1 Samuel (Written)

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 25:1-13
Abigail, Part I

(Typed 9 March 2026) 1 Samuel 25:1 is similar to several verses in the book of Judges. A single verse can hold so much importance and convey so much information that it is amazing to consider once the reason for it being included is seen.

And it’s not just the information in the verse itself, but its placement that carries its own special extra meaning. Despite having read this verse more times than I could count on my fingers and toes, along with many of yours, I never considered it more than words that give a bit of context, after which I continue reading the passage.

That’s sad. We have been with Samuel since 1 Samuel 1:20 when he was born. The sermon he was introduced in was typed on 14 April 2025, about 11 months before I typed this one. It was then preached on 6 July 2025.

Since then, we have followed his life as a faithful steward of the Lord, carefully handling his duties. And yet, we get to a verse like this, read through it, and move on. Such is life…

Text Verse: “Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.” Acts 3:24

In Scripture, the word “all” does not necessarily mean all in the absolute sense. For example, in Matthew 3, it says –

“Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ⁶ and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.” Matthew 3:4-6

Later, in Luke 7, it says –

“And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.” Luke 7:29, 30

Not every prophet is necessarily referred to in our text verse. It simply speaks of a unified message from the office of a true prophet. That includes “from Samuel and those who follow.”

Peter specifically mentions Samuel, and yet prophets were noted between the time of Moses and Samuel, such as in Judges 4:4 and 6:8. In 1 Samuel 2:27-36, a person – though not specifically called a prophet – carried the word of the Lord to Eli the high priest. It can be inferred that Eli the high priest heard and knew the word of the Lord from 1 Samuel 3:9.

However, the office of prophets took on its own order at the time of Samuel, where groups of prophets are recorded together. Further, the distinct nature of Samuel’s prophetic office is noted in Psalm 99 –

“Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.” Psalm 99:6

Along with being a prophet, Samuel was the final judge of Israel. Thus, a great change in Israel takes effect at his death, even if there was a king that reigned during his time.

One thing is for sure: there is a lot going on in God’s superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. And He Arose, David (verse 1)

Then Samuel died;

vayamath Sh_emuel – “And he died, Samuel.” It appears that this statement means that the narrative follows chronologically from Chapter 24 and into Chapter 25. However, one chapter or the other could be categorically placed.

Either way, the statement concerning Samuel’s death is one that continues highlighting the progression of death from the time of Moses that continues unabated until the time of Christ. Despite being a great prophet who served the Lord all his life, Samuel died. This indicates his need for a Redeemer. In Leviticus 18:5, it says –

“And you guarded My enactments and My verdicts, which he will do them, the human, and he lived in them. I, Yehovah.” (CG)

Samuel may have closely followed the Lord’s enactments and verdicts, but the fact that he died tells us that he was unable to fully follow them. The law promised life to the human who would do them. It is a solemn witness to the need for the incarnation to free humanity from the clutches of Sheol.

It is true that the prophet Elijah was taken directly to heaven to fulfill God’s purposes. But he will be back to testify to Israel as one of the two witnesses in the end times, and he too will die. It is also true that two children were returned to life in the Old Testament, but those were restorations, not resurrections.

It is certain that they lived and died under the law as well. If not, they would be the talk of the town to this day.

Samuel means Asked from God. Samuel has died…

^{1 (con’t)} and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him,

vayiqav_etsu kal Yisrael vayisp_edu lo – “and they were amassed, all Israel, and they lamented to him.” This was probably an optional national gathering for anyone who wished to come. Or it may be that the leaders were gathered, thus representing all of Israel.

Either way, the word saphad signifies to beat the breasts and tear the hair. There is not a single English word that exactly conveys the intent, but lament is generally used for such an event. It would have been accompanied with dirges, wailing, etc., all intended to honor the man.

Samuel served the Lord and ministered to Israel from his youth. He was the last of the judges, which then transitioned into the time of the kings. In Chapter 12, Israel testified to Samuel’s faithfulness, finding no fault in how he judged and led them.

Israel means He Strives with God.

After being lamented…

^{1 (con’t)} and buried him at his home in Ramah.

vayiqb_eruhu b_eveitho baramah – “and they interred him in his house in the Ramah.” The word bury refers to the act of putting someone in the ground and heaping dirt over them. This may or may not be the case. The word inter covers burying or placing in a cave, sepulcher, etc.

Scholars argue over whether “his house” means exactly that or something like in the “general area of.” When a king was buried in a particular area, it normally says it. However, there are examples when a king was buried on the property of his house, such as –

“So Manasseh rested with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house. Then his son Amon reigned in his place.” 2 Chronicles 23:20

Therefore, there is no reason to go beyond the text in the case of Samuel. He may have prepared a garden, sepulcher, or cave where he was interred.

Ramah means Lofty Place. With these few words given to sum up Samuel’s demise, the narrative returns to David…

^{1 (con’t)} And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

vayaqam David vayered el midbar paran – “And he arose, David, and he descended unto ‘Wilderness, Paran’.” There is debate on the location and size of the Wilderness of Paran. Much of the debate stems from the actual location of Mount Sinai.

Regardless, the next verses refer to the areas of Maon and Carmel. Wherever Paran is, it is somewhat removed from those locations. Therefore, people default to the Septuagint, which says Maon instead of Paran in this verse.

But there is no reason to assume the two locations are being referred to one after the other. All it says is that David went down to the Wilderness of Paran. He could have been there ten days or a year and then returned to an area closer to Maon.

This verse is a statement of fact. The wilderness is a place of God’s grace and of closeness to Him, but it is also a place of testing. For some, such as Israel, the testing results in disobedience. For others, such as Christ when He was tested, it is a place of fellowship through obedience.

The wilderness and the law are closely connected because testing is accomplished through law. This is seen in the word itself, midbar. It is derived from the verb davar, to speak, and the noun davar, meaning word. The Lord spoke the Ten Commandments (words/d_evarim) in the desert (midbar) of Sinai.

Paran comes from the same root as porah, meaning a branch. But the idea from which it comes is that of ornamentation. That is found in the root of both words, paar, signifying to beautify or glorify. Thus, it means Glorious. David means Beloved.

What will happen after the rapture?
At the time when the church is gone
Who will God’s attention capture?
Will there be a glorious new dawn?

And what will happen to Israel?
The One who strives with God
Of them, what does the word tell?
Has He sent forth His final judgment rod?

Or is there hope for this wayward bunch?
Will they ever be back in God’s good graces?
We don’t need to guess or “have a hunch”
Someday they will again stand to His faces

II. An Explanation of the Typology

This first verse of the chapter indicates a transition. Samuel is the final judge of Israel. Saul, though king at this time, is no longer the true king. That role transferred to David in Chapter 16. Saul has been typical of Sheol since then, calling out for the souls of men.

The typology in Chapter 24 revealed that he will rule until the time set by God. David will replace him, just as life will replace those in Christ who die and await their resurrection while in Sheol. That will happen at the rapture.

Samuel, as a human, was set to die. Likewise, there has to be a point when Israel will realize that Jesus died for them. That is why verse 1 was placed here.

David, Beloved, pictures accepting the doctrines of Christ. Samuel is typical of the Seed of Grace being asked for. The death of Samuel pictures the death of Christ that has already occurred, but Israel didn’t realize their Messiah had come.

Israel lamenting for Him here is thus an anticipatory note of Israel’s realization and acknowledgement that Jesus is the Messiah they missed. This will happen in the future as prophesied in Zechariah 12:10 –

“And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn [saphad] for Him as one mourns [saphad] for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.”

The word saphad was introduced in 1 Samuel 25, and its last three uses are in Zechariah 12. It is like bookends for us to consider. There is the type and then the Antitype. It then said that Israel, He Strives with God, buried Samuel in his home in the Ramah, the Lofty Place.

It is a way of acknowledging that Christ, because of His cross, was exalted to the highest position of all –

“And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. ⁹ Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, ¹¹ and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:8-11

The next clause referred to David arising and descending to the Wilderness of Paran, Glorious. It is a picture of Christ arising from his throne in heaven and His return (descent) to the glorious (Paran) place of testing and closeness to God (wilderness). Several verses in Isaiah reveal this, but the last use of it in the Bible will suffice –

“To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:3

This first verse of Chapter 25 has been given as a doctrinal assurance that even if the church ends at the rapture, God is not done with Israel. Samuel’s dying indicates this time. There is no longer a reason to Ask from God for the seed of grace if the church is gone, which was alluded to in the previous chapter.

Everything He has promised to Israel will occur in its own time.

Just how stuck on yourself are you?
Are you the center of your world?
Do you check the mirror often? Is that what you do?
Has your sail of self-love been completely unfurled?

We are told not to think of ourselves
More highly than we ought to think
Let us put our pride up on them shelves
And a cup of humility daily we should drink

Let us endeavor to always exalt the Lord
And think of others as better than we are
Let it sink into your souls, this instructive word
If you do, you’ll be better off by far

III. My, My, My (verses 2-13)

² Now there was a man in Maon

v_eish b_emaon – “And man in Maon.” Regardless of what was said about David in the Wilderness of Paran, this begins a new narrative. Maon means Habitation. Of this man, it says…

^{2 (con’t)} whose business was in Carmel,

umaasehu vakarmel – “and his work in the Carmel.” Maon is west/southwest of En Gedi, which is on the shore of the Dead Sea. Carmel is a bit north of Maon, still west/southwest of En Gedi.

Carmel is from kerem, vineyard. Thus, it means Plantation, Orchard, or Fruitful Field (Plentiful Place). Clarke calls it Vineyard of God because the name is supplemented with the ending el, God. More information about the man is…

^{2 (con’t)} and the man was very rich.

The words are superlative: v_ehaish gadol m_eod – “And the man great, vehemently.” Being great can mean many things. In the case of this guy, the sense of the NKJV is correct. He was a man of great wealth. That is explained as…

^{2 (con’t)} He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats.

v_elo tson sh_eloshet alaphim v_eeleph izim – “and to him ‘flock, three thousands’, and ‘thousand goats’.” The tson, flock, comes from a word signifying to migrate. The word izim, goats, is derived from a root signifying to be stout.

Three thousand is derived from the numbers three and ten. Bullinger notes that three “stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.” As such, it represents Divine Perfection.

The number ten means “Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, is, therefore, the ever-present signification of the number ten. It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete.” It represents Ordinal Perfection.

^{2 (con’t)} And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

vayhi bigzoz eth tsono bakarmel – “And he was in ‘shearing his flock’ in the Carmel.” This means that it is the time of shearing. With three thousand to be sheared, he would make a great deal of money selling the wool, thus increasing his already sizable estate. It would be a time of joy and feasting, like the harvest season for a farmer.

³ The name of the man was Nabal,

v_eshem ha’ish naval – “And ‘name, the man’, Nabal.” The name Nabal is derived from the adjective naval, stupid or wicked. Most translations translate it as fool. Most onomasts translate the name as Fool or Foolish. Strong gives the pleasing rendering of Dolt.

Dad must not have been happy with this kid. Either that or he was given this nickname, and it stuck because it mirrors him so well. His name is believed by some to be where the Latin nebulo, knave, is derived from.

^{3 (con’t)} and the name of his wife Abigail.

v_eshem ishto avigayil – “and ‘name, his wife’, Abigail.” The name Abigail is spelled several ways throughout this chapter. The differences will be explained in the final sermon of the chapter. Here, her name is spelled with one yod (our i or y).

The name is derived from av, father, and giyl, joy or exultation. That is derived from gil, to spin around, which gives the sense of rejoicing. The i after av may be possessive (my). Thus, her name means Father of Exultation, Father Is Joyful, My Father Is Joy, Father of Joy, etc.

If the intent was Father of Joy, she is the source or cause of joy. It all depends on what her parents were thinking…

^{3 (con’t)} And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance;

v_ehaishah tovath sekhel viphath toar – “And the woman good intelligence and beautiful form.” The word sekel, intelligence, is first used here. It is from sakal, circumspect. She was the doubly blessed type. She was both intelligent and had a nice figure. However, she was also cursed in a particular way…

^{3 (con’t)} but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.

The written and oral Hebrew are different: v_ehaish qasheh v_era maalalim v_ehu kalevo – “And the man severe, and evil actions. And he, according to his heart [k.].” The written says kalevo, according to his heart. This is exactly the way he is reflected in the narrative. Because the Hebrew is linguistically odd, the Masoretes decided to amend it to say kalibbi, Calebite.

However, the oddly worded “And he, according to his heart” nicely reflects the man’s odd worldview and values perfectly. As the Bible doesn’t call him a Calebite anywhere else, rather calling him a Carmelite, which designates him by location, the written should have been left as it is.

The Greek translation adds a bit of humor, calling him anthropos kunikos, “man, dog-like.” The Aramaic translations also say he was like a dog. This would be wordplay on kalevo, according to his heart, which is spelled like kalev, dog. That is disrespectful to our faithful dogs, which are not at all like the rude and rough (ruff?) Dolt.

⁴ When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep,

Rather: vayishma David bamidbar ki gozez naval eth tsono – “And he heard, David, in the wilderness, that shearing, Nabal, his flock.” This is its own complete sentence. David knew the owner of so many sheep would be rejoicing at shearing time, and he intends to take advantage of the situation, with good reason. Therefore…

⁵ David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

vayishlakh David asarah n_earim vayomer David lan_earim alu kharmelah uvatem el naval ush_eeltem lo vismi l_eshalom – “And he sent, David, ten lads. And he said, David, to the lads, ‘You must ascend Carmel-ward, and you will go unto Nabal, and you will ask to him in my name to peace.” Ten lads are necessary for the blessing that David expects.

Before the request, however, they are first to send David’s greetings to Nabal. To ask to peace means to ask for peace to rest upon the one being addressed: shalom b_eshem David, “Peace, in ‘name, David’,” or something similar.

⁶ And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity:

Rather: vaarmartem koh lekhai – “And you will say thus, ‘To the living!’” Translations vary widely, but most don’t get near the intended sense. It is intended as a joyous address to Nabal as the head of the house, which then extends to the house itself. That is rightly paraphrased by the JPS Tanakh, saying, “All hail!”

Young’s renders it as To life!, but the words are an adjective preceded by an article, not a noun. After this initial address, the thought is repeated in fuller sense…

^{6 (con’t)} ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have!

v_eatah shalom uvet_ekha shalom v_ekol asher l_ekha shalom – “And you, peace, and your house, peace, and all which to you, peace.” The fact that this clause begins with the word “and” shows that the previous clause is rightly translated as “To the living!” The clauses are parallel thoughts based on David’s first instructions in verse 5 –

“Peace, in ‘name, David’.”

“To the living!”

“And you, peace, and your house, peace, and all which to you, peace.”

With the greeting complete, the reason for his request is next given…

⁷ Now I have heard that you have shearers.

v_eatah shamati ki goz_ezim lakh – “And now, I heard that ‘shearers to you’.” The meaning is, “As I have heard, it is your time for shearing…” Because of this, one would expect it to be a time of feasting, drinking, and parties. There might be gifts to family, children, and employees. This is the first reason for his request. Next…

^{7 (con’t)} Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.

atah haroim asher lekha hayu imanu lo hekhlamnum v_elo niphqad lahem m_eumah kal yeme heyotham bakarmel – “Now, ‘pasturers which to you’, they were with us. Not we caused to humiliate them, and not it was visited to them speck all days they ‘being in the Carmel’.” David explains that while he was in the wilderness with his men, Nabal’s shepherds were in the same area.

If David and his men were ruffians, they would have demanded sheep, given grief to the shepherds, etc. However, they never did that. Further, saying, “not it visited to them speck” means that nothing bad happened to his shepherds. David is saying that this was because he and his men looked over them. As proof of their civil behavior, he says…

⁸ Ask your young men, and they will tell you.

sh_eal eth n_earekha v_eyagidu lakh – “You must ask your lads, and they caused to declare to you.” The imperative verb gives the sense of, “Be sure to check it out. You’ll find it is just as I said. As such, and because it is a great time of joy and feasting for Nabal and his house, David would like to impose on him a bit…

^{8 (con’t)} Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day.”

Rather: veyimts_eu han_earim khen b_eenekha ki al yom tov banu – “And they found, the lads, graciousness in your eyes. For upon ‘day, good’, we came.” It is a good day. There is feasting, but it isn’t necessarily a Feast of the Lord day. Instead, David’s words are to be understood as a time of jubilation at Nabal’s house. The sentiment is seen in 2 Samuel 13:23 –

“And it came to pass, after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim; so Absalom invited all the king’s sons.”

A party for all the king’s sons was called due to the season of shearing. This is what is being conveyed, therefore…

^{8 (con’t)} Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

t_enah na eth asher timtsa yad_ekha laavadekha u-l_evinkha l_edavid – “You must (surely) give, pray, what it will find, your hand, to your servants, and to your son, to David.” David makes his request because he has tended to those who tended to Nabal’s sheep. It is why Nabal could even have such a good day.

It is reasonable request because it is, in fact, a good day. And it is right because being a good day, it was culturally appropriate as a symbol of brotherhood to grant when such a request was made.

⁹ So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

vayavou naare David vaydab_eru el naval k_ekhal ha’d_evarim ha’eleh b_eshem David vayanukhu – “And they came, ‘lads, David’, and they spoke unto Nabal according to all the words, the these, in ‘name, David’. And they rested.” Exactly as David instructed, his young men did. They were probably happily waiting for enough from Nabal that each of them would have to drag the bounty behind them. As it was a good day for Nabal, so it would be for them…

¹⁰ Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David,

vayaan naval eth avde David vayomer mi David – “And he answered, Nabal, servants David. And he said, ‘Who, David?” Answering a request with a question means that the hopes of the request being granted are significantly diminished. When the question is as short and abrupt as Nabal’s, the chances of getting a single bean out of him are unlikely at best.

