1 Samuel 23:10-14 English Standard Version (ESV)

10
Then David said, “O LORD, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city
on my account. 11 Will the men of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, the
God of Israel, please tell your servant.” And the LORD said, “He will come down.”12 Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah
surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will surrender you.”13 Then David and his men, who
were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David
had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition.14 And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill
country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” 2 he inquired of
the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
3
But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
4
Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into
your hand.” 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses
on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he
fled to David at Keilah.)
5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the
Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled
to David at Keilah.)
Saul Pursues David
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned
himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” 8 And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege
David and his men.
9 When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” 10 David said, “Lord,
God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. 11 Will
the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will.”
12 Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”
And the Lord said, “They will.”
13 So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that
David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
14 David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God
did notgive David into his hands.

Abiathar had evidently remained in the forest of Hereth when David took his men to attack the Philistines in Keilah (cf. 1 Samuel
22:20-23). Now the priest joined David at Keilah ( 1 Samuel 23:6). The presence of the ephod made it possible for David to
continue to obtain guidance from the Lord in answer to his prayers.

Saul piously claimed that God had delivered David into his hands ( 1 Samuel 23:7). Obviously God had not done this since David
was the Lord"s anointed king-elect. God did not want Saul to hunt him down, much less kill him. Keilah evidently had only one
gate by which people could enter and exit the town. Saul felt confident that he could control the gate and so trap David.

Saul summoned soldiers to accompany him to Keilah ( 1 Samuel 23:7), but there is no mention that he prayed for divine guidance
as David had done ( 1 Samuel 23:2; 1 Samuel 23:4). David prayed again and requested answers to two questions ( 1 Samuel 23:10-
11). He opened and closed his prayer with an appeal to the "LORD God of Israel," the ultimate ruler of His people. He also
described himself as the Lord"s "servant" twice. David voiced concern for his men ( 1 Samuel 23:12) as well as for himself ( 1
Samuel 23:11). God gave the answer to David"s second question first, and then He answered his first question.

The willingness of the people of Keilah to hand their savior over to Saul demonstrates base ingratitude for David"s deliverance of
them. It also reveals how fearful they were of Saul who had recently destroyed another town, Nob, for harboring David ( 1 Samuel
22:19).

David left Keilah after he learned that he would be vulnerable if he stayed there ( 1 Samuel 23:13). He did not take revenge on the
citizens of Keilah for telling Saul where he was. Saul had taken revenge on the citizens of Nob for not telling him where David was.
The number of David"s supporters had grown from400 ( 1 Samuel 22:2) to600. More people were siding with David and were
turning from Saul. Saul abandoned his plans to attack Keilah, and David moved on to the wilderness near Ziph.