest of David, to penetrate into the tribe of Benjamin, where his patrimony, residence, and court were, and which were liable to fall into their hands; and therefore his presence was immediately required, and haste was necessary.
Therefore Saul returned from pursuing after David,.... Stopped short at once, as soon as ever he received the message:
and went against the Philistines; to stop them in their progress, and drive them out of his country:
therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth, which signifies the rock of divisions. David and his men, very probably, gave it this name, not only because it divided between Saul and his men, and David and his men, when they were one on one side of it, and the other on the other side of it; but because Saul was, by the providence of God, divided and separated from David here, whereby he escaped falling into his hands. The Targum is,"therefore they called that place the rock of division, the place where the heart of the king was divided to go here and there:'he was divided in his own mind, and at a loss what to do; he was in two minds, as Jarchi says, and did not know which to follow, whether to return and deliver his country from the hands of the Philistines, or to pursue and take David; and others represent the soldiers of Saul as divided, some saying that since the son of Jesse was just falling into their hands, they should not leave him; others, that the war of Israel should be regarded before him, who might be found at any timeF21Midrash apud Yalkut in loc. .
And David went up from thence,.... From the wilderness of Maon, having had a narrow escape for his life:
and dwelt in strong holds in Engedi; another place in the tribe of Judah, and which lay in the wilderness of Judah, and from whence that is called the wilderness of Engedi; and here Dr. LightfootF23Works, vol. 1. p. 58. thinks he penned the sixty third psalm, Psalm 63:1, the wilderness about Engedi being the most desert of all other places, that being upon the borders of the dead sea; of this place; see Gill on Joshua 15:62.