Not only does he degrade the request, he continues to do so…

^{10 (con’t)} and who is the son of Jesse?

u-mi ven Yishai – “And who, ‘son, Jesse’?” Nabal knows exactly who David is. Unless David sent his full name with his servants, which would not be the case, it means that Nabal knew exactly who David was. His name was famous in the land. He was the hero of the battle with Goliath, and he was once Saul’s right hand man.

And so, to say “Who, David?” wasn’t a general question. It was a purposefully derogatory statement: “David? David is a nobody.” That is followed up by “The son of Jesse? He’s just a nobody!” Nabal is proving his name’s meaning with each word he speaks. And yet, he continues…

^{10 (con’t)} There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master.

hayom rabu avadim ha’mitpar_estim ish mip_ene adonav – “The day, they increased, servants the ‘breaking out themselves’ man, from ‘faces, his lord’.’” Nabal is fully aware of who David is and that he has separated from Saul. Whether he knows the reason why or not, by saying that he broke off from his master means he knows exactly who David is.

Each word is carefully selected, conveying arrogance mixed with contempt. How could he have anything to do with a good-for-nothing turncoat who abandoned his master and hid in the wilderness, causing trouble to those around him?

If Nabal weren’t such a dolt, he might have a clue how precarious his situation had actually become.

¹¹ Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers,

Nabal’s completely self-centered attitude is revealed as he refers to himself again and again: v_elaqakhti eth lakhmi v_eeth memay v_eeth tivkhathi asher tavakhti l_egoz_ezay – “And I will take my bread, and my waters, and my slaughter which I slaughtered to my shearers.”

He uses a new noun, tibkhah, slaughter. It is from the verb tabakh, to slaughter, also used in this sentence. In his mind, everything is his or is there as a service to him. It is as if he personally grew the grain, dug the water well, butchered his own meat, and tended to his shearers out of the goodness of his heart.

His life was consumed with all these responsibilities, and he couldn’t imagine extending his poor self another inch. And just to needle his hearers a bit more, he continues…

^{11 (con’t)} and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

v_enathati laanashim asher lo yadati ei mizeh hemah – “and I will give to mortals whom not I knew where, from this, they?” He has already indicated that he knows who David is. David’s men have told him where they were from. Thus, his response is an acerbic and prickly poke at David and his men, as if they just showed up from some sewer looking to mooch off of Nabal.

Thus ends Nabal’s uncaring and demeaning diatribe…

¹² So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back;

The NKJV unnecessarily paraphrases these words: vayahaphkhu naare David l_edarkam – “And they turned, ‘lads, David’, to their road.” There were probably not any sad farewells or promises to return when Nabal was in a better mood. Rather, depending on their age, they may have been in surprised shock or total indignation. Probably more than a few choice words were spoken to Nabal, or at least about him, as they headed back…

^{12 (con’t)} and they came and told him all these words.

vayashuvu vayavou vayagidu lo k_ekhol ha’d_evarim ha’eleh – “And they returned, and they came, and they caused to declare to him according to all the words, the these.” One can just imagine the conversation. “Man, what a jerk that guy is. He lives up to his name and then some.” On and on it would have gone. They had a long walk to stew over what transpired. Along with that, they for sure would have said, “Man o man, David is not going to be happy about this.” And they were right…

¹³ Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword.

vayomer David laanashav higru ish eth kharvo vayahg_eru ish eth kharvo vayakhgor gam David eth kharvo – “And he said, David, to his mortals, ‘You must gird, ‘man, his sword’.’ And they girded, ‘man, his sword’. And he girded, also David, his sword.” David was a warrior from his youth. While shepherding, he killed the lion and the bear. His first encounter with a man was Goliath, the dreaded Philistine.

Since then, he had killed many men in battle. That is what warriors did. But David had met a new kind of enemy, one who strove against human decency, compassion, and gratitude. He was not bound to let such an inhuman soul get away with it…

^{13 (con’t)} And about four hundred men went with David,

vayaalu akhare David k_earba meoth ish – “And they ascended after David according to four hundreds man.” A sizable contingent strapped on their swords and were ready for business. Considering there is Nabal, sheep shearers, and maybe a few other men, the engagement would not last long.

Four hundred is a derivative of four, the number of creation and the world (and city) number. Ten was explained earlier. Four hundred is also a derivative of forty and ten. Bullinger says of forty –

“It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8). This is certainly the case where forty relates to a period of evident probation. But where it relates to enlarged dominion, or to renewed or extended rule, then it does so in virtue of its factors 4 and 10, and in harmony with their signification.”

Along with this group, it says…

^{13 (con’t)} and two hundred stayed with the supplies.

u-matayim yash_evu al ha’kelim – “And two hundred, they sat upon the vessels.” It would be unthinkable to leave their possessions behind with less than two hundred men. A band of marauding Amalekites could strike at any time. Of the number two hundred, Bullinger says –

“Twenty is the number of expectancy. … Here we have it tenfold (20×10). The significance of this number is suggested by John 6:7, where we read, ‘Two hundred pennyworth of bread is NOT SUFFICIENT for them.’ And so we find this number stamping various things with insufficiency.”

Well, the verses for today are complete. They started with a wonderful note about Israel’s future hope, tucked away in a single verse about the sad death of Samuel. But in Christ, death is not truly sad. It is just a temporary part of God’s unfolding plan for restoring us to Himself.

The sad part of life is when those who do not know Christ Jesus meet their end. In such a case, there is no longer any hope for that poor, lost soul. Jesus is the only difference in the final destiny of all men. With Him, glory is assured. Without Him, condemnation is humanity’s fate.

Be wise and be sure about your destiny. There is nothing complicated about how to be saved. But God does ask for a great change in you. He asks you to set yourself aside and yield your destiny to Him, trusting in nothing else but what He has done in the sending of Jesus.

That can be the hardest thing for some. We so desperately want to have some portion of control over our lives. But in the case of salvation, we have none. Just reach out, by faith, and yield yourself to God in Christ. He will see you through. Make the right choice. Choose Jesus, and do it today.

Closing Verse: “Sing, O heavens, for the Lord has done it!
Shout, you lower parts of the earth;
Break forth into singing, you mountains,
O forest, and every tree in it!
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And glorified [paar] Himself in Israel.” Isaiah 44:23

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

Next Week: 1 Samuel 25.14-31 It will go a lot faster than a snail, yes, it’s true… (Abigail, Part II) (5^4th 1 Samuel Sermon)

1 Samuel 25:1-13 (CG)

25 And he died, Samuel, and they were amassed, all Israel, and they lamented to him, and they interred him in his house in the Ramah. And he arose, David, and he descended unto ‘Wilderness, Paran’.

²And man, in Maon, and his work in the Carmel. And the man great, vehemently. And to him ‘flock, three thousands’, and ‘thousand goats’. And he was in ‘shearing his flock’ in the Carmel. ³And ‘name, the man’, Nabal, and ‘name, his wife’, Abigail*. And the woman, good intelligence and beautiful form. And the man, severe, and evil actions. And he, according to his heart [k.].

⁴And he heard, David, in the wilderness, that shearing, Nabal, his flock. ⁵And he sent, David, ten lads. And he said, David, to the lads, ‘You must ascend Carmel-ward, and you will go unto Nabal, and you will ask to him in my name to peace. ⁶And you will say thus, “To the living! And you, peace, and your house, peace, and all which to you, peace. ⁷And now, I heard that ‘shearers to you’. Now, ‘pasturers which to you’, they were with us. Not we caused to humiliate them, and not it was visited to them, speck, all days they ‘being in the Carmel’. ⁸You must ask your lads, and they caused to declare to you. And they found, the lads, graciousness in your eyes. For upon ‘day, good’, we came. You must (surely) give, pray, what it will find, your hand, to your servants, and to your son, to David.”

⁹And they came, ‘lads, David’, and they spoke unto Nabal according to all the words, the these, in ‘name, David’. And they rested.

¹⁰And he answered, Nabal, servants David. And he said, “Who, David? And who, ‘son, Jesse’? The day, they increased, servants the ‘breaking out themselves’ man, from ‘faces, his lord’. ¹¹And I will take my bread, and my waters, and my slaughter which I slaughtered to my shearers, and I will give to mortals whom not I knew where, from this, they?”

¹²And they turned, ‘lads, David’, to their road. And they returned, and they came, and they caused to declare to him according to all the words, the these. ¹³And he said, David, to his mortals, “You must gird, ‘man, his sword’.” And they girded, ‘man, his sword’. And he girded, also David, his sword. And they ascended after David according to four hundreds man. And two hundred, they sat upon the vessels.

 

1 Samuel 25:1-13 (NKJV)

Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him, and buried him at his home in Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

² Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. ³ The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings. He was of the house of Caleb.

⁴ When David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep, ⁵ David sent ten young men; and David said to the young men, “Go up to Carmel, go to Nabal, and greet him in my name. ⁶ And thus you shall say to him who lives in prosperity: ‘Peace be to you, peace to your house, and peace to all that you have! ⁷ Now I have heard that you have shearers. Your shepherds were with us, and we did not hurt them, nor was there anything missing from them all the while they were in Carmel. ⁸ Ask your young men, and they will tell you. Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David.’”

⁹ So when David’s young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all these words in the name of David, and waited.

¹⁰ Then Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. ¹¹ Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

¹² So David’s young men turned on their heels and went back; and they came and told him all these words. ¹³ Then David said to his men, “Every man gird on his sword.” So every man girded on his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And about four hundred men went with David, and two hundred stayed with the supplies.

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 24:14-22
For Reigning, You Will Reign, Part II

(Typed 2 March 2026) I will be the first to tell you that discovering, understanding, and teaching typology isn’t easy. It can be mentally debilitating in each of these ways.

And more, typology can be misunderstood or manipulated. As this is so, you might wonder what the point of searching it out is. Some people just make up typological meanings without any basis behind them. So why do we need to look into it? A couple of good reasons are available.

The first is obvious. The Lord deals in typology. Therefore, He wants us to understand it. This is true regarding both explicit statements and implicit pictures, such as the things we look for each week.

A second reason isn’t as obvious until you think about it. How many different opinions on the rapture are there? A Google check says there are currently 18,972,277. They estimate the number grows by several thousand each day.

Text Verse: “I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart,
And I will glorify Your name forevermore.
¹³ For great is Your mercy toward me,
And You have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.” Psalm 86:12, 13

Ok, I made that part about the Google numbers up. But the point is that there are a lot of views about the rapture. Some are just poor evaluations of Scripture. Some are purposeful manipulations. Some come from people just making stuff up out of their heads (like I just did 😉).

So, whether it is a clear and precise doctrine like the rapture or something that needs to be searched out like typology, nothing changes. The Lord has given various ways to understand what He is doing. If typology is correctly handled, it is a confirming tool for proper doctrine and sound theology.

Thus, searching these things out is a necessary part of our weekly routine. Its value cannot be underestimated. If you are in a church where catchy sermons are given, that is fine, but you normally will not walk out with any better doctrine than when you walked in.

When you encounter trials and are tempted to worry, speculate, or lose trust, and so forth, that is when you will wish you paid attention to doctrine. Then you would know what to do.” So pay heed!

Great things are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. And He Was Sevened, David (verses 14-22)

¹⁴ After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?

David questions Saul with short, abrupt language: akhare mi yatsa melekh Yisrael akhare mi atah rodeph akhare kelev meth akhare parosh ekhad – “After whom, he came out, ‘king, Israel’? After whom, you pursuing? After ‘dog, dead’? After ‘flea, one’?”

One can see the contrast. Saul is ‘king, Israel’. David acknowledged himself as the lowest sort in comparison to the king, first saying he is like a dead dog, an unclean animal that is no threat except being irksome to the nose with its stench.

He then moves the comparison lower. If not a dead dog, then he must be a flea on the dog. A single flea! Saul has brought his warriors out to pursue one single flea, something hard to catch, but not worth the effort if it is caught.

As for the parosh, flea, it is only seen here and in 1 Samuel 26:20, where David will again speak of himself in this manner. Because Saul has taken up such a pointless and reckless cause, David continues…

¹⁵ Therefore let the Lord be judge,

v_ehayah Y_ehovah l_edayan – “And He will be, Yehovah, to Advocate.” Another new word is seen, dayan, an advocate. It is from diyn, to sail directly or on a straight course. Hence, it is one who doesn’t waver in his decisions. The only other time the word is seen is in Psalm 68, a psalm of David –

“Father, fatherless
And Advocate [dayan], widows
God – in habitation, His sacred.” Psalm 68:5 (CG)

As the Advocate, He will not err in determining the proper outcome of the matter…

^{15 (con’t)} and judge between you and me,

v_eshaphat beni u-venekha – “and He will judge between me and between you.” As Yehovah is the righteous Advocate, He will look at the events that have occurred or may occur if Saul doesn’t relent in his pursuit of David…

^{15 (con’t)} and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”

Rather: v_eyere vayarev eth rivi v_eyishp_eteni miyadekha – “(And may He see, and may He grapple my contest!) and He will judge me ‘from your hand’.” Setting this first clause off as parenthetical allows for the sense to be understood.

In the final clause, almost all translations say “deliver,” “rescue,” or “save.” That will be the result, but the word shaphat actually means to judge.

David says that if Saul doesn’t relent in pursuing him, his petition is for the Lord to take up (grapple) his contest, meaning his side of this matter. If He does, His judgment will spare David from the hand of Saul.

“And He was, Yehovah, to Advocate,”
“and He judge between me and between you.”
“(And may He see, and may He grapple my contest!),
“and He will judge me ‘from your hand’.”

David brilliantly structured each word to convey exactly how things will be judged in the heavenly realm based on Saul’s unfounded, relentless pursuit of him.

¹⁶ So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?”

vayhi k_ekhaloth David l_edaber eth ha’d_evarim ha’eleh el shaul vayomer shaul ha’qol_ekha zeh b_eni David – “And it was, according to ‘finish, David’ to speak the words, the these, unto Saul, and he said, Saul, ‘The ‘your voice’, this, my son, David?’” David has been speaking since verse 9. Saul never interrupted him. Rather, he stood there in stunned silence while David spoke, all the while dangling the tassel in front of Saul.

David exactingly laid out his case and then defended it by invoking the name of the Lord. Remember that David prostrated himself before Saul. It very well may be that he was still lying there with his hand upraised to allow the tassel the dignity of being elevated above him. It would provide a visual metaphor of David’s subordination to Saul.

It also explains why Saul mentions David’s voice. Without seeing David’s face, he acknowledges that he still knows him by his voice, the voice of his son, stated in response to David’s words of verse 11 –

“And, my father, you must see! Also, you must see, extremity your robe in my hand.”
“The ‘your voice,’ this, my son, David?”

The scope of the visuals mixed with David’s words overwhelmed Saul…

^{16 (con’t)} And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

vayisa shaul qolo vayev_ek – “And he lifted, Saul, his voice, and he wept.” Saul was a dead man in the cave, and yet he stood outside the cave, alive and well. The only reason was that David withheld his hand, something completely contrary to the thoughts that had swirled in Saul’s tortured mind concerning their relationship. Saul’s emotions overtook him…

¹⁷ Then he said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.

vayomer el David tsadiq atah mimeni ki atah g_emaltani ha’tovah va’ani g_emaltikha ha’raah – “And he said unto David, ‘Righteous you from me! For you, you requited me the goodness, and I, I requited you the evilness.’” Saul gives a short, succinct summary of their entire relationship. David had always done right before Saul, and yet, Saul had only returned grief upon David.

It wasn’t David’s fault that the women had praised him above Saul, saying, “He caused to strike, Saul, in his thousand, and David, in his myriads” after his battle with the Philistines. But from that moment, Saul had increasingly turned against him.

Despite David’s ill-treatment from Saul, he maintained his loyal obedience, even in the cave when he could have defended himself from further harm by ending Saul’s life, as Saul acknowledges…

¹⁸ And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me;

v_eat higadta ha’yom eth asher asithah iti tovah – “And you [k.], you caused to declare, the day, which you did with me goodness.” The written and oral Hebrew are different. The written uses a feminine form, v_eat, and you (feminine). The oral changes it to masculine, v_eatah.

David is a male, and the subsequent verb is masculine. Therefore, there is an odd gender discord. Several scholars have made suggestions for keeping the feminine, none of which make any sense*. However, this doesn’t mean it is wrong. A sound reason may exist that has not yet been considered.

I suggest that maybe Saul uses the feminine to describe David based on his actions. Three times in verses 18 and 19, Saul will use the feminine form of the word good, tovah, goodness. This form is only found five times in the entire book of 1 Samuel.

If that is Saul’s intent, David would pick up on such wording and understand it –

“And you (because of tovah), you caused to declare, the day, which you did with me tovah, which He shut me, Yehovah, in your hand, and not you killed me. ¹⁹And for he will find, man, his hating, and he sent him in road tovah? And Yehovah, He will reciprocate you tovah under the day, the this, which you did to me.” 1 Samuel 24:18, 19 (CG)

The Bible is filled with fun literary nuances. We do the same thing all the time when we want to have an effect on the person we are speaking or writing to. I don’t suggest that this is correct, just that it is an unusual possibility. Typologically, however, there is a reason for the feminine form being used.

