Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII.
Verſ. 1. THen they told David, ſaying, behold the Philiſtines fight againſt Keilah, &c.] Keilah was in the land of Judah, Joſh. 15.44. Being therefore now invaded by the Philiſtines their near neighbours, becauſe David lay with his men not farre from them, in the forreſt of Hareth, chap. 22.5. and ſo might afford them that ſpeedy ſuccour which Saul could not, it ſeems that ſome body from them, or in their behalf, acquainted him with this, and deſired his help.
Verſ. 2. Therefore David enquired of the Lord, ſaying, Shall I go and ſmite theſe Philiſtines?] Though David could not but be willing to approve his faithfulneſſe both to Saul and his countrey, by ſeeking to help them againſt the Philiſtines; and might well think that God would approve his fighting againſt Gods enemies in the defence of his people: yet, becauſe he was not yet actually king, and and uſed hitherto to go forth againſt them onelyonly at Sauls command; and beſides, he would not raſhly go forth againſt the Philiſtines with ſo little ſtrength, as he had now about him, without a ſpeciall commiſſion and promiſe from God, therefore he enquired of the Lord. But by whom? It is moſt likely that it was by Gad the prophet, of whom mention is made before, that he was with David, chap. 22.5. for … ſeems, by verſe 6. that Abiathar came not to him with the Ephod, till he was come to Keilah; but of this, ſee the note there.
Verſ. 3. And Davids men ſaid unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah &c.] In this ſpeech of theirs, they labour to diſcourage David from going to Ke… lah; for, ſay they, being here in Judah, that is, in the midſt of the land of J… ▪ we are in continuall jeopardy and fear, to wit, leaſt Saul or any of his troops ſh… come upon us, how much more dangerous muſt it then needs be for us to go ag… ſuch a potent enemy as the Philiſtines, and that even in the borders of their … where we may happely be hemmed in with the Philiſtines before, and Sa… …is men behind us.
Verſ. 4. Thou David enquired of the Lord yet again.] Though David … …ly ſatisfied upon his firſt enquiring of God, having received that expreſſe … … and ſmite the Philiſtines, and ſave Keilah: yet becauſe his men were … credulous and fearful, for their better ſatisfaction and encouragement, he enquired again.
Verſ. 5. So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philiſtines, and brought away their cattell, &c.] That is, either the cattell which they had brought out of their own countrey for the proviſion of their armies (for Keilah lay cloſe upon the land of the Philiſtines) or the cattell which the Iſraelites found in Paleſtina, the land of the Philiſtines, when having vanquiſhed them at Keilah, they chaſed them a while in their own countrey.
Verſ. 6. And it came to paſſe, when Abiathar the ſonne of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an Ephod in his hand.] Which was more then if many thouſand ſouldiers had come to David; for this bringing of the Ephod to him, was a viſible pledge, that God had totally forſaken Saul, and would be with him to direct him in all his wayes: yea, and ſome conceive alſo, that this is here the rather expreſſed, to let us know how David enquired of the Lord, as in the foregoing verſes, it is twice ſaid he did, namely, by the preiſts wearing the Ephod, according to the judgement of Urim and Thummim: for by Abiathars coming to David to Keilah, they underſtand onelyonly that he came to David when he was near about Keilah.
Verſ. 9. And David knew that Saul ſecretly practiſed miſchief against him.] This word ſecretly makes it manifeſt that though Saul called the people together to beſiege David & his men, as it is ſaid in the foregoing verſe, that is, with a purpoſe ſo to imploy them, yet he did not openly profeſſe that, but pretended, he raiſed thoſe forces to fight againſt the Philiſtines.
Verſ. 11. And the Lord ſaid, He will come down.] That is, if thou ſtayeſt here (for that it was which David deſired to know, whether if he ſtayed in Keilah Saul would come againſt him) and doubtleſſe had he ſtayed he would have come againſt him: for God knows future contingent things that ſhall never be, even what might be and would be, if he did not otherwiſe diſpoſe of it.
Verſ. 13. Then David and his men, which were about ſix hundred, aroſe, &c.] It ſeems the number of Davids followers ſtill encreaſed: for before he had but foure hundred, chap. 22. but now he had ſix hundred with whom he departed out of Keilah, and went whitherſoever they could go; that is, being perplexed, and not knowing whither to go, they ſought up and down for ſome place or other, to ſhelter themſelves in.
Verſ. 16. And Jonathan Sauls ſonne aroſe, and went to David into the wood, and ſtrengthened his hand in God.] That is, he laboured to make him comfortable and couragious, by putting him in mind of Gods promiſes, and Gods power, and by aſſuring him of Gods grace and favour towards him.
Verſ. 17. Thou ſhalt be king over Iſrael, and I ſhall be next unto thee.] To wit, by promiſe and covenant betwixt them: But God otherwiſe diſpoſed of it▪ Jonathan was taken to a better kingdome, and never lived to ſee David ſit in the throne of Iſrael.
Verſ. 18. And they two made a covenant before the Lord.] That is, a covenant confirmed by oath as in Gods preſence.
Verſ. 19. Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah ſaying, Doth not David hide himſelf with us? &c. [Though David had lately driven the Philiſtines out of the land, yet like ungratefull wretches, partly to curry favour with Saul, partly perhaps terrified with that ſeverity wh…ch Saul had uſed againſt Nob, and the Prieſt of the Lord, chap. 22.18.19. they went to him, and diſcovered where David was in a wood near them, to wit in the wilderneſſe of Ziph. This no doubt ſorely wounded Davids heart, that his own brethren of the tribe of Judah ſhould deal thus treacherouſly with him. But therefore we ſee that God had immediately before this triall, ſent Jonathan to comfort him, and ſtrengthen his hand in God, ver. 16. that ſo he might be the better able to endure it, as captains uſe to encourage their ſouldiers before the fight, and as Phyſicians uſe to give ſome preparative before ſharper phyſick, that it may not be too tedious and hard to be born: and indeed, that David did ſupport himſelf now with hope in Gods promiſes, is evident by the 54. Pſalme, which he compoſed at this time, as appears by the expreſſe words of the title of that Pſalme; A Pſalme of David when the Ziphims came and ſaid to Saul, Doth not David hide himſelf with us?
Verſ. 24. But David and his men were in the wilderneſſe of Maon, in the plain on the ſouth of Jeſhimon.] For it was told David that the Ziphites had diſcovered him, and that Saul with them and his army was coming to take him, as is expreſſed in the next verſe they told David: and thereupon he left the wilderneſſe of Ziph, and fled to a plain in the wilderneſſe of Maon, which lay more ſouthward from Jeſhimon.
Verſ. 29. And David went up from thence, and dwelt in ſtrong holds at Engedi.] Called aſo Hazazon Tamar, 2. Chron. 20.2. a city of Judah, Joſh. 15 62. It was it ſeems a place exceeding fruitfull for vines and other pleaſant fruit, whence is that expreſſion in Solomons ſong chap. 1.14. My beloved is unto me as a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of Engedi: but yet there was a wilderneſſe adjoyning to it, whither it was that David now fled, chap. 24.1.