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1 Samuel
Chapter Twenty-three
1 Samuel 23
Chapter Contents
David rescues Keilah. (1-6) God warns him to escape from
Keilah. (7-13) Jonathan comforts David. (14-18) He is rescued from Saul by an
invasion of the Philistines. (19-29)
Commentary on 1 Samuel 23:1-6
(Read 1 Samuel 23:1-6)
When princes persecute God's people
let them expect
vexation on all sides. The way for any country to be quiet
is to let God's
church be quiet in it: if Saul fight against David
the Philistines fight
against his country. David considered himself the protector of the land. Thus
did the Saviour Jesus
and left us an example. Those are unlike David
who
sullenly decline to do good
if they are not rewarded for services.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 23:7-13
(Read 1 Samuel 23:7-13)
Well might David complain of his enemies
that they
rewarded him evil for good
and that for his love they were his adversaries.
Christ was used thus basely. David applied to his great Protector for
direction. No sooner was the ephod brought him than he made use of it. We have
the Scriptures in our hands
let us take advice from them in doubtful cases.
Say
Bring hither the Bible. David's address to God is very solemn
also very
particular. God allows us to be so in our addresses to him; Lord
direct me in
this matter
about which I am now at a loss. God knows not only what will be
but what would be
if it were not hindered; therefore he knows how to deliver
the godly out of temptation
and how to render to every man according to his
works.
Commentary on 1 Samuel 23:14-18
(Read 1 Samuel 23:14-18)
David made no attempt against Saul; he kept God's way
waited God's time
and was content to secure himself in woods and wildernesses.
Let it make us think the worse of this world
which often gives such bad
treatment to its best men: let it make us long for that kingdom where goodness
shall for ever be in glory
and holiness in honour. We find Jonathan comforting
David. As a pious friend
he directed him to God
the Foundation of his
comfort. As a self-denying friend
he takes pleasure in the prospect of David's
advancement to the throne. As a constant friend
he renewed his friendship with
him. Our covenant with God should be often renewed
and therein our communion
with him kept up. If the converse of one friend
at one meeting
gives comfort
and strengthens our hearts
what may not be expected from the continual
supports and powerful love of the Saviour of sinners
the covenanted Friend of
believers!
Commentary on 1 Samuel 23:19-29
(Read 1 Samuel 23:19-29)
In the midst of his wickedness
Saul affected to speak
the language of piety. Such expressions
without suitable effects
can only
amuse or deceive those who hear
and those who use them. This mountain was an
emblem of the Divine Providence coming between David and the destroyer. Let us
not be dismayed at the prospect of future difficulties
but stay ourselves upon
Him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Sooner than his
promise shall fail
he will commission Philistines to effect our escape
at the
very moment when our case appears most desperate. God requires entire
dependence on him
If ye will not believe
surely ye shall not be established
Isaiah 7:9.
── Matthew Henry《Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel》
1 Samuel 23
Verse 1
[1] Then
they told David
saying
Behold
the Philistines fight against Keilah
and they
rob the threshingfloors.
The Philistines
… —
Probably it was the departure of God and David from Saul
that encouraged the
Philistines to make this inroad. When princes begin to persecute God's people
and ministers
let them expect nothing but vexation on all sides.
Verse 4
[4] Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and
said
Arise
go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine
hand.
Enquired again —
Not for his own
but for his soldiers satisfaction.
Verse 6
[6] And
it came to pass
when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah
that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
Ephod —
With the Ephod
the high-priest's Ephod
wherein were the Urim and the Thummim
which when Ahimelech and the rest of the priests went to Saul
were probably
left in his hand. This gave him the opportunity both of escaping
whilst Doeg
the butcher was killing his brethren
and of bringing away the Ephod
which
Saul now was justly deprived of.
Verse 11
[11] Will
the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down
as thy
servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel
I beseech thee
tell thy servant. And
the LORD said
He will come down.