The phrase “caused to declare” is not necessarily referring to David’s explanation. Rather, it is David’s actions that speak for the matter. The NKJV gets the sense, “you have shown,” as seen next…

^{18 (con’t)} for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.

eth asher sig_erani Y_ehovah b_eyadekha v_elo haragtani – “which He shut me, Yehovah, in your hand, and not you slayed me.” It was as if David had Saul’s life firmly in his grasp by the allowance of Yehovah, and yet, David mercifully let him live. This validates that David’s words that followed were true…

¹⁹ For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely?

v_ekhi yimtsa ish eth oy_evo v_eshil_ekho b_ederekh tovah – “And for he will find, man, his hating, and he will send him in road goodness?” Saul asks this rhetorically. Who would send away someone he hated, not only unharmed, but on a road of goodness? To Saul, this is unfathomable, and yet, this is what David did.

^{19 (con’t)} Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.

v_eY_ehovah y_eshalemkha tovah takhath ha’yom ha’zeh asher asitah li – “And Yehovah, He will reciprocate you goodness under the day, the this, which you did to me.” The NKJV is wrong. It is not a petition, but a statement of fact. The Lord will return goodness upon David. Saying “under the day” is equivalent to saying, “based on.” David’s actions are the supporting reason for why Yehovah sends the blessing. Saul is certain of this…

²⁰ And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.

v_eatah hineh yadati ki malokh timlokh v_eqamah b_eyadekha mamlekheth Yisrael – “And now, behold! I knew that reigning, you will reign, and it will rise in your hand ‘kingdom, Israel’.” The statement might seem obvious to us on some level, but the reason is as real to Saul as the tassel dangling in David’s hand.

The evidence of Saul’s authority, the king’s tassel, is there in David’s hand. Nothing is said of David giving it back to him, but it wouldn’t matter. David obtained it while sparing Saul. Because of this, Saul understood that the kingdom truly was David’s. Therefore, he petitions David for mercy…

²¹ Therefore swear now to me by the Lord

v_eatah hishab_eah li b_eYehovah – “And now, you must (surely) seven to me in Yehovah.” The idea is to swear something, as if seven times, thus affirming it in the highest possible manner. Doing so in the name of the Lord would make it an inviolable adjuration.

^{21 (con’t)} that you will not cut off my descendants after me,

im takhrith eth zari akharay – “if you must cause to cut my seed after me.” In this case, the meaning of “if” is a plea to never do so. Saul is asking that his line be allowed to continue, not as a kingly line, but as a name in Israel. That is reiterated next…

^{21 (con’t)} and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”

v_eim tashmid eth sh_emi mibeith avi – “and if you must cause to desolate my name from ‘house, my father.’” To cut off Saul’s seed would be to cut off his line, which would be to end his name in his father’s house. In biblical thinking, everything traces back to its source.

²² So David swore to Saul.

vayishava David l_eshaul – “And he was sevened, David, to Saul.” David agreed to this, and the future narrative testifies to his faithfulness to his word to both Saul and Jonathan. This is seen in his treatment of Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9 and 2 Samuel 21.

^{22 (con’t)} And Saul went home,

vayelekh shaul el beito – “And he walked, Saul, unto his home.” Receiving reassurance from David that it would be so, Saul called off the pursuit and returned to Gibeah. However…

*^{22 (fin)} but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

v_edavid vaanashav alu al ham_etsudah – “And David, and his mortals, they ascended upon the stronghold.” David was cautious not to return, probably for a few reasons. The first is that he knew Saul’s proclivities and that with the change of the weather, he might change his mind.

Second, returning with all of his men may cause people to voluntarily choose sides on who they felt should be king. Thus, even unintentionally, he could be the impetus for people abandoning Saul, giving Saul a reason to suspect David’s intentions.

What will happen when I die?
Where is it that I am going to?
I’m not sure, and I know why
Because my priorities, I blew

When I should have read the word
Stupidly, I watched TV instead
Now, I can’t tell if what I heard
Is the truth, or just coming from that guy’s head

Will the rapture be today? Let me check and see
Last week, this guy was wrong
But I’m sure he’ll get it right today, most definitely
Because his Bible ‘kung fu’ is strong

I don’t need to check when specialists do that for me
I just believe what they say and rest confidently

II. The Typology Revealed

In the Bible, some things are explicitly defined. The Lord has a plan. He has given us suitable details to know the things we need to know, and the things He said are set. If we worry, things won’t change. If we try to outsmart the Lord, things won’t change.

What is written is fixed, and we should accept it as such. That should be evident, but it still eludes us. The passage today shows this. Hopefully, we will pay heed.

Verse 1 noted that Saul, Asked, returned from pursuing the Philistines, the Weakeners. It is a quick diversion back to the old typology of Saul, those seeking the truth battling against those who want to weaken the faith of others through law observance.

From there, he will be used in the more recent typology of representing Sheol, asking for the souls of men. David, Beloved, represents accepting the doctrines of Christ, is Saul’s perceived enemy.

Saul was told that David was in the Wilderness of En Gedi. It is the place where David went as Chapter 23 ended. The wilderness is a place of God’s grace and of closeness to Him, as well as a place of testing. For those who accept the doctrines of Christ, it represents a place of fellowship through obedience.

En Gedi means Fountain of a Kid (a young goat).  A fountain is a permanent source of fresh water. The gedi is from gadah, to cut off. It is what finishes a matter. It pictures living in the presence of God with the eternal flow of the Spirit and sin being permanently eradicated. It speaks of the eternal security of believers.

Verse 2 said that Saul took three thousand selected from all Israel. If this is the church age and David represents accepting the doctrines of Christ, then Israel (He Strives with God) is striving against God at this time.

Three thousand speaks of Divine Perfection paired with “completeness of order where nothing is wanting, the number and order are perfect, and the whole cycle is complete” (Bullinger). It speaks of the time noted by Paul in Romans –

“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Romans 11:25

Still in verse 2, it said that Saul went to seek David “upon faces, ‘Cliffs, the Ibexes’.” The meaning of “upon faces” is before or in the presence of. It is the only time this place is mentioned in this manner. The word cliff, tsur, comes from a word signifying to confine, bind, harass, besiege, etc.

The ibex, yael, is from yaal, to ascend. But it is used to indicate ascending in the sense of profit, and thus to be valuable. This is referring to the state of those in the church before the rapture. They are the ascenders, represented by the ibex. They are those who are valuable in this regard, meaning they profit from their acceptance of Christ.

They are currently bound in their earthly existence, but whether they know it or not, they are always in the presence of the immanency of the rapture. The typology fits what has happened in this chapter and what will be presented in the next chapter.

In verse 3, Saul is coming to the sheepfolds by the road. The gederah is a place of protection from harm. In this case, the fortifications are built outside a cave so that the animals could go in the cave or walk in the outer fortified area if the weather was nice.

The tson, flock, is from a word signifying to migrate. The cave is from a word signifying to make naked, thus is signifies what is exposed or bare. The idea is that when there is a cave, whatever is inside, whether gold or whatever else, is exposed.

Thus, in this instance, we get the idea of the word of God being migrated through, exposing what it contains. This is exactly what those who hold to the doctrines of Christ have been doing for two millennia.

Saul went in there to make himself naked to relieve himself. The irony is amazing. Sheol is exposed and laid bare through a study of the word and a proper knowledge of God –

“Sheol is naked before Him,
And Destruction has no covering.” Job 26:6

This typology is certain because it specifically noted that David and his men were sitting in the flank of the cave. Those who hold to the doctrines of Christ are in the word, finding out what it exposes.

In verse 4, it noted that David’s men said this was the day Yehovah said that He would give his enemies into his hand. This is exactly what the word proclaims. Verses from 1 Corinthians 15 explain the intent. First –

“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.” 1 Corinthians 15:26

Death is the enemy, but Paul then directly equates death to Hades in parallel verses –

“So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’
⁵⁵ ‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?’” 1 Corinthians 15:54, 55

Still in verse 4, the men noted the Lord’s words, “Behold! I giving your enemies in your hand.” There are two entities that perform the same role: Death and Hades. They are the enemies both individually and combined.

Regardless of whether the words of that verse are all a quote from the Lord, or if only the middle clause is, the typology perfectly explains the difficulties with the written text as opposed to the oral reading.

Still in verse 4, it says that David arose and “cut ‘extremity, the robe’, which to Saul.” David, in essence, cut away a tangible, visible symbol of Saul’s authority because the tassel was given to remind Israel of the Lord’s commandments.

David’s cutting off the tassel was like cutting away the kingship from Saul because the king’s authority stems from the Lord’s commandments. Likewise, the authority of Sheol is only for those who belong in Sheol.

For those who accept the doctrines of Christ, Sheol has no authority over them, even if they are there temporarily. For example, a federal prisoner may be in a local jail awaiting transport to prison, but the federal prison retains rights over him.

In verse 5, David’s heart struck him because he cut off the king’s tassel. In verse 6, he said, “(Surely) Profane to me from Yehovah if I will do the word, the this, to my lord.” There is an order and a propriety within the redemptive plan of God. To usurp that is to usurp the plan of the Lord.

Without getting sidetracked too much, it is sufficient to say that it would be nice if all rapture date setters would learn the Bible, stop offending the Lord by trying to usurp his plan, and let Him run things without needless and pointless interference.

We were told right from Jesus’ mouth that it isn’t for us “to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7). David knew that his actions were contrary to sound order and propriety because he acted against “anointed, Yehovah.”

Sheol is what God has ordained for man at his death during this dispensation. There is nothing wrong with that. God has determined what will happen, when it will happen, and He has reasons for it happening.

If we can accept that, we will be much better off in our thinking. Our emotions, presuppositions, etc., should all be set aside as we allow the Lord to work out His plans.

In verse 7, it said that David split his servants with his words, meaning he severed them from rising against Saul. This is what any biblically competent person should do. We cannot fight against what is ordained by God, so why should we allow others to act as if we can?

Right instruction from the word will smooth out our understanding of such things. Remember, Saul is sitting in the cave with his feet covered. In the word, Sheol is helpless. It seems to be such a great, terrible enemy, but in reality, it is a part of what God has ordained until the time when He brings His people out from there.

The typology should give us comfort concerning this great “enemy” we have. He is a defeated enemy because we hold to the doctrines of Christ. And they are based on…. on? Anyone? What Christ did! We have no need to fear what has already been conquered.

As verse 7 ended, it carefully noted that Saul arose ‘from-the-cave’. In verse 8, David arose from ‘the cave’. Without trying to over-sensationalize this difference, it seems we are being told that the truth of the existence Sheol arose ‘from the Bible’, Gensis 2:17 (man dying) and Genesis 37:35 (the existence of Sheol).

However, David, who is typical of Christ and those who accept the doctrines of Christ, arose from ‘the Bible’. In other words, the word of prophecy in the Bible came to be in Christ and later in the church.

Once outside, David called “My lord the king.” David places himself in subjection to Saul. Until the time when God decides, we too will remain in subjection to Sheol (Genesis 2:17).

David also stooped and prostrated himself before Saul. It signifies total submission to him and his authority. That is how it will be during the church age, right up until the day it ends. Some will have been in Sheol two thousand years (so far).

Someone may die and go there a second before the rapture. But all in Christ will be leaving there. Hence, David said to Saul, “To why you will hear ‘words, human’?” It is the only time the word adam, a human, is used in the chapter. Essentially, why listen to the words of humans when you have the word of God?

God has spoken. It doesn’t matter what people say in regard to theology and doctrine. What matters is what the word says. David meant Saul no harm. He was limited by the fact that God had ordained Saul as king. Likewise, those accepting the doctrines of Christ will not beat the pit until God determines.

In verse 10, David explained this to Saul. The Lord delivered Saul into David’s hand, “And He said, to kill you.” The meaning of that was explained at the time. The Lord said to kill Saul, but David didn’t because the Lord didn’t “tell” David to kill him. Rather, other people did.

Instead, David knew it wouldn’t be appropriate and spared him. And why? Because, as he repeated, “For anointed, Yehovah, he.” The Lord has ordained how things are. To usurp that order is to usurp the will of the Lord.

Understanding this, in verse 11, David shows what that order is by holding up the extremity of Saul’s robe in his hand. David has proof that he would not usurp the Lord’s authority. He cut the robe when he could have cut Saul.

Therefore, he noted that there was no evilness nor revolt in his hand toward Saul, but that Saul sinned against David by chasing his soul to take it. Those who hold to the doctrines of Christ know that Sheol has no authority to take what God does not allow.

He determines our years, and they will come to pass according to His plan alone. David wrote about his struggle with Sheol and being delivered from it, such as in the text verse. Such verses assure us that our lives are set and known to God.

We don’t need to fret about Sheol in this life, nor do we need to fret about it when this life ends. David understood that the Lord has a plan, and that Saul could not thwart it. He could not even attempt to do so.

David was shown to be adamant in his understanding of this in verse 13, citing the proverb of the past. David knew it would be wrong to work against God. To do that would epitomize wrongfulness.

In verse 14, David compared himself to a dead dog and then to a single flea. He was harmless, even if irksome, and he was not worth the effort of pursuing. Even if Saul did catch him, his victory would ultimately prove pointless.

In verse 15, David’s brilliantly structured words conveyed to Saul exactly how things will be judged in the heavenly realm –

“And He was, Yehovah, to Advocate,”
“and He judge between me and between you.”
“(And may He see, and may He grapple my contest!),
“and He will judge me ‘from your hand’.”

In the end, the Lord is in control of all things. Sheol has its duty, but it cannot go beyond what the Lord ordains.

In verse 16, Saul asked, “The ‘your voice’, this, my son, David?” In the Bible, a son signifies identity. If Sheol calls David his son, it means that David identifies with Sheol. That will remain true until God determines otherwise.

Saul gets it and relents, weeping over his inappropriate behavior. Sheol has nothing to fear from those who hold to the doctrines of Christ because it has no ultimate authority over them.

We are sons of Sheol because that is the state we are in. When that changes, there is nothing anyone can do about it. Likewise, until that changes, there is nothing we can do about it. So why should we worry, and why should we prognosticate?

Verse 17 conveyed Saul’s understanding to David about the situation, noting David’s righteousness above himself. Sheol is a place. It lacks any authority or ability beyond itself. Those who are in Christ have defeated Sheol, and someday, that will be realized in its fullness.

The gender discord found in verse 18 might be explained as being an allusion to the church, ekklésia, a single feminine entity, of which Christ is the Head. The Lord delivered Saul into His hand, and yet, He allowed Sheol to continue receiving all people during this dispensation.

In verse 19, Saul referred to David’s goodness toward him. It is a goodness that continues unabated until this day. At the appropriate time, those who belong to the Lord will be freed from Sheol.

With that understanding, Saul noted with emphatic words, “And now, behold! I knew for reigning you will reign, and it rose in your hand ‘kingdom, Israel’.” Sheol has its lot and those who hold to the doctrines of Christ have theirs. Someday, those who hold to the doctrines of Christ will assume total control over Israel.

The last two verses form Saul’s petition to David that he would not cut off Saul’s seed, nor destroy his name from his father’s house. The rapture will do neither, nor will the millennium. Sheol will continue until the dispensational model is complete.

The last words said, “And David, and his men, they ascended upon the stronghold.” It speaks of surety in Christ. Sheol has no right over those who belong to the Lord. It may be a place where we go, if the Lord tarries, but the stronghold remains. That is seen several times in the psalms, such as in the closing verse.

We might question why the Lord would use all this space to teach us something we should already know. But knowing something and applying it to our lives are completely different things. How many of us, if we are completely honest, fear that Sheol might be our final “forever place”?

Even if we have surety in Christ, doubts arise, doctrines are argued over, we forget things, and/or lose focus, etc. Some people are just taught wrongly, and they have a misunderstanding of certain issues. The typology should help us see where we are wrong or help solidify in our minds what is right.

Today, we learned valuable lessons concerning key doctrines that deal with our lives. How sad that some spend inordinate amounts of time trying to predict the rapture. And how sad it is that so many people are deceived by such people.

They wind up spending their own precious time heeding things that have no basis in reality. The same is true with what happens after we die, if the rapture doesn’t come first. The passage today was given by God to reassure us that He has a plan, that we cannot thwart it, and nothing else can either.

We are secure in Christ, and we have absolute assurance that what His word says will come to pass. We can confidently rely on that. Trust the Lord, and trust His word. Each is perfectly reliable, and together, we have just what we need at this time to be assured it is so.

—————————————–
*From verse 18: The Embarrassment (or Weakness) Theory, where Saul feels vulnerable and has a loss of manly authority. The Dialectal Variation, where Northern Hebrew dialects sometimes lacked the final vowel. The Graphic Confusion Theory (scribal error).

Closing Verse: “I will love You, O Lord, my strength.
² The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold [matsud].
³ I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies.” Psalm 18:1-3

Next Week: 1 Samuel 25.1-13 More interesting than lobsters in a pail, and a lot more fun… (Abigail, Part I) (53^rd 1 Samuel Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 24:14-22 (CG)

¹⁴After whom, he came out, ‘king, Israel’? After whom, you pursuing? After ‘dog, dead’? After ‘flea, one’? ¹⁵And He will be, Yehovah, to Advocate, and He will judge between me and between you, (And may He see, and may He grapple my contest!), and He will judge me ‘from your hand’.”

¹⁶And it was, according to ‘finish, David’ to speak the words, the these, unto Saul, and he said, Saul, “The ‘your voice’, this, my son, David?” And he lifted, Saul, his voice, and he wept. ¹⁷And he said unto David, “Righteous you from me! For you, you requited me the good, and I, I requited you the evilness. ¹⁸And you [k.], you caused to declare, the day, which you did with me goodness, which He shut me, Yehovah, in your hand, and not you slayed me. ¹⁹And for he will find, man, his hating, and he will send him in road goodness? And Yehovah, He will reciprocate you goodness under the day, the this, which you did to me. ²⁰And now, behold! I knew that reigning, you will reign, and it will rise in your hand ‘kingdom, Israel’. ²¹And now, you must (surely) seven to me in Yehovah if you must cause to cut my seed after me, and if you must cause to desolate my name from ‘house, my father’.”

