1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23

Meyer - 1 Samuel 23:9 He said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod. David was passing through one of the most awful experiences of his life, when his men spoke of stoning him instead of taking up his cause. How many times in this chapter we are informed that David inquired of the Lord! Some three or four times the appeal for direction was renewed, as though he were fearful to stir one step by the light of his own unaided wisdom. In that changeful life of his, it must have been extremely difficult to set the Lord always before him, and await Divine direction. Many a time his circumstances might seem to demand immediate action rather than prayer; and the rude soldiery must have insisted on their voice being heard rather than a priest’s; but David was not deterred by one or the other, and still held to his practice of consulting the Urim and Thummim stone, set in the ephod; which was probably a splendid diamond, flashing with God’s distinct “Yes,” or growing cloudy and dark with His definite “No.” Let us inquire of the Lord. The answer will surely come, if we wait for it. If we are not sure of, it, let us still wait, for it will come— not so early as to save us from using our faith, not so late as to permit us to be overwhelmed. Direction will come in the growing conviction of duty, in the drift of circumstances, in the advice of friends, in the perceptions of a sanctified judgment. None that wait on God can be ashamed. Whether our duty be to arise and pursue, to sit still, or to escape— “the meek He will guide in judgment; the meek He will teach His way.” He gives, us a white stone in which a name is written, which only they know who receive. 1 Samuel 23:10 Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account. BGT 1 Samuel 23:10 καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἀκούων ἀκήκοεν ὁ δοῦλός σου ὅτι ζητεῖ Σαουλ ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ Κεϊλα διαφθεῖραι τὴν πόλιν δι᾽ ἐμέ LXE 1 Samuel 23:10 And David said, Lord God of Israel, thy servant has indeed heard, that Saul seeks to come against Keila to destroy the city on my account. KJV 1 Samuel 23:10 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. NET 1 Samuel 23:10 Then David said, "O LORD God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is planning to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me. CSB 1 Samuel 23:10 Then David said, "LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. ESV 1 Samuel 23:10 Then David said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. NIV 1 Samuel 23:10 David said, "O LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. NLT 1 Samuel 23:10 Then David prayed, "O LORD, God of Israel, I have heard that Saul is planning to come and destroy Keilah because I am here. NRS 1 Samuel 23:10 David said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. NJB 1 Samuel 23:10 David said, 'Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has heard that Saul is preparing to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. NAB 1 Samuel 23:10 David then said: "O LORD God of Israel, your servant has heard a report that Saul plans to come to Keilah, to destroy the city on my account. YLT 1 Samuel 23:10 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. GWN 1 Samuel 23:10 Then David said, "LORD God of Israel, I have actually heard that Saul is going to come to Keilah and destroy the city on account of me. destroy the city: 1Sa 23:8 22:19 Ge 18:24 Es 3:6 Pr 28:15 Ro 3:15,16 1 Samuel 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID'S PREFACES HIS INQUIRY TO YAHWEH Then - Don't miss this strategic "then," for in the background of knowledge that Saul is plotting evil against him, David THEN goes to God, his Refuge and Strength. David said, "O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has heard for certain that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city on my account - Saul is a madman who doesn't just want to kill David, but anyone he thinks may have befriended David, so again the entire city of Keilah is at risk, as was a reality at the city of Nob. 1 Samuel 23:11 "Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down." BGT 1 Samuel 23:11 εἰ ἀποκλεισθήσεται καὶ νῦν εἰ καταβήσεται Σαουλ καθὼς ἤκουσεν ὁ δοῦλός σου κύριε ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ ἀπάγγειλον τῷ δούλῳ σου καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ἀποκλεισθήσεται LXE 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the place be shut up? And now will Saul come down, as thy servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, tell thy servant. And the Lord said, It will be shut up. KJV 1 Samuel 23:11 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. NET 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, please inform your servant!" Then the LORD said, "He will come down." CSB 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? LORD God of Israel, please tell Your servant." The LORD answered, "He will come down." ESV 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, please tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down." NIV 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant." And the LORD said, "He will." NLT 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the leaders of Keilah betray me to him? And will Saul actually come as I have heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell me." And the LORD said, "He will come." NRS 1 Samuel 23:11 And now, will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD, the God of Israel, I beseech you, tell your servant." The LORD said, "He will come down." NJB 1 Samuel 23:11 Will Saul come down as your servant has heard? Yahweh, God of Israel, I beg you, let your servant know.' Yahweh replied, 'He will come down.' NAB 1 Samuel 23:11 Will they hand me over? And now: will Saul come down as your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, tell your servant." The LORD answered, "He will come down." YLT 1 Samuel 23:11 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.' GWN 1 Samuel 23:11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come here as I have heard? LORD God of Israel, please tell me." "He will come," the LORD answered. And the Lord: Ps 50:15 Jer 33:3 Mt 7:7,8 1 Samuel 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID'S QUESTIONS YAHWEH'S AFFIRMATION Will the men of Keilah surrender (betray) me into his hand? Will Saul come down just as Your servant has heard? - Will the people he has just delivered from the Philistines demonstrate their ingratitude by delivering David to Saul? David identifies himself as Yahweh's servant, something Saul never said! Presumably he used the ephod again and some think this entailed the use of the Urim and Thummim but that is somewhat conjectural because the only specific mention of Urim in 1 Samuel is in 1Sa 28:6 which says "Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets." O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down - Yahweh answers just the first of David's two questions. How did God answer? Was it through use of the ephod (although that mode of communication is mysterious to us today). "Regardless of how God communicated then, He communicates with us through his Word, and with illumination in our souls and joy as we walk in His will." (Anderson) 1 Samuel 23:12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you." KJV 1 Samuel 23:12 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. NET 1 Samuel 23:12 David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah deliver me and my men into Saul's hand?" The LORD said, "They will deliver you over." CSB 1 Samuel 23:12 Then David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" "They will," the LORD responded. ESV 1 Samuel 23:12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you." NIV 1 Samuel 23:12 Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will." NLT 1 Samuel 23:12 Again David asked, "Will the leaders of Keilah betray me and my men to Saul?" And the LORD replied, "Yes, they will betray you." NRS 1 Samuel 23:12 Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" The LORD said, "They will surrender you." NJB 1 Samuel 23:12 David then went on to ask, 'Will the notables of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?' Yahweh replied, 'They will hand you over.' NAB 1 Samuel 23:12 David then asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah deliver me and my men into the grasp of Saul?" And the LORD answered, "Yes." YLT 1 Samuel 23:12 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.' GWN 1 Samuel 23:12 "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" David asked. "They will hand you over," the LORD answered. surrender: Heb. shut up, Ps 31:8 They will: 1Sa 23:7 Ps 62:1 118:8 Ec 9:14,15 Isa 29:15 Heb 4:13 1 Samuel 23 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DAVID REPEATS HIS FIRST QUESTION Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will surrender you - Keep in mind that the men of Keilah were members of the tribe of Judah, in effect, "family members" of David who had just delivered them! But David is not naive and is concerned that his Judean brethren might turn him over to Saul's wrath! Praise God David sought the wisdom from the LORD Who alone knows the beginning and the end and everything in between (Isa 41:22,23). Just a thought to ponder -- What would have happened had David not sought the LORD, thinking the men of Keilah would never surrender him to Saul for he (David) had delivered them from the Philistines.