1 Samuel 24

1 Samuel 24

Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission 1 Samuel Chart from Charles Swindoll TIMELINE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL, KINGS & CHRONICLES 1107 1011 971 931 853 722 586 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 1 Kings 2 Kings 31 1-4 5-10 11-20 21-24 1-11 12-22 1-17 18-25 1 Chronicles 10 1 Chr 11-19 1 Chr 20-29 2 Chronicles 1-9 2 Chronicles 10-20 2 Chronicles 21-36 Legend: B.C. dates at top of timeline are approximate. Note that 931BC marks the division of the Kingdom into Southern Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and Ten Northern Tribes. To avoid confusion be aware that after the division of the Kingdom in 931BC, the Southern Kingdom is most often designated in Scripture as "Judah" and the Northern Kingdom as "Israel." Finally, note that 1 Chronicles 1-9 is not identified on the timeline because these chapters are records of genealogy. The Ryrie Study Bible Map on Left ESV Global Study Bible, on right Jensen's Survey of the OT MAPS TRACING DAVID'S FLIGHT FROM SAUL 1 SAMUEL 19-24 Click here for an excellent map with DAVID'S FLIGHT FROM SAUL with Numbered Movements of David - Copyright Faithlife / Logos Bible Software (https://www.logos.com). Below is a summary from the ESV Global Study Bible of 18 places David fled The following notes are modified from ESV notes to include the related Scriptures. David’s growing reputation fueled Saul’s jealousy which soon flamed into a desire to murder David (1Sa 19:9-10). (1) David fled from Saul in Gibeah (1Sa 19:9-10) and then from his home (1Sa 19:11-17) (2) After Saul tried unsuccessfully to kill him in his home, he fled to Samuel at Naioth in Ramah (1Sa 19:18) (3), Saul sought David in Naioth of Ramah, but the Spirit saved him (1Sa 19:19-24), and he fled back to meet Jonathan in Gibeah where Jonathan sent an "arrow-gram" warning David of Saul’s determination to kill him(1Sa 20:1-42) (4). David then fled to Ahimelech the priest at Nob where he collected food and Goliath’s sword. (1Sa 21:1-9) (5), David briefly sought refuge in the Philistine city of Gath (1Sa 21:10-15) (6) David then escaped to set up headquarters at the cave of Adullam where his army swelled to 400 men. (1Sa 22:1-2) (7), In order to protect his parents from harm, David left them in the care of the king of Moab at Mizpah (1Sa 22:3-4) (8) and went to live in “the stronghold”, the cave of Adullam (1Sa 22:1, 4) (9). Prophet Gad warns Davie and he went to the forest of Hereth (1Sa 22:5) (10) and then left to rescue nearby Keilah from some Philistine raiding parties. (1Sa 23:1-5) (11) When David heard that Saul was coming to Keilah, he and his 600 men fled Keilah. (1Sa 23:9-13) David relocated to the wilderness of Ziph (1Sa 23:14) (12) After the men of Ziph betrayed David to Saul (1Sa 23:19-20), David and his men went to live in the wilderness of Maon (1Sa 23:24-25) and narrowly escaped capture there by Saul (1Sa 23:26-28) (13) . Fleeing the strongholds of Engedi (1Sa 23:29) David again evaded capture by Saul and refused an opportunity to take Saul’s life. (1Sa 24:1-22) (14) After Samuel's death (1Sa 25:1) David went to the wilderness of Paran (1Sa 25:1) (15). While he was there, David was again betrayed to Saul by the men of Ziph and refused another opportunity to take Saul’s life. (1Sa 26:1-25) (16) Finally, David and his men sought refuge with Achish, the king of Gath (1Sa 27:1-12) Below is another map from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) Click to enlarge - from the Holman Bible Atlas (digital book; Hardcover) copyright © 1998 B&H Publishing Group, used by permission, all rights reserved. This is one of the best resources for Bible maps. Please do not reproduce this map on any other webpage. Thank you. 1 Samuel 24:1 Now when Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, saying, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." BGT 1 Samuel 24:2 (Numbering in the Hebrew Bible) καὶ ἐγενήθη ὡς ἀνέστρεψεν Σαουλ ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν τῶν ἀλλοφύλων καὶ ἀπηγγέλη αὐτῷ λεγόντων ὅτι Δαυιδ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ Εγγαδδι LXE 1 Samuel 24:1 And it came to pass when Saul returned from pursuing after the Philistines, that it was reported to him, saying, David is in the wilderness of Engaddi. KJV 1 Samuel 24:1 And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi. NET 1 Samuel 24:1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, they told him, "Look, David is in the desert of En Gedi." CSB 1 Samuel 24:1 When Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the wilderness near En-gedi." ESV 1 Samuel 24:1 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi." NIV 1 Samuel 24:1 After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." NLT 1 Samuel 24:1 After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. NRS 1 Samuel 24:1 When Saul returned from following the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the wilderness of En-gedi." NJB 1 Samuel 24:2 (Numbering in the Hebrew Bible) Once Saul was back from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, 'David is now in the desert of En-Gedi.' NAB 1 Samuel 24:2 (Numbering in the Hebrew Bible) And when Saul returned from the pursuit of the Philistines, he was told that David was in the desert near Engedi. YLT 1 Samuel 24:1 And it cometh to pass when Saul hath turned back from after the Philistines, that they declare to him, saying, 'Lo, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.' GWN 1 Samuel 24:1 When Saul came back from fighting the Philistines, he was told "Now David is in the desert near En Gedi." when Saul: 1Sa 23:28,29 was told: 1Sa 23:19 Pr 25:5 29:12 Eze 22:9 Ho 7:3 the wilderness: 1Sa 23:29 1 Samuel 24 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries David Falls at En-Gedi SAUL'S SPIES SPOT DAVID Some writers have entitled this chapter "Self-Restraint" or "Love Your Enemy." This chapter is about opportunity. The saying is opportunity only knocks once. For David we see an opportunity, but we also see a temptation. The opportunity is to take out his pursuer Saul and take his place as king. Remember that David is in the classroom of adversity and God is honing his character to make him more and more a man of God after his own heart. This chapter is one of the biggest "pop tests" David has had up to this point in his life. This begs a question for all of us to ponder - do we sometimes confuse opportune circumstances with the Lord’s providential leading? Robert Vannoy has an excellent introduction to chapters 24-26 writing that in 1Sa 24:1-26:25 "each of the three episodes in these chapters, David is put to a severe test in the desert as the Lord's anointed (1Sa 16:1-13; cf. Dt 8:1-20, the testing of Israel in the desert; Mt 4:1-11, the testing of Jesus in the desert). In all three events, circumstances place David in a position of power with opportunity to use that power for purely personal ends (avenging wrongs done to him) rather than in the service of the Lord and Israel. To have failed this test would have disqualified David—as it had disqualified Saul—from serving as the Lord's appointed king over Israel. Within these three chapters the final two confrontations between Saul and David take place. In both, the tables are turned and Saul is at the mercy of David. These two episodes (chs. 24; 26) bracket another (ch. 25) in which David has dealings with Nabal, a wealthy Judahite whose flocks David and his men have protected—as they have protected Saul's "flock" from Philistine aggression. In this center episode, Nabal serves as a literary picture of Saul, who is thus exposed as a fool whom the Lord will soon strike down (see 1Sa 25:38; cf. 26:10; 28:19; 31:4). (Borrow NIV Study Bible) Matthew