²²And he was sevened, David, to Saul. And he walked, Saul, unto his home. And David, and his mortals, they ascended upon the stronghold.

Verse 18 – Kethiv: “and you” (feminine). Qeri: “and you” (masculine).

 

1 Samuel 24:14-22 (NKJV)

¹⁴ After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea? ¹⁵ Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.”

¹⁶ So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. ¹⁷ Then he said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. ¹⁸ And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the Lord delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me. ¹⁹ For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. ²⁰ And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. ²¹ Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”

²² So David swore to Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 24:1-13
For Reigning, You Will Reign, Part I

(Typed 23 February 2026) There are parallels between Psalm 7 and this passage from 1 Samuel 24. Other psalms of David have similar thoughts, too.

It was a difficult time in his life as he waited to be the king. He had been anointed, and yet, he waited on the Lord as Saul hunted him ruthlessly without a cause.

Despite the trials, David never let his trust in the Lord or in His covenant promises waver. He also actively petitioned the Lord for deliverance and praised the Lord for His righteousness.

That is a trait we can all learn from. Things happen in our lives that are unfair, painful, emotionally overwhelming, and so forth. And yet, if we follow David’s example, we will talk to the Lord about those things, petition Him for deliverance, and praise Him regardless of the outcome.

Text Verse: “Meandering to David, which he sang to Yehovah upon ‘words, Cush, son, Right’.” (Introduction to Psalm 7) (CG)

Cush is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture, but because he is so predominantly mentioned in Psalm 7, it is likely that he is one of the people David alludes to in 1 Samuel 24.

Maybe there is someone hounding you in one way or another. Maybe they are spreading lies about you, cheating you, or harming you in some way. What did David do about Cush? He wrote a psalm.

Now, we have the psalms to read. When we come across one that is pertinent to a situation in our own lives, we can mentally insert that foe into the words of the psalm as we read it. If words fail us, the word of the Lord won’t. He inspired it, and He has given it to us to guide our walk.

Use it accordingly. The world is filled with foes. Let the word itself help you speak to the Lord about them. One thing is for certain: you can’t be doing wrong because the word gives the pattern for living. That helps take the pressure off me when I’d like to sock some politician in the nose.

Instead of doing that, I can use the Lord’s words to let Him know how I feel about that guy. So come happily unto meeting every rong-doer with a petition to the Lord from the pages of this wonderful word.

Yes, let this word guide you, and you will be blessed. This is a marvelous truth found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Extremity, the Robe (verses 1-6)

Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines,

vayhi kaasher shav shaul meakhare p_elishtim – “And it was, according to which he returned, Saul, from ‘after Philistines’.” The account is a continuation of the events that ended Chapter 23. As that chapter ended, it said –

“And messenger, he came unto Saul, to say, ‘You must (surely) hurry, and you must (surely) walk. For they overspread, the Philistines, upon the land.’ ²⁸And he returned, Saul, from pursuing after David. And he walked to encounter Philistines. Upon thus, they called to the place, the it, Crag the Divisions. ²⁹And he ascended, David, from there. And he sat in strongholds En Gedi.” 1 Samuel 23:27-29 (CG)

The first clue that this chronologically follows those events is the note concerning Saul’s return from pursuing the Philistines. This is something he did for much of his life. But taken in conjunction with the next words, this is after the events of the previous chapter…

^{1 (con’t)} that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.”

vayagidu lo lemor hineh David b_emidbar ein gedi – “And they caused to declare to him, to say, ‘Behold! David in ‘Wilderness, En Gedi’.’” Other than being listed as a city of Judah in Joshua 15:33, En Gedi has not been mentioned before.

These two references in 1 Samuel are the only times it is mentioned until 2 Chronicles 20:2. As such, we can confidently assert that these events are chronological.

En Gedi is on the western shore of the Dead Sea. At this spot, freshwater flows from springs, producing a natural oasis. Two Israeli adventurers, Sergio and Rhoda in Israel, have a YouTube video well worth watching of this remarkable spot.

Saul means Asked, but its spelling is identical to Sheol, the place of the dead. Philistines means Weakeners. David means Beloved. En Gedi means Fountain of a Kid (a young goat). A fountain is a permanent source of fresh water. The kid, gedi, is from gadah, to cut off.

In the Bible, the wilderness is a place of God’s grace and closeness to Him, but it is also a place of testing. For some, such as Israel, the testing results in disobedience. For others, such as Christ when He was tested, it is a place of fellowship through obedience.

The wilderness and the law are closely connected because testing is accomplished through law. This is seen in the word itself, midbar. It is derived from the verb davar, to speak, and the noun davar, meaning word. The Lord spoke the Ten Commandments (words/d_evarim) in the desert (midbar) of Sinai.

Having been presented the intel on David, Saul prepares for more warfare…

² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel,

vayiqakh shaul sh_eloshet alaphim ish bakhur mikal Yisrael – “And he took, Saul, three thousands man, selected from all Israel.” David’s force of six hundred men was mentioned in 1 Samuel 23:13. Thus, Saul has a force five times as large.

Three thousand is derived from the numbers three and ten. Bullinger notes that three “stands for that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire.” As such, it represents Divine Perfection.

He says the number 10 means “Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, is, therefore, the ever-present signification of the number ten. It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete.” It represents Ordinal Perfection.

Israel means He Strives with God.

^{2 (con’t)} and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

vayelekh l_evaqesh eth David vaanashav al p_ene tsure hay_eelim – “and he walked to seek David and his mortals upon faces ‘Cliffs, the Ibexes’.” Saul’s pursuit took him to this area by the Dead Sea. Having water, it would be a good place to hide, but Saul’s spies identified where David was.

The location may be a description, the cliffs of the ibexes, or it may be a proper name, Cliffs, the Ibexes. The word cliff is derived from tsur, to bind or confine. Therefore, it is a cliff or sharp rock, as if it has been compressed.

The yael, ibex, is introduced to Scripture here. It is derived from yaal, to ascend. That is normally used figuratively, such as indicating to profit, when one ascends in wealth. The yael, ibex, is derived from this because it is an animal that climbs on the cliff faces. Concerning Saul coming to this area…

³ So he came to the sheepfolds by the road,

vayavo el gidroth hatson al ha’derekh – “And he went unto ‘enclosures, the flock’ upon the road.” The gederah, enclosure, is from the noun gader, a circumvallation. Therefore, this is a place where the flocks are completely isolated for protection. The tson, flock, comes from a root signifying to migrate. As such, these are migrators that are currently unable to do so.

The derek, road, is from darak, to tread. That is both literally and figuratively applied, such as in the walk of one’s life. At this location, it next says…

^{3 (con’t)} where there was a cave;

v_esham m_earah – “And there, cave.” This explains the enclosure. In The Land and the Book by William Thomson, he notes that the enclosures are made by piling up stones at the mouth of caves, forming a circular wall. That is covered by thorns. It keeps the flocks in and predators out. These are used in times of inclement weather and for protection at night. Thomson notes –

“These caverns are as dark as midnight, and the keenest eye cannot see four paces inward; but one who has been long within, and looking outward toward the entrance, can observe with perfect distinctness all that takes place in that direction. David, therefore, could watch Saul as he came in . . . but Saul could see nothing but impenetrable darkness.”

As for the m_earah, cave, it is from ur, to make naked. Thus, it signifies what is exposed or bare. Which is kind of ironic, based on the next words…

^{3 (con’t)} and Saul went in to attend to his needs.”

The verb is causative: vayavo shaul l_ehasekh eth raglav – “And he went, Saul, to cause to cover his feet.” The words can be taken in one of two ways. The first is that he went in and used the cave as his john (no flushing necessary). Usually, the bare or sandaled feet are uncovered, and the rest of the body is covered, but at this time, the opposite is true.

The second, a later interpretation, is that he went in there to sleep. One lies down and covers his feet when sleeping. Hence, when Ruth went to Boaz at the threshing floor, she uncovered his feet. In that account, the verb is not causative.

Commentators have it in their mind which is correct and assert why they think it is one option or the other. Ellicott says, “The meaning of this disputed passage is quite simple.” He then wrote a lengthy paragraph, inserting a dozen points not even hinted at in the account.

The likely reason that it refers to using the john is that if Saul fell asleep, more information would likely be supplied, as in the account in Chapter 24, where it twice notes that Saul was sleeping.

Nothing like that is mentioned here. Second, what would be the point of using a euphemism instead of just saying, “Saul went in to sleep.”? The causative verb indicates more than lying down and sleeping. In other words, he is causing to cover his feet so that he can then perform another action.

The only other time this expression is used is in Judges 3, where it is almost certainly referring to Eglon using the john. If this meant sleep, one would assume that the term would be used frequently to indicate that, but apart from these two accounts, it is not seen.

Either way, however, someone else is there with Saul…

^{3 (con’t)} (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)

v_edavid vaanashav b_eyark_ete ha’m_earah yosh_evim – “And David, and his mortals, in ‘flank, the cave’, sitting.” In the wilderness, one can see others coming from a long distance. David probably saw Saul and his men marching and decided to retreat into the furthest part of the cave to hide.

This seems to be the reason why the sheepfold was mentioned. There were probably sheep in there at the time. Therefore, it would be noisy from bleating, flapping their ears, wandering around greeting their sheep buddies, chewing the cud, etc. Yes, I watched a video of sheep in a fold to see what they do.

If there were sheep in the fold, Saul would know it was safe to go in there alone, never expecting armed men to be in there. This also explains how the men could talk without being heard. Normally, a whisper would be detectable in a cave. But with sheep bleating, any voices would be completely obscured…

⁴ Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you,

vayom_eru anshe David elav hineh hayom asher amar Y_ehovah elekha – “And they said, ‘mortals, David’, unto him, ‘Behold! The day which He said, Yehovah, unto you.” There is nothing recorded concerning what they will next say. However and whenever the words were spoken, it was something the men were aware of…

^{4 (con’t)} ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand,

hineh anokhi noten eth oy_evekha b_eyadekha – “Behold! I Myself ‘giving your enemies [k.] in your hand’.” The written and the oral Hebrew are different. The written is plural, your enemies. The oral is singular, your enemy.” Despite this, some textual traditions say it is exactly the opposite. However, the seven other uses of the oral are all singular, so those traditions are incorrect. The written plural is correct.

The reason the scribes changed it to the singular is that only Saul is in the cave. Thus, it seems like there is a conflict in the quote of the Lord. The fix for this is so simple, I’m not sure why translations don’t get it. That is seen in the next words…

^{4 (con’t)} that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’”

v_easita lo kaasher yitav b_eenekha – “and you did to him according to which it will wellify in your eyes.”’ The NKJV, and all other translations that I read, makes this a continuation of the Lord’s quote. However, the quote ends as I have shown, not the other way –

“This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’”

“Behold! The day which He said, Yehovah, unto you, ‘Behold! I giving your enemies [k.] in your hand.’ And you did to him according to which it will be good in your eyes.”

The supposed second clause of the quote isn’t a part of it at all. Rather, it is an affirmation by those who spoke to David. The Lord said that He would give David’s enemies into his hand. The men then prompt David to do what he wishes.

This is important because if David takes their advice, it will call into question the value of his own anointing. If someone can arbitrarily kill Saul, the Lord’s anointed, then David, who is also the Lord’s anointed, could be justifiably targeted at some future point, his killing of Saul being an example of this.

Maybe David hasn’t yet thought this through to its logical conclusion, or maybe he has, and he wants Saul to know it. Either way, David moves forward at their prompting…

^{4 (con’t)} And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.

vayaqam David vayikhroth eth k_enaph ha’m_eil asher l_eshaul balat – “And he arose, David, and he cut ‘extremity, the robe’, which to Saul, in the secret.” David crept up to where Saul’s robe was. It was probably set off to the side while Saul was reading the morning paper, or whatever he was doing.

To prove that he was within a foot or two of Saul, David cut off the kanaph, extremity, of the robe. At times, this is called the wing of the robe because the same word is used when describing a bird’s wings. In this case, the extremity of the robe is specifically intended for a particular purpose –

“Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ³⁸ ‘Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners [kanaph] of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners [kanaph]. ³⁹ And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, ⁴⁰ and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. ⁴¹ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the Lord your God.’” Numbers 15:37-41

To cut this tassel off is to essentially cut away Saul’s reminder of the commandments of the covenant. But more, because Saul is the king, and because David has cut the king’s robe with this personal tassel, it is like cutting away the kingship from Saul because the king’s authority stems from the Lord’s commandments. Because of this…

⁵ Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him

vayhi akhare khen vayakh lev David otho – “And it was, after thus, and it caused to strike, ‘heart, David’, him.” By the time David crept up to Saul, he knew that he should not kill the king. But he wanted Saul to know that he had the opportunity to do so. Therefore, he did what came to mind to prove that he was there.

However, probably after thinking through the significance of the tassel in his hand, he realized with horror what it meant within the context of the society…

^{5 (con’t)} because he had cut Saul’s robe.

al asher karath eth kanaph asher l_eshaul – “upon which he cut ‘extremity which to Saul’.” David knew how he would feel if someone did this to him. This was like killing Saul without actually killing him. The only difference is that, unlike murder, restoration could be made.

Despite that, the significance of the act in David’s mind was sufficient to condemn his heart, and to teach his men concerning the gravity of the matter…

⁶ And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master,

vayomer laanashav khalilah li meY_ehovah im eeseh eth ha’davar ha’zeh ladoni – “And he said to his mortals, ‘(Surely) Profane to me from Yehovah if I will do the word, the this, to my lord.’” The words ish, man, and enosh, mortal, are almost synonymous.

The word ish refers to a man in his course of life, whereas enosh is from anash, to be feeble, frail, etc. Thus, it refers to man’s mortality. The subtle difference reminds the reader that the state in which man exists is perilous.

David, probably still clutching the tassel, feels the weight of Saul’s mortality. Thus, it applies to them all. Even something as seemingly innocuous as cutting the tassel was too much to bear for David. He had symbolically taken a mortal action against his lord, meaning…

 ^{6  (con’t)} the Lord’s anointed,

limshiakh Y_ehovah – “to ‘anointed, Yehovah’.” Saul is the Lord’s messiah. He bears the holy anointing oil, and despite being rejected by the Lord, he was still alive. Only the Lord had the right to take the life of His messiah or come against him…

^{6  (con’t)} to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”

lishloakh yadi bo ki m_eshiakh Y_ehovah hu – “to send my hand in him, for ‘anointed, Yehovah’, he.” The only way that David could bring his hand against Saul would be if the Lord personally directed him. That had not occurred, despite the promptings of his men. Thus, David felt the guilt of what he had done.

Your enemy is in your hand
Do what you will, and we are with you
We will all understand
When you do to him what you should do

He has wronged you all along
Like an animal, he has hounded you
Let today be your retribution song
When you do to him what you should do

*

It would be wrong for me to harm him
Even though he has done me wrong
My fate, not his, would be ever so grim
If I were to do the Lord’s anointed wrong

II. He Will Judge, Yehovah (verses 7-13)

⁷ So David restrained his servants with these words,

vayshasa David eth anashav bad_evarim – “And he split, David, his mortals, in the words.” The word shasa, to split, is seen for the last of nine times. The other uses indicate either a state, as in the split hoof of an animal, or in an act of tearing an animal. The men intended for Saul to die, but David split that thought from them.

The unusual use of the word reveals David’s wholehearted opposition to his men entertaining such a thought…

^{7 (con’t)} and did not allow them to rise against Saul.

v_elo n_etanam laqum el shaul – “And not he gave them to rise unto Saul.” This is based on Saul being the Lord’s anointed. Even David, who is Yehovah’s anointed, would not think to raise his hand against Saul. The men were restrained because of this…

^{7 (con’t)} And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

v_eshaul qam meham_earah vayelekh badarekh – “And Saul, he arose from the cave, and he walked in the road.” Completely unsuspecting and no worse for the ordeal, Saul exited the cave through the sheep enclosure and went on his way. But he would not get far…

⁸ David also arose afterward, went out of the cave,

vayaqam David akhare khen vayetse min ha’m_earah – “And he arose, David, after thus, and he went out from the cave [k].” The written and oral Hebrew vary here, but the translation doesn’t change. Instead, the scribes adjusted two words to become one without changing the meaning. However, the intent does change.

This change in intent is like “out from ‘the-cave” to “out ‘from-the-cave’.” Understanding the variation is complicated enough that Sergio had to go to a Hebrew discussion board to obtain the difference in intent. The separate word min is “generally used for emphasis, elevated or literary style, or when the following word is not definite.” Thus, David went out FROM ‘the cave’ after Saul arose ‘from the cave’.

David needed to ensure that Saul understood what took place. David’s intent is to demonstrate to Saul that he is aligned with the king and bears no enmity towards him…

^{8 (con’t)} and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!”

vayiqra akhare shaul lemor adoni ha’melekh – “And he called after Saul, to say, ‘My lord the king!’” David begins by acknowledging that Saul is above him, saying, adoni, “My lord.” He then extends that to acknowledge that it is Saul, not he, who is the reigning authority with the words “the king.”

