1 Samuel 23:4

1Sa 23:4 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.

Ver. 4. Then David enquired of the Lord yet again,] viz., For the confirmation and encouragement of his soldiers, whose rule should have been Nec temere, nec timide, Neither rashly nor timorously.

For I will deliver.] Heb., I am delivering; illico traditurus, sc., before that Saul can set upon thee.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa_23:4-26

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 Gods will he desires to know (1Sa_23:4). Truly David at this time waited only upon God, and his expectation was from Jehovah (Psa_62:1-12). Hunger for Divine guidance is a gracious sign! The Master blessed such (Mat_5:6). Such a state of heart is preparation surely for larger blessing.

2. Obedience and humble reliance upon God may not lessen difficulties? Davids 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 Davids 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 Souls 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. (Psa_54:3). Hope began to droop her wings. (1Sa_23:27). Times of deepest distress are hours of Gods deliverances. Have we no record indelibly written of Gods delivering mercy?--no place called Sela-hammahlekoth (1Sa_23:28), or Rock of Divisions, to which memory leads? Psa_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.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

23:4 David asked the Lord either directly in prayer or by using the ephod (see 23:6, 9; 2 Sam 2:1; 5:23-24). God’s answers were a sign of his blessing and protection (cp. 1 Sam 28:6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 4. David inquired of the Lord yet again] This was to satisfy his men, who made the strong objections mentioned in the preceding verse.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(4) David enquired . . . yet again.—This second enquiry, made for the sake of inspiring his little army with confidence before embarking on the seemingly desperate attempt, was, as in the previous case mentioned in 1Sa_23:2, no doubt through the prophet Gad. Abiathar had not yet arrived with the ephod.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Then David inquired of the Lord yet again,.... Not for his own sake, who firmly believed it was the will of God he should go and succeed, but for the sake of his men, and to remove the doubts and fears that hung on their minds:

and the Lord answered him, and said, arise, go down to Keilah; immediately, make no stay, nor hesitate about it, but go with all haste to the relief of the place:

for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hands; which is still more explicit, and is a promise not only of delivering Keilah out of the hands of the Philistines, but of delivering them into David's hands, and so of an entire: victory; and therefore none of David's men had anything to fear after such a declaration of the will of God.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Again, in the presence of his soldiers. (Calmet) --- Thus Gedeon requested a double miracle of the Lord, to encourage his men. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

David inquired of the Lord yet again; not for his own, but for his soldiers’ satisfaction and encouragement, as Gideon did, Jdg 7.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Inquired again - Not for his own, but for his soldiers satisfaction.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.