The Lord said —
From this place it may appear that God's answer by Urim and Thummim
was not by
any change in the colour or situation of the precious stones in the
breast-plate of the Ephod
but by a voice or suggestion from God to the
high-priest.
He will — He
purposeth to come
if thou continuest here. For still as David's question
so
God's answer
is upon supposition.
Verse 16
[16] And Jonathan Saul's son arose
and went to David into the wood
and
strengthened his hand in God.
And strengthened — He
comforted and supported him against all his fears
by minding him of God's
infallible promises made to him
and his singular providence which hitherto had
and still would be with him.
Verse 17
[17] And
he said unto him
Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee;
and thou shalt be king over Israel
and I shall be next unto thee; and that
also Saul my father knoweth.
Next to thee —
Which he gathered either from David's generosity
and friendship to him; or
from some promise made to him by David concerning it. So that the whole imports
thus much; I do not look to be king myself (as by my birth I might expect
) but
that thou shalt be king (God having so appointed) and I but in a secondary
place inferior to thee.
Verse 18
[18] And
they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood
and
Jonathan went to his house.
Made a covenant —
They then parted
and never came together again
that we find
in this world.
Verse 19
[19] Then
came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah
saying
Doth not David hide himself
with us in strong holds in the wood
in the hill of Hachilah
which is on the
south of Jeshimon?
Ziphites —
Who were of David's own tribe tho' for this their unnatural carriage to him
he
calls them strangers
Psalms 54:3.
Verse 25
[25] Saul
also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down
into a rock
and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that
he
pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
A rock —
That is
into a cave which was in the rock; where at first he might think to
hide himself
but upon farther consideration he removed from thence upon Saul's
approach.
Verse 27
[27] But
there came a messenger unto Saul
saying
Haste thee
and come; for the
Philistines have invaded the land.
A messenger
… —
The wisdom of God is never at a loss for ways
and means to preserve his
people.
Verse 28
[28]
Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David
and went against the
Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.
Called
… —
That is
The rock of divisions
because there Saul was separated
and in a
manner pulled asunder from David
who was now almost within his reach.
── John Wesley《Explanatory Notes on 1 Samuel》
23 Chapter 23
Verses 1-29
Verse 2
Shall I go?
The leadings of Providence
David lived under the Mosaic dispensation. Now
that dispensation
as it was remarkable for many extraordinary circumstances
was so more
especially for the particular revelation which God was pleased to make in it of
Himself to mankind upon special occasions. The will of the Lord appears to have
been made known in five several ways:
For our guide in temporal things
God has given us our
understanding.
1. Let our first rule be
that we are chiefly solicitous to discharge
Duty.
2. Beware of mistaking your own inclinations for the suggestions of
Provident.
3. It may be laid down as a maxim that Providence never sanctions the
neglect of any duty to point out other courses of action. There is a beautiful
uniformity in the conduct which God prescribes for us. No duties over clash
with each other.
4. We ought to beware of seeking for other directions than those
which Providence has been pleased to appoint. Do not expect revelations where
God has not promised them.
5. Let me also caution you against a partial use of the means which
Providence has afforded us for our direction. You pray
perhaps
very
sincerely; but do you also listen to the suggestions of prudence; do you take
the advice of wise and faithful friends? (John Venn.)
Verses 4-26
Arise
go down to Keilah.
The training in the wilderness
The contrast between David at Nob or Gath and at Hareth and Keilah
is most marked.
1. It is God’s will he desires to know (1 Samuel 23:4). Truly David at this
time waited only upon God
and his expectation was from Jehovah (Psalms 62:1-12). Hunger for Divine
guidance is a gracious sign! The Master blessed such (Matthew 5:6). Such a state of heart is
preparation surely for larger blessing.
2. Obedience and humble reliance upon God may not lessen
difficulties? David’s own people oppose his advance upon Keilah. So he and his
enter Keilah. All now is well surely! Yes
all is well
but it looked not so.