The words are carefully selected to begin on the proper footing for everything that will follow. Next…

^{8 (con’t)} And when Saul looked behind him,

vayabet shaul akharav – “And he caused to scan, Saul, after him.” Upon hearing the voice, Saul had to purposefully scan the area, looking for where it came from. Once his eyes alighted on David…

^{8 (con’t)} David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down.

vayiqod David apayim artsah vayishtakhu – “And he stooped, David, nostrils earth-ward, and he prostrated himself.” The word qadad signifies to shrivel up. David either hunched over or stooped. This would be an honorific, like when a subordinate averts his eyes from a superior, or when one bows to honor another as greater than himself.

After doing this, he completely flattened himself to the earth. In this position, he has left himself fully exposed and vulnerable to Saul if Saul advances against him. In this position, he begins his words…

⁹ And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men

vayomer David l_eshaul lamah tishmah eth divre adam – “And he said, David, to Saul, ‘To why you will hear ‘words, human’.” The meaning of saying adam, human, is obvious. Saul was the king. If he had a problem with David and wanted to know if his thoughts about him were correct, all he needed to do was consult the Lord.

Saul was listening to human voices and not divine speech. As the king, he could consult a prophet or priest to receive a divine word concerning the things spoken to him. The human words David refers to are…

^{9 (con’t)} who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’?

lemor hineh David m_evaqesh raathekha – “to say, ‘Behold, David seeking your evil!’?” Several of the statements during this conversation closely match words found in Psalm 7. Our text verse, which is the introduction to that Psalm, says, “Meandering to David, which He sang to Yehovah upon ‘words, Cush, son, Right’.”

Therefore, it is probable that Cush is at least one of the people feeding Saul bad information. In that introduction, David calls Cush, ben yemini, son Right. This is probably a pun cast upon the “Son right who has done him wrong.”

It is the same term applied to Gera in 2 Samuel 19, who cursed David as he fled from his son Absalom. Each time the term is used, it is a play on words, either positively or negatively.

David had other enemies allied against him as well, such as Doeg and the Ziphites. Saul was listening to such people instead of checking with the Lord. And speaking of the Lord…

¹⁰ Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave,

hineh hayom hazeh rau enekha eth asher n_ethan_ekha Y_ehovah hayom b_eyadi bam_earah – “Behold, the day, the this! They saw, your eyes, which He gave you, Yehovah, the day, in my hand in the cave.” Although Saul doesn’t know the full magnitude of the situation yet, he would have immediately seized on the fact that David was there in the cave.

Therefore, as Saul was in no condition to defend himself with his shorts wrapped around his feet, he was fully delivered into David’s hands. David ascribes this to Yehovah. Divine providence had allowed the events to occur, and Saul couldn’t argue against that. And more…

^{10 (con’t)} and someone urged me to kill you.

Rather: v_eamar laharagakha – “And He will say to slay you.” Most translations provide an unfortunate rendering. In fact, I don’t know one that gets it right, though some say, “And I thought to kill you.” The verb is 3rd person masculine singular, and the Lord is the nearest antecedent. Saul knew exactly what David meant.

David asked why Saul was listening to human words, prompting him to kill David. He then said that Yehovah delivered Saul into his hands. But Saul is still alive. Therefore, despite saying that He, Yehovah, told David to kill Saul, it means that Yehovah didn’t “tell” David to kill Saul. Rather, human voices urged him to do so.

Though the translations may carry the intent, they lose all of the significance of what David is saying. And more, it is not a translation if the words are not translated.

We are given this incredible gift of the Bible from God to read and learn from, and without being properly schooled on what is said, we can never understand the overarching message of what He is telling us. David continues…

^{10 (con’t)} But my eye spared you,

vatakhas alekha – “And it compassionated upon you.” David uses an ellipsis. Saul would have gotten the meaning, which is “… my eye compassionated upon you,” or “my soul compassionated upon you.” The likely reading is eye, though –

“They saw, your eyes, which He gave you, Yehovah, the day, in my hand…”
“And it [my eye] compassionated upon you…”

Saul’s literal eyes are seeing what David’s metaphorical eye did.

^{10 (con’t)} and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord,

David’s fourfold repetition of the first person provides its own emphasis: vaomar lo eshlakh yadi badoni – “And I said, ‘Not I will send my hand in my lord.’” The first two instances show David’s determined purpose. The second two again reveal him subjugating himself to Saul’s authority…

^{10 (con’t)} for he is the Lord’s anointed.’

ki m_eshiakh Yehovah hu – “For ‘anointed, Yehovah’, he.” David’s claim isn’t being Saul’s friend, son-in-law, military officer, or subject of his kingdom as his reason for withholding his hand. Rather, he appeals to the highest state in which Saul exists, his anointing from the Lord.

As Yehovah’s messiah, David could do no less than honor Yehovah by sparing Saul. Only with that understood, does he next bring in another aspect of Saul…

¹¹ Moreover, my father, see!

v_eavi r_eeh – “And, my father, you must see!” David is not appealing to Saul as his father-in-law when he says, “my father.” Rather, it is an appeal to Saul’s humanity while he maintains a subordinate posture. He probably held up the tassel, maybe even shaking it a little to attract Saul’s attention toward it. He then repeats himself for effect…

^{11 (con’t)} Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand!

gam r_eeh eth k_enaph m_eil_ekha b_eyadi – “Also, you must see, ‘extremity, your robe’ in my hand.” This is the moment Saul probably came apart inside. He was within feet, or even inches, of death. If David had his tassel, he also had a knife to cut off his tassel. And yet, Saul was alive to hear David’s words, which confirmed what his eyes saw and his mind grasped…

^{11 (con’t)} For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you,

ki b_ekhar_ethi eth k_enaph m_eil_ekha v_elo haragtikha – “For I cut ‘extremity, your robe’, and not I slayed you.” No enemy would spare his life. Instead, Saul would have been lying in a pool of his own blood. And yet, he remained alive, hopefully reasoning through what David had to tell him…

^{11 (con’t)} know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you.

da ur_eeh ki ein b_eyadi raah vapesha v_elo khatathi lakh – “You must know, and you must see! For naught in my hand evilness and revolt. And not I sinned to you.” David lays out his case concerning his innocence, all the while dangling the tzitzit. It is the necessary proof that he is sincere.

He did nothing wrong, conspiratorial, or maligning against Saul. Despite that…

^{11 (con’t)} Yet you hunt my life to take it.

v_eatah tsodeh eth naphshi l_eqakhtah – “And you, chasing my soul to take it.” He reminds Saul of the past as well as the present. David was hounded by Saul again and again. As such, the participle is used to remind Saul of this and to petition him to let this be the last chase. If not…

¹² Let the Lord judge between you and me,

yishpot Y_ehovah beni uvenekha – “He will judge, Yehovah, between me and between you.” The future tense is an appeal for Saul to let go of the pursuit that has driven Saul and hounded David for too long. If Saul continues chasing David, the Lord will judge him for it…

^{12 (con’t)} and let the Lord avenge me on you.

un_eqamani Y_ehovah mimekha – “And He will avenge me, Yehovah, from you.” It will be a done deal if Saul continues. Yehovah will judge, and in judging, He will find Saul guilty. In other words, David is saying that he has done no wrong, he is doing no wrong, and he will not do wrong towards Saul.

That is the truth of the matter. In Yehovah’s eyes, the matter is as good as judged. Therefore, Saul needs to relent and no longer pursue David. But even if he does…

^{12 (con’t)} But my hand shall not be against you.

v_eyadi lo tihyeh bakh – “And my hand not it will be in you.” Regardless of whether Saul pursues David or gives up the pursuit, David will never raise his hand against Saul. To confirm this, David cites a proverb that he lives by because it is committed to memory…

¹³ As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’

kaasher yomar m_eshal haqadmoni mer_eshaim yetse resha – “According to which it will say, ‘proverb, the olden’, ‘From wrongful, it will come wrongfulness.’” A new adjective is seen, qadmoni, literally: frontward.

The words qedem, qadom, qadam, etc., refer to what is in front or preceding. This is in relation to the situation of the tabernacle, which opens to the east, and the Lord sits in the holy of holies to the west. Thus, past time is east, the future is west. Man seeking God is, therefore, always heading into the future.

As such, the frontward means east in space or the past (stretching to eternity) in time. Therefore, the intent is that the proverb comes from olden times. If someone is a wrongful person, he will do wrongful things. David is, therefore, not referring to Saul, but to himself, claiming he is not wrongful and will not do wrongfully.

The “but” used by the NKJV can lead to a wrong conclusion, as if he is speaking of Saul, which he is not. That is confirmed in the repetition from the previous verse…

*^{13 (fin)} But my hand shall not be against you.

v_eyadi lo tiyeh bakh – “And my hand, not it will be in you.” Because he is not a wrongful person, wrongfulness will not proceed from him. Rather, he will do right. This includes not harming Saul, regardless of whether Saul pursues him or ceases from doing so.

David refrained from doing wrong, even when it would have resulted in a quick resolution to his troubles. He knew that the Lord would deal with Saul in His own time and in His own way. Because Saul had the anointing oil on him, it would be an implicit attack against the Lord for David to attack Saul.

Therefore, he was willing to leave room for the Lord to act. In Romans 12, another Saul, also known as Paul, implores us to follow this principle. If that is so with all people, then how much more should we strive to have this attitude towards those on whom the Lord’s anointing rests?

Both Paul and John refer to the anointing that rests upon believers (2 Corinthians 1:21 and 1 John 2:20 & 27). If other believers are the Lord’s anointed, then we should do our utmost to give them grace and allow the Lord to handle them.

When we have issues with other believers, the epistles tell us how to deal with them. That’s why it’s important to stay in the word and to know what it says. It is a treasure trove of useful lessons for us as we walk in the presence of God.

Next week, we will finish this chapter, the Lord willing, and see how things turn out. For now, be sure to love the Lord and seek Him daily. And be good to those around you, as Paul says, “if possible.” The Lord is evaluating us. Remember that. He will judge us fairly when we act in accord with His will.

Closing Verse: “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. ²⁰ Therefore
‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’
²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:19-21

Next Week: 1 Samuel 24:14-22 David is certain to become king, it is true… (For Reigning, You Will Reign, Part II) (52^nd 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 24:1-13 (CG)

And it was, according to which he returned, Saul, from ‘after Philistines’, and they caused to declare to him, to say, “Behold! David in ‘Wilderness, En Gedi’.” ²And he took, Saul, three thousands man, selected from all Israel, and he walked to seek David and his mortals upon faces ‘Cliffs, the Ibexes’. ³And he went unto ‘enclosures, the flock’ upon the road. And there, cave. And he went, Saul, to cause to cover his feet. And David, and his men, in ‘flank, the cave’, sitting. ⁴And they said, ‘mortals, David’, unto him, “Behold! The day which He said, Yehovah, unto you, ‘Behold! I Myself ‘giving your enemies [k.] in your hand’,’ and you did to him according to which it will welify in your eyes.” And he arose, David, and he cut ‘extremity, the robe’, which to Saul, in the secret. ⁵And it was, after thus, and it caused to strike, ‘heart, David’, him, upon which he cut ‘extremity which to Saul’. ⁶And he said to his mortals, “(Surely) Profane to me from Yehovah if I will do the word, the this, to my lord, to ‘anointed, Yehovah’, to send my hand in him, for ‘anointed, Yehovah’, he.” ⁷And he split, David, his mortals, in the words. And not he gave them to rise unto Saul. And Saul, he arose from the cave, and he walked in the road.

⁸And he arose, David, after thus, and he went out from the cave [k.]. And he called after Saul, to say, “My lord the king!” And he caused to scan, Saul, after him. And he stooped, David, nostrils earthward, and he prostrated himself. ⁹And he said, David, to Saul, “To why you will hear ‘words, human’, to say, ‘Behold, David seeking your evil!’? ¹⁰Behold, the day, the this! They saw, your eyes, which He gave you, Yehovah, the day, in my hand in the cave. And He will say to slay you. And it* compassionated upon you. And I said, ‘Not I will send my hand in my lord. For ‘anointed, Yehovah’, he.’ ¹¹And, my father, you must see! Also, you must see, ‘extremity, your robe’ in my hand. For I cut ‘extremity, your robe’, and not I slayed you. You must know, and you must see! For naught in my hand evilness and revolt. And not I sinned to you. And you, chasing my soul to take it. ¹²He will judge, Yehovah, between me and between you. And He will avenge me, Yehovah, from you. And my hand, not it will be in you. ¹³According to which it will say, ‘proverb, the olden’, ‘From wrongful it will come wrongfulness.’ And my hand, not it will be in you.

Verse 4 – Qeri: “your enemy.”
Verse 8 – Kethiv/qeri meaning is the same. The change is like “from ‘the-cave’,” to “‘from-the-cave’.”
*Verse 10. The words are elliptical. The verb is feminine. Thus, either David’s soul or his eye had compassion on Saul – “And it [my eye] had compassion…”

 

1 Samuel 24:1-13 (NKJV)

Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” ² Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. ³ So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.) ⁴ Then the men of David said to him, “This is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand, that you may do to him as it seems good to you.’ ” And David arose and secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. ⁵ Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe. ⁶ And he said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷ So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.

⁸ David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down. ⁹ And David said to Saul: “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Indeed David seeks your harm’? ¹⁰ Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. ¹² Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. ¹³ As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ But my hand shall not be against you.

 

 

1 Samuel 23:16-29
You Will Reign Upon Israel, Part II

(Typed 16 & 17 February 2026) In 1993, the US had a bit of a spat with the Somalis. Throughout much of the year, there was military conflict, which culminated in the October 1993 battle of Mogadishu, a battle made famous in the movie Blackhawk Down.

During the year, Mohamed Farrah Aidid, often called General Aidid, remained elusive to the US government intelligence agencies. And yet, the press was there interviewing him time and again. How could the entire US intelligence apparatus not find someone that a bunch of left-wing newsies could? Something never made sense about that.

In the passage today, Saul relentlessly pursues David, and yet, he never gets him. Despite this, his son Jonathan has no problem finding David and spending time with him.

It’s hard to understand how these things occur, but the account is detailed, and Jonathan was able to do what Saul and his army failed to.

Text Verse: “To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord, who spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.” Introduction to the 18^th Psalm

David was betrayed by the people of Keilah, whom he saved from the hand of the Philistines. Later, while in the area of the Ziphites, a city belonging to his own tribe of Judah, he was betrayed by some of them.

With Saul constantly pressing hard after him, it seemed like he couldn’t catch a break. He had a true and trusted friend in Jonathan. His men were loyal to him as well. But above all that, because of his trust in the Lord, the Lord was with him.

This was evidenced throughout his life. Just when he needed delivery, the Lord was there to provide it. We, too, have such great assurances. Because of Jesus, the Lord will always deliver us in the way that He deems is appropriate. We can trust in that.

Such great truths as this are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. To All Longing Your Soul (verses 16-20)

¹⁶ Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose

vayaqam y_ehonathan ben shaul – “And he arose, Jehonathan, ‘son, Saul’.” Jonathan is reintroduced into the narrative. He has not been seen since verse 20:42, when he and David agreed that there would be peace between them and between their households forever.

As seen in several accounts, his name is spelled differently here. Instead of Jonathan, the Hebrew has an additional letter, hey, elongating the name. It is the fifth letter of the aleph-bet and means look, reveal, and breath –

יוֹנָתָ֗ן
יְהוֹנָתָ֜ן

Jonathan will be mentioned only here in the chapter. The next time he will be mentioned is in Chapter 31, where it notes his death in battle. Jehonathan has the same meaning as Jonathan, Yah Has Given.

^{16 (con’t)} and went to David in the woods

vayelekh el David khor_eshah – “and he walked unto David Horesh-ward.” Somehow, Jonathan learned of David’s location and went to visit him. As with the previous verses, the name Horesh contains an additional hey at the end.

This hey ending is dismissed by Hebrew grammarians as a fossilized ending that has no bearing on the meaning of the name, but that seems like an excuse to dismiss what is not understood. I have retained the meaning of this ending and translated it with the standard locational meaning of such a suffix as Horesh-ward.

The word either is the name of a location, Horesh, or it is the word khoresh, which means forest. Either way, the result is the same for typology. David means Beloved.

^{16 (con’t)} and strengthened his hand in God.

vayakhazeq eth yado belohim – “And he seized his hand in God.” This conveys the idea that David needed strength, he reached out for it in God, God was grasped, and David was thus strengthened in the power and reliability of God. The strengthening is an encouragement in David’s time of distress and difficulty as he hid from Saul, who relentlessly pursued him.

¹⁷ And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you.

vayomer elav al tira ki lo thimtsaakha yad shaul avi – “And he said unto him, ‘Not you will fear, for not it will find you, ‘hand, Saul’, my father.’” The imagery is that Saul’s hand blindly searches for David, swinging about trying to strike him.

Jonathan knows that David is under the divine protection of God. Saul may doggedly pursue David, reaching with his hand to impinge in David, but David will remain unharmed. Saul means Asked. His name is identical in spelling to Sheol. Jonathan understands more than just God’s divine protection of David, though…

^{17 (con’t)} You shall be king over Israel,

v_eatah timlokh al yisrael – “And you, you will reign upon Israel.” Jonathan understands that Saul will not reign as king forever. But he goes further, clearly understanding that it is David, not he, who will rule over the nation.

Israel means He Strives With God.

Without saying it explicitly, Jonathan indicates that he is giving up any right to ruling in place of his father…

^{17 (con’t)} and I shall be next to you.

v_eanokhi ehyeh l_ekha l_emishneh – “And I myself, I will be to you to double.” The meaning is most likely that Jonathan expects to be appointed as David’s right-hand man. He would be like Joseph was to Pharaoh, leading the people under the hand of David. Such an underling’s primary job was to ensure the rule and authority of the king was always upheld and never challenged.

