1 Samuel 23:1

Contemporary English Version

One day some people told David, "The Philistines keep attacking the town of Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing place."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
It was reported to David: “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and raiding the threshing floors.”

Hebrew Names Version
They told David, saying, Behold, the Pelishtim are fighting against Ke`ilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.

King James Version
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

Lexham English Bible
Now they told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting in Keilah and they are raiding the threshing floors."

English Standard Version
Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors."

New Century Version
Someone told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing floors."

New English Translation
They told David, "The Philistines are fighting in Keilah and are looting the threshing floors."

Amplified Bible
Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering (robbing) the threshing floors [of the grain]."

New American Standard Bible
Then they informed David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then they tolde Dauid, saying, Beholde, the Philistims fight against Keilah, and spoyle the barnes.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are pillaging the threshing floors."

Complete Jewish Bible
David was told, "The P'lishtim are fighting Ke‘ilah and plundering the threshing-floors."

Darby Translation
And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.

Easy-to-Read Version
People told David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against the city of Keilah. They are robbing grain from the threshing floors."

George Lamsa Translation
THEN they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are robbing the threshing floors.

Good News Translation
David heard that the Philistines were attacking the town of Keilah and were stealing the newly harvested grain.

Literal Translation
And they spoke to David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing floors.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And it was tolde Dauid: Beholde, the Philistynes fight against Cegila, and spoyle the barnes.

American Standard Version
And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.

Bible in Basic English
And they sent word to David, saying, The Philistines are fighting against Keilah and taking the grain from the grain-floors.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then they tolde Dauid, saying: Beholde, the Philistines fight against Keila, and spoyle the barnes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And they told David, saying: 'Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.'

King James Version (1611)
Then they told Dauid, saying, Beholde, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floores.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it was told David, saying, behold, the Philistines war in Keila, and they rob, they trample on the threshing-floors.

English Revised Version
And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they rob the threshing–floors.

Berean Standard Bible
Now it was reported to David, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and looting the threshing floors."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And thei telden to Dauid, and seiden, Lo! Filisteis fiyten ayens Seila, and rauyschen the corn floris.

Young's Literal Translation
And they declare to David, saying, `Lo, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are spoiling the threshing-floors.'

Update Bible Version
And they told David, saying, Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing-floors.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.

World English Bible
They told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors.

New King James Version
Then they told David, saying, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors."

New Living Translation
One day news came to David that the Philistines were at Keilah stealing grain from the threshing floors.

New Life Bible
Then they told David, "See, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah. They are taking the grain from the grain-floors."

New Revised Standard
Now they told David, "The Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and are robbing the threshing floors."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then told they David, saying, - Lo! the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are plundering the threshing-floors.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And they told David, saying: Behold the Philistines fight against Ceila, and they rob the barns.

Revised Standard Version
Now they told David, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Kei'lah, and are robbing the threshing floors."

THE MESSAGE
It was reported to David that the Philistines were raiding Keilah and looting the grain. David went in prayer to God : "Should I go after these Philistines and teach them a lesson?" God said, "Go. Attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are plundering the threshing floors."

Contextual Overview

¹ One day some people told David, "The Philistines keep attacking the town of Keilah and stealing grain from the threshing place." ² David asked the Lord , "Should I attack these Philistines?" "Yes," the Lord answered. "Attack them and rescue Keilah." ³ But David's men said, "Look, even here in Judah we're afraid of the Philistines. We will be terrified if we try to fight them at Keilah!" ⁴ David asked the Lord about it again. "Leave right now," the Lord answered. "I will give you victory over the Philistines at Keilah." ⁵ David and his men went there and fiercely attacked the Philistines. They killed many of them, then led away their cattle, and rescued the people of Keilah. ⁶Meanwhile, Saul heard that David was in Keilah. "God has let me catch David," Saul said. "David is trapped inside a walled town where the gates can be locked." Saul decided to go there and surround the town, in order to trap David and his men. He sent messengers who told the towns and villages, "Send men to serve in Saul's army!" By this time, Abiathar had joined David in Keilah and had brought along everything he needed to get answers from God.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Keilah: Keilah was a city of Judah, situated, according to Eusebius, eight miles from Eleutheropolis, towards Hebron. Sozomen says that the prophet Habakkuk's tomb was shewn there. Joshua 15:44, Nehemiah 3:17, Nehemiah 3:18

rob the: Leviticus 26:16, Deuteronomy 28:33, Deuteronomy 28:51, Judges 6:4, Judges 6:11, Micah 6:15

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 22:4 - in the hold 1 Samuel 23:2 - inquired 1 Chronicles 4:19 - Keilah

Cross-References

Genesis 17:17
Abraham bowed with his face to the ground and thought, "I am almost a hundred years old. How can I become a father? And Sarah is ninety. How can she have a child?" So he started laughing.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Then they told David,.... Either the men of Keilah sent to him, being near them, or some well wishers of theirs, and of their country, acquainted him with their case:

saying, behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah; had laid siege to it, being a fortified place, 1 Samuel 23:7; it was a city in the tribe of Judah, on the borders of the Philistines; of which

1 Samuel 23:7- :;

and they rob the threshing floors; took away the corn upon them, which they were threshing and winnowing, which were usually done without the city for the sake of wind, see Judges 6:11; it was harvest time when the three mighty men came to David in the cave of Adullam, and so now it might be the time of threshing, harvest being over, see

1 Samuel 22:1; compared with 2 Samuel 23:13.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

David’s growing importance, fugitive as he was, is marked by this appeal to him for deliverance from the Philistines. The “threshing floors” were the natural objects of plunder Judges 6:11. Keilah was in the Shephelah (marginal reference), probably close to the Philistine border, but its site is uncertain.

Joshua 2:11 Samuel Joshua 23:1 Philippians 1:0

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XXIII

David succours Keilah, besieged by the Philistines; defeats

them, and delivers the city, 1-6.

Saul, hearing that David was at Keilah, determines to come and

seize him, 7, 8.

David inquires of the Lord concerning the fidelity of the men of

Keilah towards him; is informed that if he stays in the city,

the men of Keilah will betray him to Saul, 9-12.

David and his men escape from the city, and come to the

wilderness of Ziph, 13-15.

Jonathan meets David in the wood of Ziph, strengthens his hand

in God, and they renew their covenant, 16-18.

The Ziphites endeavour to betray David to Saul, but he and his

men escape to Maon, 19-22.

Saul comes to Maon; and having surrounded the mountain on which

David and his men were, they must inevitably have fallen into

his hands, had not a messenger come to call Saul to the succour

of Judah, then invaded by the Philistines, 25-27.

Saul leaves the pursuit of David, and goes to succour the land;

and David escapes to En-gedi, 28, 29.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXIII

Verse 1 Samuel 23:1. The Philistines fight against Keilah — Keilah was a fortified town in the tribe of Judah near to Eleutheropolis, on the road to Hebron.

Rob the threshing-floors. — This was an ancient custom of the Philistines, Midianites, and others. See Judges 6:4. When the corn was ripe and fit to be threshed, and they had collected it at the threshing-floors, which were always in the open field, then their enemies came upon them and spoiled them of the fruits of their harvest.