Strange that in obeying God he found more difficulties! Not so if we understand
he is in training for the crown. Is this not so of all those who are unto God a
nation of priestly kings? Not a murmur escapes David’s lips. Into Ziph
a small
place at the edge of the Southern desert
David enters
concealing himself in
the ravines there. The time spent in Ziph was a time of separation and
solitariness.
3. Obedience leading to apparently hopeless disaster. To seek the
favour of the king the Ziphites send word to him of David. Deceit generally
sets its face toward power. It is well to be on the side which looks like
winning at any rate. From their point of view their “part” might be justified.
What can we say
however
concerning Soul’s reception of these Ziphites? What a
whimpering
hypocritical utterance: “Blessed be ye of the Lord
for ye have
compassion on me!” How horrid the “forms” of piety when the thing itself is
gone! A benediction in the name of God from Saul! Success is with these
plotters! They track their prey. Before Saul and his men David flees down the
face of the rock into the wilderness. Here truly they are enclosing him in the
net they have spread. Strangers had risen up against him
and the oppressor
sought for his soul. (Psalms 54:3). Hope began to droop her
wings. (1 Samuel 23:27). Times of deepest
distress are hours of God’s deliverances. Have we no record indelibly written
of God’s delivering mercy?--no place called Sela-hammahlekoth (1 Samuel 23:28)
or Rock of
Divisions
to which memory leads? Psalms 54:1-7
ascribed to this period
tells of calmness of heart during this exciting time
“Behold
God is mine
helper” (verse 4). (H. E. Stone.)
Verse 12
They will deliver thee up.
The men of Keilah
When first; introduced to us here
David is represented as being
reduced to great straits by the malignant hostility of Saul. But although
David’s condition seems so desperate
and Saul’s power so great--when an
emergency arises
and the men of Keilah find themselves in sore straits
it is not
from Saul
the king after man’s own heart
but from the despised David
that
assistance comes. Let us try and picture to ourselves the scene. The country
folk are crowding into the little town by hundredth. Their homesteads have been
pillaged and burned
and they themselves have only escaped with their lives.
The ruthless Philistines have already stripped some of them of everything they
possess
and unless unlooked for help arrive there seems no escape from the
superior forces of the foe. They have taken refuge for the moment in Keilah
but this temporary shelter affords them no real security. The town is quite
unprepared to stand a siege
or even to resist a vigorous assault. On every
face you can see sorrow and anxiety only too plainly printed. Suddenly breathless
messengers appear approaching the walls of the little city
and it is easy to
see that they are the bearers of good tidings. From lip to lip the good news
spreads
and all is summed up in a single word
and that word is David. Yes
it
is actually true; the conqueror of Goliath of Gath has once again put his life
in his hands
and wrought a great deliverance. The Philistines are utterly
routed
and Keilah is saved. Imagine if you can the feelings of the eager
multitude at that moment
as him good news spreads like wildfire amongst them.
See yonder the old men
the fathers of the city
are lifting up their hands to
God
and pouring forth praise; mothers are weeping for joy
and strong men have
tears in their eyes as they grasp each other’s hands in heartfelt gratulation.