^{17 (con’t)} Even my father Saul knows that.”

v_egam shaul avi yodea ken – “And also, Saul, my father, knowing thus.” This cannot be taken to mean that Saul knew for certain that Jonathan would rule with David or that Saul was sure David would rule. Rather, it means that Saul felt it was a logical outcome based on how things were working out.

The reason it cannot be a certainty is that Jonathan will not survive to be David’s second in command. Thus, there was no prophetic word given to Saul. Jonathan knew Saul had just figured that this was how things would work out.

¹⁸ So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord.

vayikr_ethu shenehem b_erith lipne Yehovah – “And they cut, they two, covenant to ‘faces, Yehovah’.” Jewish scholars say that they renewed the covenant that had been made before. Christian scholars agree with that. But it doesn’t say that at all. It says they cut a covenant.

It is not a renewal but a new covenant. Jonathan has yielded his authority and right to the kingdom to David. David has accepted Jonathan’s offer and agreed that he will be his right-hand man. Time and circumstance will preclude this from happening, but the covenant was made, should the opportunity arise.

^{18 (con’t)} And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.

vayeshev David bakhor_eshah vihonathan halakh leveitho – “And he sat, David, in the Horesh-ward. And Jehonathan, he walked to his house.” Unless another encounter which Scripture does not record occurred, this was the last time they would see one another alive.

¹⁹ Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds

vayaalu ziphim el shaul ha’givathah lemor halo David mistater imanu vam_etsadoth – “And they ascended, Ziphites, unto Saul the Gibeah-ward, to say, ‘(Indeed) not David hiding himself with us in the strongholds.’” The area is the Wilderness of Ziph. Thus, those dwelling there are known as Ziphites. The somewhat lengthy explanation of the name was detailed in verse 14.

As there is no article before Ziphites, it indicates some of the people of Ziph in general, not the people as a whole. Their allegiance to Saul, or their fear of him, has led them to betray David’s location to the king.

It may also be that they thought David would claim the area as his own, leaving them without what they currently possessed.

Gibeah means Hill. It is etymologically connected to Gabbatha.

Regardless of their reason, Ziphites came and disclosed the information to Saul, saying David was…

^{19 (con’t)} in the woods, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

bakhor_eshah b_egivath ha’khakhilah asher mimin hayshimon – “in the Horesh-ward in ‘Hill, the Hachilah’ which from ‘right, the wasteland’?’” They provided specific detail so that Saul would not waste time scouring an entire area.

According to Strong, Hachilah is from khaklili, a word “By reduplication from an unused root apparently meaning to be dark; darkly flashing (only of the eyes); in a good sense, brilliant (as stimulated by wine) — red.”

That word is found only once in Scripture –

“Crimson – eyes from wine,
And white – teeth from milk.” Genesis 49:12 (CG).

The word “from” means the words are being used as a comparative. As the second clause is compared to white, meaning whiter, I would assume this means darker red from the redness of wine. As such, I say Crimson. Others say Dark, Gloomy, or Dusky.

The wasteland, y_eshimon, comes from yasham, to lie waste. Being prefixed by the definite article, it signifies the wasteland. Having given the necessary information to Saul…

²⁰ Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of your soul to come down;

The words are lively and show the full support of these men towards Saul: v_eatah l_ekhal avath napsh_ekha ha’melekh laredeth red – “And now to all longing your soul, the king, to descend you must descend.” We could paraphrase this as “We know you really want this deep down inside, and as the king, you should descend and fulfill your desire.” When he does his part…

^{20 (con’t)} and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

v_elanu hasgiro b_eyad ha’melekh – “And to us – cause to shut him in ‘hand, the king’.” If the king acts according to their offer, they will do their part and shut David in. Then the king can grab him, shutting him in his own hand. Because of their full support…

Do not fear, for the Lord is by Your side
Trouble may pursue, but it will not find You
The Lord is faithful – tested and tried
Yes, the Lord is there, faithful and true

You shall reign as King over Israel
So continue on despite the trials you face
Satan doesn’t stand a chance, he will be chucked into hell
When all is finished, that will be his place

Do not fear or be dismayed
The troubles will soon pass away
All the trials and sorrow will fade
Eternal glory is set for You on that glorious day!

II. Crag, the Divisions (verses 21-29)

²¹ And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me.

vayomer shaul b_erukhim atem l_eY_ehovah ki khamaltem alay – “And he said, Saul, ‘Blessed you to Yehovah, for you commiserated upon me.’” Saul conveys that David is the one who had it out for him. As the king, he should be safe from attempts on his life by his underlings. But David was a bully trying to harm him.

On the other hand, these Ziphites felt sorry for Saul and his plight and were willing to help him. Because of this, he blessed them in the name of Yehovah.

²² Please go and find out for sure,

The whole verse is put together willy nilly, as if Saul is trying to speak intelligibly, but he can’t quite do it: l_ekhu na hakhinu od – “You must walk, pray, you will cause to establish yet.” The meaning is, “Go back to your area, please, and be sure to once again carefully get a fix on where David is.” As the NKJV says, “find out for sure.”

He next somewhat repeats the same thought…

^{22 (con’t)} and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there.

ud_eu ur_eu eth m_eqomo asher tihyeh raglo mi raahu sham – “And you must know, and you must see his place where it will be his foot – who he saw him there.” The imperatives are like saying, “Be certain! Be sure to locate exactly where his foot is standing. Make sure it is an eyewitness account and get the exact details.

It is like his mind is racing, and he is in panic mode to know with complete certainty the exacting details. This is because…

^{22 (con’t)} For I am told he is very crafty.

His words about David are emphatic: ki amar elay arom yarim hu – “For it said unto me conceiving, he will cause to conceive, he.” It is a new word in Scripture, arom, to be or make bare. But it is only used in its derivative sense, what being made bare leads to. It is seen just five times in Scripture.

In analyzing each use of the word, conceive, to form or devise a plan in the mind seems to be the best fit. One sees or considers what is going on, and his mind exposes or makes bare a solution by conceiving what to do.

Saul essentially says, “Be one hundred percent sure. Identify exactly where he is because he has probably already devised a plan to make it look like he is in one place when he is really in another. He, David, is such a crafty dude.”

²³ See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides;

ur_eu ud_eu mikol hamakhavoim asher yithkhabe sham – “And you must see, and you must know from all the hideouts where he will ‘secrete himself’ there.” Saul uses another new word, makhave, a hideaway. It is derived from khava, to secrete or hide. It is only seen here and in Isaiah 32:2.

Saul wants them to reconnoiter, monitoring David’s movements, locating each place he goes. That way, if he eludes Saul, he will know where David fled.

^{23 (con’t)} and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you.

v_eshavtem elay el nakhon v_ehalakhti it_ekhem – “And you will return unto me unto ‘being established,’ and I will walk with you.” Once his words have been acted on and it has been established with certainty what he has asked for, he will then go with the Ziphites to pursue David.

^{23 (con’t)} And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.”

v_ehayah im yeshno vaarets v_ehipasti otho b_ekhol alphe Y_ehudah – “And it will be, if he exists in the land, and I will ‘search’ him in all ‘thousands, Judah’.” The meaning is clear. No matter where David might be hiding among all of the various clans, signified by a division of a thousand, Saul would be there to get him.

²⁴ So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul.

vayaqumu vayel_ekhu zipha liphne shaul – “And they arose, and they walked Ziph-ward to ‘faces, Saul’.” The Ziphites received their instructions, turned around, and headed back towards Ziph. At the same time…

^{24 (con’t)} But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

v_edavid vaanashav b_emidbar maon baaravah el y_emin hayshimon – “And David, and his mortals, in ‘Wilderness, Maon’, in the wasteplain, unto ‘right, the wasteland’.” Maon was first mentioned in Joshua 15. It was next mentioned in Judges 10:12. It means Abode or Habitation.

As seen in verse 14, the wilderness is a place of God’s grace and closeness to Him, but it is also a place of testing. For some, such as Israel, the testing results in disobedience. For others, such as Christ when He was tested, it is a place of fellowship through obedience.

The wilderness and the law are closely connected because testing is accomplished through law. This is seen in the word itself, midbar. It is derived from the verb davar, to speak, and the noun davar, meaning word. The Lord spoke the Ten Commandments (words/d_evarim) in the desert (midbar) of Sinai.

²⁵ When Saul and his men went to seek him,

vayelekh shaul vaanashav l_evaqesh – “And he walked, Saul, and his mortals to seek.” Without saying it, the meaning is that the Ziphites got a report to Saul as requested. With that in hand, Saul and his men headed out after David. However…

^{25 (con’t)} they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon.

vayagidu l_edavid vayered ha’sela vayeshev b_emidbar maon – “And they caused to declare to David, and he descended – the crag, and he sat in ‘Wilderness’ Maon’.” The meaning is unclear without knowing the landscape. Was David on the crag and descended from it, or was he somewhere else and he descended to the crag (he descended – the crag)? If the former, then it means he went to Maon. If the latter, it means the crag is in Maon.

As he was already in the wilderness of Maon, it means he went to a crag that would provide a natural barrier. Once down from the crag, he waited in the general area to see what Saul would do.

The Pulpit Commentary includes a quote from Claude Condor’s 1878 book, Tent Work in Palestine: A Record of Discovery and Adventure, which says –

“Between the ridge of El Kolah (the ancient hill of Hachilah) and the neighbourhood of Maon there is a great gorge called ‘the Valley of Rocks,’ a narrow but deep chasm, impassable except by a detour of many miles, so that Saul might have stood within sight of David, yet quite unable to overtake his enemy; and to this ‘cliff of division.’”

^{25 (con’t)} And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon.

vayishma shaul vayirdoph akhare David midbar maon – “And he heard, Saul, and he pursued after David – ‘Wilderness, Maon’.” There are obviously spies watching on both sides. David heard about Saul coming, and Saul heard about David’s descent. The better or more recent the intel, the more likely one side will prevail over the other.

Eventually, the matter became as intense as the climax of a Mission Impossible movie…

²⁶ Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain.

vayelekh shaul mitsad ha’har mizeh v_edavid vaanashav mitsad ha’har mizeh – “And he walked, Saul, from ‘side, the mount’, from this, and David and his mortals from ‘side, the mount’, from this.” The topography of the mountain being referred to include the crag that divided them. David waited for Saul to move. Once he did, David did as well, just on the opposite side of the mountain…

^{26 (con’t)} So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.

vayhi David nekhpaz lalekheth mip_ene shaul v_eshaul vaanashav ot_erim el David v_eel anashav l_ethaphesam – “And he was, David, being hastened to walk from ‘faces, Saul’. And Saul, and his mortals, encircling unto David and unto his mortals, to manipulate them.”

A new word is seen, atar, to encircle. It is used when crowning someone. In Psalm 65, the sense is used in beautiful metaphor –

“You encircled year – your good,
And your circulars, they will (surely) drip – fat.” Psalm 65:11 (CG)

The sense is that the Lord blesses the entire year with His goodness, and as each year returns upon itself, the land is blessed with abundance.

Understanding this, we see that Saul has men going in both directions around the mount so that eventually, one division or another will meet up with David and his men. In this impossible-to-escape-without-a-battle scenario set, the impossible (with all of its little dashes) is brushed away by more pressing matters…

²⁷ But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!”

u-malakh ba el shaul lemor maharah v_elekhah ki phash_etu phelishtim al ha’arets – “And messenger, he came unto Saul, to say, ‘You must (surely) hurry, and you must (surely) walk. For they overspread, the Philistines, upon the land.’” Saul had his enemy in sight. He had his men encircling them so that they could “manipulate” them.

Everything was set for Saul to overcome David when, out of the blue, a runner with a message told him of a much greater need. Because Saul and the army were distracted, the Philistines could wreak havoc on the people of Israel. The frustration level in Saul’s mind must have been enough to give him a stroke at that point. However…

²⁸ Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines;

vayashav shaul mirdoph akhare David vayelekh liqrath p_elishtim – “And he returned, Saul, from pursuing after David. And he walked to encounter – Philistines.” As the king, he had his battles to choose. If he continued to pursue David, it would have been his head to lose. He knew this, broke off the pursuit he so desperately desired to finish, and returned to tend to the invading Philistines. Therefore…

^{28 (con’t)} so they called that place the Rock of Escape.

al ken qar_eu lamaqom ha’hu sela ha’makhl_eqoth – “Upon thus, they called to the place, the it, ‘Crag, the Divisions.’” The Pulpit Commentary continues to explain the layout and what transpired –

David “went to it as being an impassable barrier between him and his pursuers. But ‘he hasted anxiously to get away’ (ver. 26), because Saul would divide his army into two parts, and so David would only have the advantage of the few miles of detour which Saul must make. … The ordinary notion that David and his men were concealed from the sight of Saul by an intervening mountain is disproved, not only by no such mountain existing, but also by the clause, ‘Saul and his men were surrounding David and his men’ (ver. 28). They had them in sight, and were forming in two divisions, so as to pass the gorge at the two ends and close upon the flanks of David’s small band of followers.”

It is called sela ha’makhleqoth because it is a crag that divided David and Saul and by which they were permanently divided as far as this battle goes. Hence, the plural, Divisions.

The name is a double entendre. The crag was the physical divider, and it stands as a witness to their division by the fortunes of time and event as set forth by God. With that exciting event behind them…

*^{29 (fin)} Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.

vayaal David misham vayeshev bimtsadoth ein gedi – “And he ascended, David, from there. And he sat in ‘strongholds, En Gedi’.” The location is on the western shore of the Dead Sea. 2 Chronicles 20:2 tells us it is the same location known as Hazezon-Tamar, seen in Genesis 14:7, which is identified by the palms that grow there.

The name En Gedi, however, identifies it by the ayin, literally an eye, but figuratively a spring of water, and the animal, gedi, a young goat. The implication is that young goats frequented the area. Thus, its name means Fountain of a Kid.

The word gedi is from gadah, to cut off. Typologically, the goat is what finishes a matter.

The Crag of Divisions is a glorious place
When one side is saved by the Lord’s protective hand
They will look up and see His face
And those who see it will understand

The other side will have to face their own trials
Troubles await them that they must face
It won’t be joy, and there will be no smiles
For them, the Crag of Divisions is not a happy place

The Lord is the judge, and He does what is right
Protecting His own in the trials they face
For them, there is a future, shining and bright
On the day when they will see His face

III. Explaining the Typology

This passage deals with several truths seen during the church age. The first one is the state of the nation of Israel during this dispensation.

In verse 1, David, accepting the doctrines of Christ, was told that the Philistines, the Weakeners, were fighting against Keilah, Out-slung.

They represent those cast out by the Lord, picturing Israel in their exile. There are many verses to explain this, but Jeremiah 10:18 is perfect because it uses the root of Keilah to demonstrate what the Lord will do to Judah. There, it says –

“For thus He said, Yehovah:
‘You behold! I slinging [qala]
‘Inhabiting the land’ in the beat, the this,
And I caused to cramp to them
To end purpose, they will find.” Jeremiah 10:18 (CG)

The Weakeners were plundering the threshing floors of Keilah. That is the place of separation and judgment where the chaff is separated from the kernel. There are Jews, called a remnant by Paul, throughout the church age. They have the same problem with Weakeners as anyone else.

We can think of those who accept what Christ teaches (represented by David), going to save the Jews from the Weakeners, those trying to weaken the faith of others by inserting the law into their beliefs. It is something false Christians have been doing with the Jews forever, telling them that it is ok to observe the law. Think of John Hagee or the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church.

Those who accept the doctrines of Christ must act in such instances.

In verse 2, David asked the Lord if he should go and attack the Philistines. The Lord said yes. However, in verse 3, his men feared. They said, “Behold! We here in Judah – frightened.” It is typical of those who have been saved but are unwilling to engage against the Weakeners on behalf of the Jews. They are in Judah, Praise, and yet they are afraid.

David went to the Lord in verse 4 and again asked if he should engage. The Lord told him to do so, “You must arise! You must descend – Keilah. For I – delivering Philistines in your hand.” The imperatives tell us that it is our job to evangelize the Jews. We should not coddle or shy away from those who teach them falsities about the law.

In verse 5, David attacked the Philistines, and he was victorious, taking their livestock. The word miqneh comes from qanah. It gives the sense of one’s possessions. Those who accept the doctrines of Christ will always defeat such weak opponents and take what they possess, meaning their false teachings.

The parentheses about Abiathar bolting from Saul to David came in verse 6. It is logically placed here as a statement of fact to explain how David had an ephod available.

Abiathar’s name comes from a word that signifies an excess, but not as unwanted or without a purpose. It is that which goes beyond the needs of the original thing. He represents the law, which, despite being dead, still serves a purpose, even to this day.

He was noted as the son of Ahimelech, My Brother Is King, signifying the law anticipating Christ. Christ came, the law was annulled and done (Ahimelech’s death). But it still serves a purpose in its issue (Abiathar). It is used as a tutor to lead people to Christ.

In verse 7, Saul, signifying Sheol calling out for the souls of men, heard that David had gone to Keilah. Those who accept the doctrines of Christ were among the exiles from Judah. Saul figured he would win this battle. Why would anyone go among the non-believing Jews except to share in their apostate lifestyle?

Saul noted that David had shut himself inside a city with doors and bars. Once again, he has misunderstood the call of the Lord on David’s life, and so he prepared to go to battle against Keilah to besiege David and his men.

David, however (verse 9), learned of Saul’s evil plans. Therefore, David called Abiathar to bring the ephod. David, accepting the doctrines of Christ, is going to use the law itself to determine if Saul will come against him.

David asked two questions, “They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand?” and “He will descend, Saul, according to which he heard, Your servant?” The Lord answered the second that Saul would come against him. Therefore, David repeated his first question, adding a note of handing him and his men in Saul’s hand.

