1 Samuel 23:15-29

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:14-18

Here is, I. David absconding. He abode in a wilderness, in a mountain (1 Sam. 23:14), in a wood, 1 Sam. 23:15. We must here, 1. Commend his eminent virtues, his humility, modesty, fidelity to his prince, and patient attendance on the providence of his God, that he did not draw up his forces against Saul, fight him in the field, or surprise him by some stratagem or other, and so avenge his own quarrel and that of the Lord's priests upon him, and put an end to his own troubles and the calamities... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:19-29

Here, 1. The Ziphites offer their service to Saul, to betray David to him, 1 Sam. 23:19, 20. He was sheltering himself in the wilderness of Ziph (1 Sam. 23:14, 15), putting the more confidence in the people of that country because they were of his own tribe. They had reason to think themselves happy that they had an opportunity of serving one who was the ornament of their tribe and was likely to be much more so, who was so far from plundering the country, or giving it any disturbance with his... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:15

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:16

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose ,.... And came from Gibeah, which, according to Bunting F15 Travels, &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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:17

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:18

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 Jerom F16 Trad. 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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:19

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:20

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... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:21

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 . read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:22

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" F19 רגלו "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... read more

Group of Brands