And have not some of us known something of a similar feeling in the course of
our own inner life? Was there not a time when we woke up to find ourselves in
terrible danger
and indeed were driven to despair of helping ourselves
or escaping
by our own futile strugglings out of the hand of the destroyer. Robbed and
injured
and threatened with still graver evils
we found ourselves reduced to
the sorest straits
and nothing that the world spirit could do for us could
relieve us from our misery or our peril. Some of you have known something of
all this in your own personal experience. And then there came the moment of
deliverance
when you were able to say
“I thank God through Jesus Christ my
Lord.” Not by a Miltonic conflict between winged combatants
not by any display
of divine omnipotence crushing down all opposition
but none the less by the
most sublime deed of heroism that ever was performed
deliverance came. Our
wistful gaze turned at last towards the cross of Calvary
and there we saw our
battle fought and won by Him whom man despised
whom the world crucified as a
felon outside the gate. A new and not less alarming peril arose
and one they
had neither foreseen nor even thought of in their first moments of joyous
enthusiasm. It is heard with feelings of consternation that the infuriated king
is preparing to march upon the ill-fated town
thus exposed to a new and not
less terrible alarm. What was to be done? Their manner towards David becomes
cold and restrained
and soon
no doubt
the rulers and elders of the town
gather together in secret conclave to discuss bow they were to deal with their
former benefactor and friend. Meanwhile David also is making the discovery of
his new danger. He has received the information from the Urim and Thummim
“Saul will certainly come down.” And the sacred historian lets us into the
secret cause of this hostile movement. On hearing of David’s entry into Keilah
Saul had exclaimed
“God hath delivered him into my hand
” etc. There is
something very suggestive and instructive in all this. The entrance of Christ
into our nature offers Satan his opportunity
and you may depend upon it he
will use it. So soon as Jesus Christ is received into our hearts
and when we
have admitted His royal claim
or even begun to recognize Him as the anointed
Heir of all
the world will begin to marshal its forces against us; and the
great object of the prince of the world is to induce us to commit just such an
act of perfidy as Saul expected or desired from the men of Keilah. This much is
sure
Saul will certainly come down. This spirit of rancorous hatred which
animated Saul against David has been reproduced over and over again in the
history of the Christian Church. This moved the heathen of old in their
persecution of the primitive Christians; and those who confessed Christ in
those days
and were true to Him
knew well that in every city bonds and
imprisonments
and perhaps even torture and death
awaited them. And when
persecution is not thus public and open
it is often none the less cruel. I
have known of fathers in affluent circumstances who have threatened to cut
their sons off with a shilling if they did not give up their religion
and who
have proved as good as their word. Amongst our friends in our home circle
in
society
in the workshop
in the regiment
on sea or land
they who are true to
their divine Master are exposed to the bitter animosity and relentless
persecution of the world. And let us remember that the persecution that takes
the form of ribald scorn or refined contempt is less easily tolerated by many
natures than more violent measures of persecution. To return to the men of
Keilah
whom we left in solemn conclave assembled to consider this new danger
and how it was to be met. I fancy I can see one shrewd and keen-looking old man
rising up amongst his neighbours go give his view of the matter--a sort of
moral anticipation of the counsel of Caiaphas. “It is a very simple and a very
practical question that we are about to decide
my friends
and I will put it
thus in a single sentence: Is one man to perish
or the city? That is the
question in its naked simplicity. Some will
I dare say
talk very
sentimentally of the brave thing David has done
and of the debt of gratitude
we owe him. Well
that may be all very fine as a matter of sentiment; but this
is a business meeting
and our wisdom will lie in taking a calm
dispassionate
business-like view of the matter. We have
of course
to consider our own
interests. We are in a work-a-day sort of world
and we must regard everything
from a business point of view. Three courses are open to tin. Either to fight
David’s battle
and share David’s fate
sacrificing our lives
or flying with
him to the mountains of the wild goats
leaving our city to be spared by the
conqueror. Our next course is to give David a word of warning
and tell him at
our dilemma. That may seem a right thing to do; but if Saul known that we have
done it we shall bring down his indignation on our heads
and the probability
is that he will vent his fury on the men of Keilah; so that our case will be
just as bad as it would be if David were within our walls. The third course
