1 Samuel 22:4 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-5

Here, I. David shelters himself in the cave of Adullam, 1 Sam. 22:1. Whether it was a natural or artificial fastness does not appear; it is probable that the access to it was so difficult that David thought himself able, with Goliath's sword, to keep it against all the forces of Saul, and therefore buried himself alive in it, while he was waiting to see (and he says here, 1 Sam. 22:3) what God would do with him. The promise of the kingdom implied a promise of preservation to it, and yet David... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:4

And he brought them before the king of Moab ,.... Having leave from him for it, and left them with him; so the Targum,"caused them to remain before him:" and they dwelt with him all the whole time that David was in the hold ; either in the cave of Adullam, as some think; or rather at Mizpeh in Moab, which might be a fortified place; or the sense may be, while he was in any hold in those parts, as he might go from one to another; what became of David's parents afterwards, we nowhere else... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-5

Difficult circumstances. The facts are— 1 . David, escaping from Garb, takes refuge in the cave of Adullam. 2 . Here he is joined by his kindred and a miscellaneous band of men, over whom he exercises authority as captain. 3 . Anxious for the comfort of his father and mother, he desires and obtains of the king of Moab permission for them to dwell at Mizpeh. 4 . On being advised by the prophet Gad, he returns to Judah. This section covers the conduct of David up to the point... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:3-4

David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab . The position of this place is unknown, but as the word means a watch tower, it was no doubt some beacon hill in the highlands of Moab on the east of the Dead Sea, and probably in the mountains of Abarim or Pisgah. Here David placed his father and mother under the care of the king of Moab. They had fled from Bethlehem under the combined fear of Saul and the Philistines, but were too old to bear the fatigues of David's life. He therefore asks for a... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 22:4

He brought them before ... - The Septuagint renders it “he persuaded (the face of) the king.”In the hold - Where David was after he left the cave of Adullam, probably in the land of Moab.The phrase “all the while,” would indicate that David sojourned a considerable time in Moab. read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 22:4

1 Samuel 22:4 . All the while David was in the hold In holds; the singular number being put for the plural, as is frequent; that is, as long as David was forced to go from place to place, and from hold to hold, to secure himself; for it concerned David especially to secure his father, and he did doubtless secure him for all that time; and not only while he was in the hold of Mizpeh, or of Adullam, which was but a little while. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-23

A fighting unit (22:1-23)David found a hiding place in the barren regions of Adullam. Here he was joined by his family, who had fled to escape the hate and revenge of Saul (22:1; see Psalms 57:0; Psalms 63:0; Psalms 142:0). Knowing this hard life would be too much for his aged parents, he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and returned to his home territory of Judah. By now a crowd of four hundred, mainly outlaws and discontented people, had joined David, and he soon built these into a... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 22:4

hold = stronghold, or fortified camp. First occurance. read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - 1 Samuel 22:4

1 Samuel 22:4. They dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold— David could not bear that his aged parents should be confined to a cold cave, exposed to all the hardships of a siege, to dearth, to damps, and dangers of various kinds; and therefore he commends them to the care of the king of Moab, under whose protection they continued all the time that he was in the hold, or, as some would have it, all the time he continued in a strong hold; during the whole time of his exile, while... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - 1 Samuel 22:3-4

David’s flight to Moab 22:3-4Moab was a reasonable place for David’s parents to seek protection since David’s great-grandmother, Ruth, was a Moabitess. The exact location of Mizpah (lit. watchtower) of Moab is unknown. David may have wanted to secure the support of the Moabites since he could use help from neighboring kingdoms if Saul’s antagonism led to full-scale war. "The stronghold" (1 Samuel 22:4) was probably another name for Mizpah or another place close to it in Moab.David’s flight to... read more