The Lord answered that they would do so. The law itself prophesies that the Jews as a nation will not accept Christ until the end of this dispensation. That can be understood without referring to the New Testament. Passages such as Ezekiel 4 and Daniel 9, among many others, assures us.

David was aware of his own state before the Lord, but he was unwilling to risk his men. Therefore, in verse 13, it said that David and about six hundred men arose. The number in both Judges 18 and Judges 20 was seen to represent the duration of the church age.

This means that during the church age, the Jews may not be on the side of the Philistines, but they are not on the side of those who accept the doctrines of Christ either. They are, as seen elsewhere, A People who are not God’s people at this time.

Saul doesn’t need to wage war against them because they will be joining him in Sheol without Christ to get them out. Saul halted his expedition because David wasn’t there.

In verse 14, it said “And he sat, David, in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and he sat in the mount in ‘wilderness, Ziph’. And he sought him, Saul, all the days, and not He gave him, God, in his hand.”

A wilderness is a place of testing and closeness with God. The stronghold signifies a place of hunting. A mountain typologically signifies a large but centralized group of people. Ziph signifies an outflowing, as in pitch melting.

The whole verse points to the effects of the church age, where the church is flowing out, hunting for souls to save, while living in this land of testing and yet closeness to God.

Verse 14 speaks of an indeterminate time at which this takes place, and at no time did God give David into Saul’s hand. It reflects eternal security.

Verse 15 said David was in the wilderness of Ziph “in the Horesh-ward.” The word is used four times in the chapter, always with the locative h ending. The root of the word is karash, to scratch. That has many significations. The main idea of it, however, is that of opening something up, as in plowing, etching, or even conceiving in one’s mind.

Because of the complicated nature of the word, I would guess that it refers to those who hold to the doctrines of Christ. They seek out the word, plowing it to unearth mysteries, searching out Christ. That would perfectly explain why David was “in the Horesh-ward.”

The seemingly contradictory thought is explained by those who accept the doctrines of Christ always being in the word, seeking to uncover more. And for thousands of years, new insights continue to come out of the word, practically daily.

Understanding this, it noted in verse 16 that Jehonathan, the saved believer granted salvation by grace through faith, came to David the Horesh-ward. It is what believers are to do. There it said, “he seized his hand in God.” Again, this is just what believers are to do: strengthen those who accept the doctrines of Christ.

In verse 17, Jonathan said that his father would not find David and that David would be king over Israel, He Strives With God. That is exactly what was set to happen. However, he also said he would be second to David, something that will not happen. Saved believers during this dispensation will be taken out at the rapture.

Verse 18 noted the covenant that David and Jonathan cut. After that, David stayed in the Horesh-ward while Jehonathan returned to his house. There had to be a literal parting of the two recorded at some point. This is when it took place.

In verse 19, Ziphites ascended unto Saul the Gibeah-ward. It doesn’t say “the Ziphites.” Thus, it means some Ziphites. Heading toward Gibeah signifies those who have not arrived at Gibeah. They reflect those in the church who have not accepted the doctrines of Christ.

The location they gave concerning David is “in the Horesh-ward in ‘hill, the Hachilah’, which from ‘right, the wasteland’.” This speaks of pursuing Christ. The givah, hill, is the same meaning as Gibeah, with the same connection to Gabbatha.

The Hill the Hachilah, or Hill the Crimson, speaks of the judgment rendered at Gabbatha, the cross of Christ. Being from ‘right, the wasteland’ signifies Christ’s power over the desolation of sin and its consequences.

These Ziphites tell Saul to come down, and they will shut David in their hand for him. Considering where David is, that is an impossibility. But they are a bit dull concerning the matter.

Verses 21-24 were Saul’s directives and their compliance with them. Then the narrative went directly to a note concerning David being in the Wilderness of Maon to the right of the wasteland. In other words, David is in the Habitation of Christ’s power over the desolation of sin and its consequences.

The final section of this chapter deals with the Lord’s continuous care for those who hold to the doctrines of Christ.

Verse 25 noted Saul seeking David. David heard about it and descended to the crag in Wilderness Maon. The sela, rock, is used again and again to picture the Lord as the Provider, Protector, and Defender of His people.

In verse 26, Saul was on one side of the mount while David was on the other. Remember, a mountain, har, is synonymous with a large but centralized group of people. Being on opposite sides of the mount, it means they are on opposite sides of the belief system of the group of people with whom they are identified.

Saul represents man destined for Sheol. However, there are those who will remain in Sheol and those who are destined to be removed from there. The dividing line is faith in Jesus Christ.

While David was retreating from Saul, it noted that Saul was encircling him. At that decisive moment in verse 27, a messenger came to tell Saul about the Weakeners overspreading the land. This caused Saul to give up pursuing David.

What will happen after the rapture? The Weakeners will truly overspread the land on a global scale. With those of the true church gone, this is exactly what can be expected.

Because of this, the crag was called Crag, the Divisions. A division existed between Saul and David as a physical divider. That pictures the spiritual divide between those who hold to the doctrines of Christ, contrasted to the power of Sheol.

The division serving as a witness points to Sheol having no ability to keep those it receives who hold to the doctrines of Christ.

The final verse said that David ascended and sat in the strongholds of En Gedi, the Fountain of a Kid. A fountain is a permanent source of fresh water. As noted, the gedi, is from gadah, to cut off. It is what finishes a matter. It speaks of living in the presence of God with the eternal flow of His Spirit. Thus, sin and death have been permanently dealt with.

These things are what can be expected during the church age, culminating in its end. The chapter has been given to reveal it. We don’t have to fear Sheol. Even if we die before the coming of Christ, there is a division set between God’s people and the power of Sheol. He is that Division, and we can confidently trust Him.

The passage is another in a list of typologically presented passages intended to help us understand what is doctrinally right and proper. In seeing what God has tucked away in these lessons, we can refine our own thinking about what God is telling us in other passages that may be disputed in the New Testament.

Pay heed to the details! God is giving us this information for our benefit if we will just search it out. Above all, He is meticulously telling us that Jesus is the key to it all. Let us be diligent to tell others about Him as well. The world needs Jesus. Without him, there will be hell to pay.

Closing Verse: “As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.” Psalm 18:30

Next Week: 1 Samuel 24.1-13 I’ll say it, and I’ll say it a-gain, even till it’s done… (For Reigning, You Will Reign, Part I) (51^st 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 23:16-29 (CG)

¹⁹And they ascended, Ziphites, unto Saul the Gibeah-ward, to say, “(Indeed) not David hiding himself with us in the strongholds in the Horesh-ward in ‘Hill, the Hachilah’ which from ‘right, the wasteland’?” ²⁰And now to all longing your soul, the king, to descend, you must descend. And to us – cause to shut him in hand the king.

²¹And he said, Saul, “Blessed you to Yehovah, for you commiserated upon me.” ²²You must walk, pray, you will cause to establish yet. And you must know, and you must see his place where it will be his foot – who he saw him there. For it said unto me conceiving, he will cause to conceive, he. ²³And you must see, and you must know from all the hideouts where he will ‘secrete himself’ there. And you will retun unto me unto ‘being established’, and I will walk with you. And it will be, if he exists in the land, and I will ‘search’ him in all ‘thousands, Judah’.”

²⁴And they arose, and they walked Ziph-ward to ‘faces, Saul’. And David, and his mortals, in ‘Wilderness, Maon’, in the wasteplain, unto ‘right, the wasteland’. ²⁵And he walked, Saul, and his mortals to seek. And they caused to declare to David, and he descended – the crag. And he sat in ‘Wilderness, Maon’. And he heard, Saul, and he pursued after David – ‘Wilderness, Maon’. ²⁶And he walked, Saul, from side, the mount, from this, and David and his mortals from side, the mount, from this. And he was, David, being hastened to walk from ‘faces, Saul’. And Saul, and his mortals, encircling unto David and unto his mortals, to manipulate them.

²⁷And messenger, he came unto Saul, to say, “You must (surely) hurry, and you must (surely) walk. For they overspread, the Philistines, upon the land.” ²⁸And he returned, Saul, from pursuing after David. And he walked to encounter – Philistines. Upon thus, they called to the place, the it, ‘Crag, the Divisions’. ²⁹And he ascended, David, from there. And he sat in ‘strongholds, En Gedi’.

Verse 23 – Qeri: “and his mortals.”

 

1 Samuel 23:16-29 (NKJV)

¹⁶ Then Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God. ¹⁷ And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that.” ¹⁸ So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house. ¹⁹ Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding with us in strongholds in the woods, 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 your soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.”

²¹ And Saul said, “Blessed are you of the Lord, for you have compassion on me. ²² Please go and find out for sure, and see the place where his hideout is, and who has seen him there. For I am told he is very crafty. ²³ See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides; and come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall be, if he is in the land, that I will search for him throughout all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴ So 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 When Saul and his men went to seek him, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock, and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the Wilderness of Maon. ²⁶ Then Saul went on one side of the mountain, and David and his men on the other side of the mountain. So David made haste to get away from Saul, for Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.

²⁷ But a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land!” ²⁸ Therefore Saul returned from pursuing David, and went against the Philistines; so they called that place the Rock of Escape. ²⁹ Then David went up from there and dwelt in strongholds at En Gedi.

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 23:1-15
You Will Reign Upon Israel, Part I

(Typed 9 February 2026) A commonly asked question is, “If God already knows what we will do, then how can we have free will?” The question itself assumes too much from one aspect while failing to assume enough from another.

The first (over-assuming) assumption is that if God knows everything, then He must predetermine everything we do as well. The second (under-assuming) assumption is that we have no capability to redirect what God knows will happen in a particular matter.

The Bible teaches neither of these things. An example of this is found in today’s passage. As we decide what to do, this truth would be more understandable if we could talk to God and get an audible response from Him –

“Oh God, I want to go to Timbuktu and tell the people about Jesus. If I go and do so, will I be killed? Will people get saved?”

The Lord responds, “People will get saved if you go.”

Because the Lord answered the second question only, you ask the first question again –

“Oh God, I want to go to Timbuktu and tell people about Jesus. If I go, will I be killed?”

The Lord responds, “You will be killed.”

A choice now has to be made. If I go to Timbuktu and share the gospel, people will get saved. However, I will be killed while I am in Timbuktu.

The Lord already knows what will happen in any such contingency. He has not directed the outcome, and I have two options set before me. Based on what I choose to do, people will either be saved, or they will not be saved. The choice is mine, even if the Lord knows what I will ultimately do.

Text Verse: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ¹⁹ Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:18, 19

Taking our example further, what if the same two options were on the table, but I say –

“I have heard that the volcano in Timbuktu is bound to explode someday soon. If I don’t go, will anyone else go in my place?”

The Lord responds, “Nobody else will go. All the people will die before anyone commits to going.”

So, I will be killed. Maybe it will be by hostile Timbuktuians (Timbuktanese?), even before any volcanic explosion. Or maybe the volcano will blow when I am there and kill me. However, no person there will ever hear the gospel. God knows everything that ever will happen, or that ever could happen, but that does not mean we do not have free will.

In fact, because we have the word of God, such contingencies require us to have free will. We don’t need an audible response from the Lord to know this. The Bible is written, and it tells us what to do. If we do one thing, certain things, known to God, will result. If we take the other option, certain things, known to God, will result.

God already knows what we will do, but we have to do it. The choice is ours. This is a certain truth that is found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. He Scrutinized Him, God (verses 1-8)

Then they told David, saying,

vayagidu l_edavid lemor – “And they caused to declare to David, to say.” The word “then” is a time marker not implied in the Hebrew. The account is stating a fact regardless of time, which may or may not be chronologically placed after the previous passage. David means Beloved.

^{1 (con’t)} “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah,

hineh ph_elishtim nilkhamim biqilah – “Behold! Philistines being fought in Keilah.” Regardless of his location at this time, David is in hiding from Saul. While eluding him, David hears word concerning one of the cities of Israel being attacked by the Philistines.

Philistines means Weakeners. Keilah was noted as a city of Judah in Joshua 15:44. It is located in the Shephelah, the Lowland, which borders the area of the Philistines. It is about three miles south of Adullam on a hill above the Valley of Elah. It is also not far from the last known location of David, the Forest of Hareth.

Despite it being mentioned many times, Abarim doesn’t even list it. Strong, Young, and Jones all agree it is derived from qala’, to sling or carve (as in a circular motion), defining it as Citadel, Enclosed, and Fortress, respectively. Based on the root, it could also mean Sling. Of this city being attacked by the Philistines…

^{1 (con’t)} and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

v_ehemah shosim eth hagoranoth – “and they ‘plundering the threshing floors’.” This is the only time the goren, threshing floor, is seen in 1 Samuel. The chaff of the grain is separated from the kernel. It is a place of separation and, thus, judgment. The threshing floor is referred to by John the Baptist –

“Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.’” Luke 3:15-17

The threshing floor is typologically used to signify a place of judgment. The reason for plundering the threshing floors is that all of the time-consuming and laborious work is complete. The planting, tending, and harvesting of the grain is over. The sheaves are brought to the threshing floor and are then processed to remove the chaff, leaving only grain.

Any point during this process is when it would be best to plunder the people. Even if the threshing wasn’t complete, everything would still be in easy-to-steal piles.

² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

vayishal David beY_ehovah lemor ha’elekh v_ehiketi bap_elishtim ha’eleh – “And he asked, David, in Yehovah, to say, ‘I will walk, and I will cause to strike in the Philistines, the these?’” David asks for the Lord’s guidance. It is not stated how he inquired. Regardless, he asks, anticipating a response…

^{2 (con’t)} And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

vayomer Y_ehovah el David lekh v_ehikita bap_elishtim vehoshata eth q_eilah – “And He said, Yehovah, unto David, ‘You must walk, and you will cause to strike in the Philistines, and you will cause to save Keilah.’” After inquiring of the Lord, a positive response is given. An imperative verb directs an attack upon the Philistines. Despite the Lord’s word, there is disagreement among his men…

³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah.

vayomeru anshe David elav hineh anakhnu phoh bihudah yereim – “And they said, mortals David, unto him, ‘Behold! We here in Judah – frightened.’” Despite hearing a positive word from the Lord, the men balk. They are in Judah, afraid and hiding. There is nothing to be gained by attacking, and their presence in the forest would be disclosed.

Judah means Praise.

^{3 (con’t)} How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

veaph ki nelekh qeilah el maarkoth pelishtim – “And yea, for we will walk – Keilah, unto ‘arrangements, Philistines’?” Not only would their presence be made known, but they would be facing the enemy in battle. If the battle was drawn out, they could, ostensibly, face the Philistines from the front and Saul from the rear.

⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord once again.

vayoseph od David lishol beY_ehovah – “And he caused to add again, David, to inquire in Yehovah.” David was ready to go. The Lord had spoken, and that was sufficient for him. However, to alleviate the misgivings of his men, he again inquired of the Lord…

^{4 (con’t)} And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

vayaanehu Y_ehovah vayomer qum red q_eilah ki ani nothen eth p_elisht im b_eyadekha – “And He answered him, Yehovah, and He said, ‘You must arise! You must descend – Keilah. For I – delivering Philistines in your hand.’” Two imperatives are included in the answer. There is no reason to doubt or have misgivings. The Lord assures David that victory lies ahead.

⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah

vayelekh David vainsho q_eilah – “And he walked, David, and his mortal [k.] – Keilah.” The written and oral Hebrew are different. The written says “and his mortal.” The oral changes it to “and his mortals.” Assuming the written is correct, it could be referring to the man with the oracle, or it may be, as occasionally happens, that the singular is placed for the plural. As for David and his man, off they went…

^{5 (con’t)} and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock.

vayilakhem bap_elishtim vayinhag eth miqnehem vayakh bahem makah g_edolah – “And he was fought in the Philistines. And he drove their livestock, and he caused to strike in them – wound whopping.” David engaged the battle with them. Saying the Philistines “led” their livestock probably indicates that the Philistines had already been plundering elsewhere, acquiring plunder along the way.

Despite having success, they were unprepared to face David, and they suffered a great defeat. The word translated as livestock, miqneh, is derived from qanah, to erect. By extension, it signifies to purchase or to possess. This is the only time it is mentioned in 1 Samuel.

^{5 (con’t)} So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

vayosha David eth yosh_eve q_eilah – “And he caused to save, David, ‘sitters, Keilah’.” This is purposefully stated even though it could have been inferred from the previous clause. David is credited with saving the people of the city. Regardless of what happens as the narrative continues, the Lord directed David to go, and he obediently followed through.

⁶ Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

vayhi bivroakh evyathar ben akhimelekh el David q_eilah ephod yarad b_eyado – “(And it was, in bolting, Abiathar son Ahimelech, unto David – Keilah, ephod he descended in his hand.)” I believe this verse is parenthetical. It is a statement of fact. It is an explanatory statement concerning how David consulted the Lord in the previous verses.

Once the battle with the Philistines ended and David moved into Keilah, Abiathar heard he was there and came to him. This would be the sequence of events since David escaped:

He left being with Michal (19:12). He went to Samuel at Ramah (19:18). He met up with Jonathan (20:1). He departed from Jonathan (20:42). He went to Nob and acquired the bread and Goliath’s sword (21:1-9). He fled to Achish in Gath (21:10-15). He departed from Gath and went to Adullam to Mizpah of Moab, and then back to the forest of Hareth (22:1-5). Saul heard of his location, and he was told by Doeg about David’s time in Nob. Because of that, Saul had the priests killed and the city of Nob anathematized (22:6-19). David heard about Keilah during this time, and he went to rescue it. (23:1-5). At this point, the final verses of Chapter 22 (22:20-23), when Abiathar escaped to David, are inserted. Verse 23:6 is given as a statement of fact to complement what is said in those verses.