and to my mind it is the only sensible one
is to make up our mind that when
the time comes we will deliver David up to his master
and to intimate this our
intention at once to Saul. Whatever may come of this
the responsibility will
be with Saul
and not with us; we shall only have acted as our circumstances
compelled us to do. Of course we are very sorry for David
and of course we all
feel profound regret at having to treat a man so
who has been very useful to
us. But then
you know
as I have said
we must consider ourselves. This is our
only chance of safety
and we must make the most of it. We may not like doing it
but we all have to do a great many things that we don’t like. And while they
are thus deliberating
there is David alone with God and his priest. The ephod
is brought out
and the enquiry is made
“Will Saul come down?” and the answer
is
“He will come down.” David’s heart sinks within him. “O Lord!” he asks a
second time
“will the men of Keilah deliver me up and my men into the hands of
Saul?” And from the mystic breastplate the inexorable answer is returned
“They
will deliver thee up.” I wonder if that was the moment when David said in his
haste
“All men are liars.” At any rate
I do not suppose he ever entertained a
lower estimate of humanity than at that moment. These fervent thanks
expressed
with so much emotion
were only empty breath after all. What a miserable world
it is! Honour and manliness seem vanished from it
and truth has sped her
flight. It must have been a sad moment; and which of us would not have felt for
him? But stay. Have we no similar feelings for another “Man of Sorrows
and acquainted
with grief;” another
to whom we ourselves owe far more than the men of Keilah
ever owed to David? It comes to pass that not a few Christians who have once
known something of the great deliverance
and rejoiced in God’s salvation
prove false to their Master in the hour of trial
that they may escape the
world’s hostility. They throw open the gates of Mansoul to the world
and so
betray their Master into the hands of His foe by betraying His cause. You may
be sure that the first care of the world spirit when thus invited to enter and
take possession of our nature will be
so to speak
to assassinate his rival
and Christ will desert the desecrated fane
and leave the soul to its new false
friends. (W. Aitken
M. A.)
Verse 16
And Jonathan went to David into the wood
and strengthened his
hand in God.
The true in life
Two lessons stand out in this chapter. First
that the most heroic
heart may sometimes be overcome with fear. Few men had a more intrepid soul
than the conqueror of Goliath; yet now he was driven by fear of Saul into the
wood. We are subject to variations of mood. Secondly
that the crimes of a
father may alienate the hearts of his children. Jonathan the son of Saul was
now succouring the man whom his own sire hated
and sought to destroy. Evil
even in a parent
cannot be loved
nor wrong in a parent obeyed.
I. The deep
depression of a true soul. Few men ever had a truer soul than David--clear in
its perceptions of truth
strong in its attachments to truth
inflexible in its
allegiance to truth. But that soul
in the “wood” here
is under depression.
Several things tend to depress the true spirit in this world.
1. Seemingly adverse circumstances. Jacob: “All these things are
against
me.”
2. Providential discrepancies. Job
Aspah. “My foot had well nigh
slipped.”
3. Non-success in religious service.
4. Consciousness of moral unworthiness.
5. Physical infirmities.
II. The
distinguishing power of a true man. What is the distinguishing power which a
true man has? To destroy life! Brutes can do this. To weaken faith
and shake
confidence? A child can do this. What then? To strengthen a brother’s heart in
God! This is what Jonathan did now in “the wood.” But how can a true man
strengthen a depressed brother thus?
1. By a truthful exposition of God’s method of governing the fallen
in this world. The Gospel unfolds that method; shows that it is to the true
corrective
not penal.
2. By a practical expression of genuine sympathy. One breath of it
infuses new life to the soul.
3. By a devout intercession with Heaven.
III. The highest
function of a true friend. It is one thing to have the power to strengthen
and
another thing to use it when and where required. (Homilist.)
Verse 17
I shall be next unto thee.
A sermon to boys
This conduct of the king’s son teaches some important lessons.
1. Stand by the weak and defenceless. There is no nobler feature in
any boy’s character than a determination to do this.
2. We also learn to be content with a lower place when God has clearly
marked out another for a higher. Jonathan saw that God was with David
and he
made his own conduct to serve God’s purpose. Be always on the look out to
render others service. Fear not the taunts of men or the frowns of the world.
Take Christ as your pattern. For yourselves do not forget that unselfishness is
the ornament of every true man
the mark of every true gentleman
the essence
of pure religion
and the germ of an undying character. (Arthur Vinter.)
──《The Biblical Illustrator》