Study Desk

Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn, the two of us, an oath in the name of Yahweh, saying, "Yahweh will be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring forever." Then he got up and left, and Jonathan went into the city.

David asked Ahimelech, "Is there not at your disposal a spear or a sword? For I took neither my sword nor my weapons with me because the king's matter was urgent."

So the king said to the runners who were stationed around him, "Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because they also support David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not disclose it to me." But the servants of the king were not willing to raise their hand to attack the priests of Yahweh.

Stay with me! Do not fear, because he who seeks my life seeks your life. You are in good care with me."

When it was told to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, because he has shut himself in by going into a city with two barred gates.

And David said, "O Yahweh, God of Israel, your servant has clearly heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to destroy the city because of me.

But a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Hurry and come, because the Philistines have made a raid on the land!"

And then afterward David felt guilty, because he had cut the hem of Saul's robe.

Look, this day your eyes have seen that Yahweh gave you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you. But I took pity on you and said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, because he is Yahweh's anointed one.'

Ask your servants and they will tell you! Let the young men find favor in your eyes because we have come on a feast day. Please give whatever you have on hand for your servants and for your son David."

Please forgive the transgression of your female servant, because Yahweh will certainly make a lasting house for my lord, because my lord is fighting the battles of Yahweh, and evil will not be found in you as long as you live.

So David took the spear and the jar of water from near Saul's head, and they went away. No one saw, no one knew, and no one awakened, for all of them were sleeping because a deep sleep of Yahweh had fallen upon them.

Then Saul said, "I have sinned! Come back, David my son, for I will not harm you again, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Look, I have acted like a fool and have made a terrible mistake."

Because you did not obey Yahweh and did not carry out the fierce anger of his wrath against Amalek, therefore Yahweh has done this thing to you today.

Then Saul immediately fell prostrate to the ground, and he was very afraid because of the words of Samuel; there was no more strength in him, for he had not eaten food all day and all night.

David pursued, he and four hundred men; but two hundred men stayed because they were too exhausted to pass over the Wadi Besor.

They gave him a slice of fig cake and two raisin cakes; he ate and this revived him, because he had not eaten food or drunk water for three days and three nights.

Then David said to him, "To whom do you belong, and from where are you? The young man said, "I am an Egyptian young man, a servant of an Amalekite man, but my master abandoned me because I became ill three days ago.

So he took him down, and there they were, spread out over the surface of all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all of the abundant plunder which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

Then all the corrupt and useless men among the men who went with David reacted and said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them anything from the plunder which we recovered, except each man may take his own wife and children. They must take them along and go!"