Abiathar means Father of Superfluity. Ahimelech means My Brother Is King.

⁷ And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah.

vayugad l_eshaul ki va David q_eilah – “And it was caused to declare to Saul that he went, David – Keilah.” This means that after rescuing Keilah, David stayed there. It doesn’t say how Saul heard where Davis was, but he is excited about the fact…

^{7 (con’t)} So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand,

vayomer shaul nikar otho elohim b_eyadi – “And he said, Saul, ‘He scrutinized him, God, in my hand.” As people do, Saul attributed his good fortune to it being God’s will. He used the word nakar, to scrutinize or look at intently, to describe the matter.

In other words, it is Saul’s delusion that God looked over David, found him to be a foe of Saul (as if Saul is in favor with God), and turned David over to him.

Saul means Asked. His name is identical in spelling to Sheol.

Because Saul thinks God is on his side, he thinks David’s fate is sealed…

^{7 (con’t)} for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

ki nisgar lavo b_eir d_elatayim uv_eriakh – “For he was shut to enter in city – doors and bars.’” David is holed up in a fortified city. If Saul arrived while David was still in the city, there would be no way for him and his men to get out. Therefore…

⁸ Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah

vayshama shaul eth kal ha’am lamilkhamah laredeth q_eilah – “And he ‘heard’, Saul, all the people to the battle to descend – Keilah.” Saul had the people hear the call to prepare for battle. The strange form of expression, which the context demands as causative, even though the verb itself is not in a causative form, is only found one other time in 1 Samuel 15:4. Upon gathering the troops, the intent was to descend to Keilah…

^{8 (con’t)} to besiege David and his men.

latsur el David v_eel anashav – “to cramp unto David and unto his mortals.” As they were in the city, if it was surrounded by troops, the inhabitants would be unable to go in or out unless they surrendered David to Saul.

Even without attacking, Saul’s men could wait it out and break the city’s resistance. If necessary, they could also attack. Therefore, surrendering David would be the simplest and least painful option.

He did nothing wrong, and yet they pursued Him
He looked out for others, but they were unkind
Such an unhappy situation, dour and grim
To His faithful ways, they remained blind

But to this day, He holds out His hands
To those who have turned away from Him
We were all trapped by sin’s strong bands
And our fate remained dour and grim

He gives us the choice to choose our path
He directs us with His word if we will accept it
Which is the better way? You do the math
Follow Jesus and to His goodness submit

II. They Went Out From Keilah (verses 9-15)

⁹ When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him,

vayeda David ki alav shaul makharish ha’raah – “And he knew, David, that upon him Saul ‘causing to scratch the evilness’.” We aren’t told how David found out about Saul’s machinations, but the cat got out of the bag. Saying “scratch the evilness” is a way of expressing that Saul was devising evil towards David, as if he was scratching out a plan.

One can devise evil just for the sake of it. But Saul is devising evil, particularly toward his goal. The NKJV, though a paraphrase, rightly gets the sense.

^{9 (con’t)} he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

vayomer el evyathar ha’kohen hagishah ha’ephod – “And he said unto Abiathar the priest, ‘You must cause to (surely) near the ephod.’” There is a lot of speculation on these words, but the most likely meaning is that Abiathar would don the garments of the high priest, in which were the Urim and Thummim. He would then consult the Lord on behalf of David.

¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

vayomer David Y_ehovah elohe Yisrael shamoa shama avd_ekha ki m_evaqesh shaul lavo el qeilah l_eshakheth lair baavuri – “And he said, David, ‘Yehovah, ‘God, Israel’, hearing, he heard, your servant, for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to ruin the city in my being traversed.’” The words, if looked at in sections, are very formal and precise.

David first says Yehovah. He is the covenant Lord of Israel. Thus, David is appealing to the covenant life instituted and monitored by Him.

Next, he says ‘God, Israel’. It is understood that Yehovah is God, but Israel had many “gods” throughout their years. By stating this in conjunction with Yehovah, David acknowledges Him as the One true God.

Saying “hearing, he heard” indicates that a matter of importance has come to his ears, which could affect the covenant life of the people. David has been anointed king. He wants to ensure that the Lord’s will is accomplished, so he will inquire about this matter.

David then says, “your servant.” He subordinates himself before the Lord. His anointing came from the Lord. Unlike Saul, who ignored that fact and failed to anathematize the Amalekites, David has no such intentions. He will hear the word as a subject of the Lord.

Lastly, he sets forth what he has heard, looking for answers to the situation. The matter is, “for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to ruin the city in my traversal.” David is concerned first and foremost for the city. With his information set forth in a humble and detailed manner, he next sets forth his questions.

¹¹ Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand?

vayasgiruni vaale q_eilah v_eyado – “They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand?” David’s first question isn’t about Saul at all! He has lived with the people of Keilah since rescuing them. His question deals with their character, not Saul’s. He knows what Saul will do if he comes.

The city and its inhabitants will face Saul’s wrath, just like the priests of Nob. David is evaluating what the best course of action to take is. He then proposes a second question, which would precipitate what will happen concerning the first question…

^{11 (con’t)} Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard?

hayered shaul kaasher shama avd_ekha – “He will descend, Saul, according to which he heard, Your servant?” If the answer to the first question was negative, David’s response to the Lord’s second answer may be different.

^{11 (con’t)} O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

Yehovah elohe Yisrael haged na l_eavdekha vayomer Y_ehovah yered – “Yehovah ‘God, Israel’, You must cause to declare, I pray, to Your servant.’ And He said, Yehovah, ‘He will descend.’” The Lord only responded to the second question. Thus, David must decide what he will do based on that. However, knowing that the Lord may have purposely left the first question unanswered to test his intentions, he again asks the first question with more detail…

¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

vayomer David hayasgiru baale q_eilah othi v_eeth anashay b_eyad shaul – “And he said, David, ‘They will cause to shut, masters Keilah, me and my mortals in ‘hand, Saul’?’” David now extends the original question –

“They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand?”
“And he said, David, ‘They will cause to shut, masters Keilah, me and my men in hand Saul?”

David was concerned about Keilah. He had to evaluate what would happen if only he was handed over to Saul. He must also evaluate what will happen if he and his men are handed over.

^{12 (con’t)} And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

vayomer Y_ehovah yasgiru – “And He said, Yehovah, ‘They will cause to shut.’” Saul is coming. The masters of Keilah will hand over David to save the city, and they will hand over his men as well. Therefore, there is no suitable option but to depart. David will have to hope that Saul will not destroy the entire city, and he doesn’t even bother asking if he will. The city masters will hand him and his men over regardless.

Of this, the JFB Commentary says, “The alternative conditions here described have often been referred to as illustrating the doctrine of God’s foreknowledge and preordination of events.” The first premise, God’s foreknowledge, is correct. The second, His preordination of events, is not even hinted at in this account. Rather, Adam Clarke rightly states the matter –

“In these verses we find the following questions and answers: – David said, Will Saul come down to Keilah? And the Lord said, He will come down. Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. In this short history we find an ample proof that there is such a thing as contingency in human affairs; that is, God has poised many things between a possibility of being and not being, leaving it to the will of the creature to turn the scale. In the above answers of the Lord the following conditions were evidently implied: – If thou continue in Keilah, Saul will certainly come down; and If Saul come down, the men of Keilah will deliver thee into his hands. Now though the text positively asserts that Saul would come to Keilah, yet he did not come; and that the men of Keilah would deliver David into his hand, yet David was not thus delivered to him. And why? Because David left Keilah; but had he stayed, Saul would have come down, and the men of Keilah would have betrayed David. We may observe from this that, however positive a declaration of God may appear that refers to any thing in which man is to be employed, the prediction is not intended to suspend or destroy free agency, but always comprehends in it some particular condition.”

He is right. At the same time, God knew what David would do. He did not preordain what David chose. Rather, He gave the necessary information to decide, knowing already what he would do, and then allowed it to come about.

The fact that alternate options were available, with a positive response to their outcome by the Lord, verifies it. This is the same as what was seen in our text verse from Ezekiel, and it is what is consistently presented from the first page in the Bible that details man’s interactions with God until the last page –

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Genesis 2:16, 17

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred, arose

vayaqam David vaanashav k_eshesh meoth ish – “And he arose, David, and his mortals, according to six hundreds man.” The number of his men has increased from four hundred (22:2) to six hundred. The number six hundred is derived from six and ten.

Bullinger says of ten, “Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, is, therefore, the ever-present signification of the number ten. It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete.”

He defines six, saying, “…it has to do with man; it is the number of imperfection; the human number; the number of MAN as destitute of God, without God, without Christ.” Simply stated, it speaks of fallen man.

^{13 (con’t)} and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go.

vayets_eu miq_elilah vayithhal_ekhu basher yithalakhu – “And they went out from Keilah, and they walked themselves in which they will walk themselves.” The NKJV is correct. The repetition of the reflexive verbs gives the sense of ambling about from one place to another without immediately settling in.

^{13 (con’t)} Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

u-l_eshaul hugad ki nimlat David miq_eilah vayekhdal latseth – “And to Saul, it was caused to declare that he was eluded, David, from Keilah. And he desisted to go.” After hearing of David’s departure, Saul broke off his march to Keilah. Without David there, to destroy the whole city would be pointless, unproductive, and costly.

Although Saul was no longer heading to Keilah, it doesn’t mean David was safe to settle down again. Rather…

¹⁴ And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness,

vayeshev David bamidbar bam_etsadoth – “And he sat, David, in the wilderness, in the strongholds.” Many translations get this verse all jumbled up in thought. There are two main categories. Each is identified by the word vayeshev, “and he sat.”

The sense is that David went wherever he thought he needed to go to elude Saul. The first places were in the wilderness, in the strongholds.

In the Bible, the wilderness is a place of God’s grace and of closeness to Him, but also a place of testing. For some, such as Israel, the testing resulted in disobedience. For others, such as Christ when He was tested, it was a place of fellowship through obedience.

The wilderness and the law are closely connected because testing is accomplished through law. This is seen in the word itself, midbar. It is derived from the verb davar, to speak, and the noun davar, meaning word. The Lord spoke the Ten Commandments (words/d_evarim) in the desert (midbar) of Sinai.

Thinking about these terms, one can see the connection between Jesus, the Word of God, and His testing in the wilderness as well.

The next place mentioned is the metsad, stronghold. It is derived from tsud, to hunt. By implication, it signifies a stronghold or fort. It is the masculine form of the word matsod, stronghold, seen in verse 22:4. Next…

^{14 (con’t)} and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph.

vayeshev bahar b_emidbar ziph – “and he sat in the mount in ‘wilderness, Ziph’.” This is the next category, identified by vayeshev, “and he sat.” In Scripture, a har, mount(ain), is a lot of something gathered. In typology, it is synonymous with a large but centralized group of people.

Ziph is identified by Jones as coming from an unused root, zuph, and calls it Borrowed. Young’s, with no explanation for its source, defines it as Refining Place. However, his source becomes clear when considering what Strong and Abarim say.

They both say it may come from zepheth, pitch. That comes from an unused root meaning to liquify, as asphalt does, softening in the sun. Using that same root, it could just as easily mean Melting or Liquifying. As such, Young’s draws on the idea of melting to determine it means Refining Place.

One final possibility is that it is the masculine form of the feminine word Ziphah, which Young identifies as Lent (the act of lending) and Strong identifies as A Flowing. Regardless, the general idea of is of a sense of outward motion.

^{14 (con’t)} Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

vayvaqshehu shaul ha’yamim v_elo n_etano elohim b_eyado – “And he sought him, Saul, all the days, and not He gave him, God, in his hand.” So much for Saul’s conclusion from verse 7, “He scrutinized him, God, in my hand.” Rather, God did just the opposite, demonstrating that Saul, not David, had been scrutinized.

¹⁵ So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life.

vayar David ki yatsa shaul l_evaqesh eth naphso – “And he saw, David, for he went out, Saul, to seek his soul.” David was eluded from Saul, but he saw that Saul continued to search for him. This indicates that Saul was completely determined to get David, even at the expense of other matters.

*^{15 (fin)} And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.

The words are somewhat odd: v_edavid b_emidbar ziph bakhor_eshah – “And David in ‘wilderness, Ziph’, in the Horesh-ward.” There is an anomaly. It says bakhor_esha, in the Horesh-word. The prefix b (in) and the suffix h (motion towards) form a grammatical contradiction. How can you be in what you are going towards?

The cantillation mark placed by the Masoretes considers the h a fossilized ending by placing the stress where the h is not considered. But the fact is that in the text, it is either the name of a location, Horesh, or it is the word khoresh, which means forest. Whichever it is, the result is the same for typology.

I kept the h ending, which is ignored by all translations and commentaries, saying Horesh-ward. But that doesn’t mean it is correct. I just want to be reminded it is there. Such information has to be kept somewhere. The Sunday morning sermon is that place.

Speaking of places, this is a great place for the sermon to end because the next paragraph reunites Jonathan and David. The contents of the continued passage will fit better with that introduction than here.

As for the verses today, they contain one of the best lessons for people to learn so that they do not embarrass themselves with unfounded claims. Unfortunately, it is one of the most common things that we as Christians do.

Saul ascribed his situation to the hand of God. But is it right to say, “The Lord led me to this conclusion” or “The Lord showed me this was the thing to do”? Most of us have heard this, but they are words better left unsaid.

I get the sentiment in emails all the time, and more often than not, it is accompanied by an incorrect analysis of whatever is being referred to. As such, it cannot be the Lord who “showed” the person what to do. But once the words are uttered, there is no going back on the claim. The damage is done.

I got one in my inbox on sermon typing day. It came from a person who does this constantly, claiming the Holy Ghost led him to his conclusion. After ten years of reading his claims, not one thing he has asserted has come to pass.

That is ten years of disgracing himself in the name of the Lord, and yet, within a day or two, he will do it again. I have attempted to correct him on this. Then come the accusations and invectives, but never an acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

Attributing something to the workings of the Lord that He did not do diminishes the value of the Lord in others’ eyes. It will also lessen the value of the true word of the Lord in their eyes. Saul certainly did that to the men around him who heard his words. His claim was neither trivial nor insignificant.

Take time to read Jeremiah 25:33-40 to understand how the Lord protects His true word and how He disdains the abuse of it through a false word. If something is truly inspired by the Lord, there is no need to claim anything. The Lord knows, and others will be blessed by the insight. That is sufficient. Remember to have respect and care for the Lord and for His word.

Closing Verse: “Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. ¹¹ And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.” Jeremiah 28:10, 11

Next Week: 1 Samuel 23:16-29 When he does, it’ll be really swell, it’s true… (You Will Reign Upon Israel, Part II) (50^th 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 23:1-15 (CG)

23 And they caused to declare to David, to say, “Behold! Philistines being fought in Keilah, and they ‘plundering the threshing floors’.”

²And he asked, David, in Yehovah, to say, “I will walk, and I will cause to strike in the Philistines, the these?”

And He said, Yehovah, unto David, “You must walk, and you will cause to strike in the Philistines, and you will cause to save Keilah.”

³And they said, mortals David, unto him, “Behold! We here in Judah – frightened. And yea, for we will walk – Keilah, unto ‘arrangements, Philistines’?” ⁴And he caused to add again, David, to inquire in Yehovah.

And He answered him, Yehovah, and He said, “You must arise! You must descend – Keilah. For I – delivering Philistines in your hand.” ⁵And he walked, David, and his mortal [k.] – Keilah. And he was fought in the Philistines. And he drove their livestock, and he caused to strike in them – wound whopping. And he caused to save, David, ‘sitters, Keilah’.

[Note: Chronologically 1 Samuel 22:20-23 logically belong after 1 Samuel 23:5]

(⁶And it was in bolting, Abiathar, son Ahimelech, unto David – Keilah, ephod he descended in his hand.)

⁷And it was caused to declare to Saul that he went, David – Keilah. And he said, Saul, “He scrutinized him, God, in my hand. For he was shut to enter in city – doors and bars.” ⁸And he ‘heard’, Saul, all the people to the battle to descend – Keilah, to cramp unto David and unto his mortals.

⁹And he knew, David, that upon him Saul ‘causing to scratch the evilness’. And he said unto Abiathar the priest, “You must cause to (surely) near the ephod.” ¹⁰And he said, David, “Yehovah, ‘God, Israel’, hearing, he heard, your servant, for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to ruin the city in my traversal. ¹¹They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand? He will descend, Saul, according to which he heard, Your servant? Yehovah ‘God, Israel’, You must cause to declare, pray, to Your servant.”

And He said, Yehovah, “He will descend.”

¹²And he said, David, “They will cause to shut, masters Keilah, me and my mortals in ‘hand, Saul’?”

And He said, Yehovah, “They will cause to shut.”

¹³And he arose, David, and his mortals, according to six hundreds man. And they went out from Keilah, and they walked themselves in which they will walk themselves. And to Saul, it was caused to declare that he was eluded, David, from Keilah. And he desisted to go.

¹⁴And he sat, David, in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and he sat in the mount in ‘wilderness, Ziph’. And he sought him, Saul, all the days, and not He gave him, God, in his hand. ¹⁵And he saw, David, for he went out, Saul, to seek his soul. And David in ‘wilderness, Ziph’, in the Horesh-ward.

 

1 Samuel 23:1-15 (NKJV)

Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, 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 the Lord once again.

And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶ Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷ And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” ⁸ Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. ¹¹ Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

¹⁴ And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. ¹⁵ So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.