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Contemporary English Version

1 Samuel 23:3

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!"

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   David;   Keilah;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Philistines, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Keilah;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - David;   Keilah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - David;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hereth;   Keilah;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Urim and Thummim;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Wisdom of Christ;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Keilah ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Rock;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Keilah;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Urim and Thummim;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Priesthood, the;   Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Adullam;   Army;   Urim and Thummim;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Inspiration;   Keilah;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But David’s men said to him, “Look, we’re afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
Hebrew Names Version
David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Yehudah: how much more then if we go to Ke`ilah against the armies of the Pelishtim?
King James Version
And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Lexham English Bible
But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more if we go to Keilah to the battle lines of the Philistines?"
English Standard Version
But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
New Century Version
But David's men said to him, "We're afraid here in Judah. We will be more afraid if we go to Keilah where the Philistine army is."
New English Translation
But David's men said to him, "We are afraid while we are still here in Judah! What will it be like if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
Amplified Bible
But David's men said to him, "Listen, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?"
New American Standard Bible
But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are fearful here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?"
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauids men said vnto him, See, we be afrayde here in Iudah, howe much more if we come to Keilah against the hoste of ye Philistims?
Legacy Standard Bible
But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?"
Complete Jewish Bible
David's men said to him, "Look, we're already afraid here in Y'hudah. How much more, then, if we go to Ke‘ilah to fight the armies of the P'lishtim!"
Darby Translation
But David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Easy-to-Read Version
But David's men said to him, "Look, our men are afraid here in Judah. Just think how afraid we will be if we go to Keilah, where the Philistine army is lined up and ready for battle."
George Lamsa Translation
And Davids men said to him, We are afraid here in Judea, how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Good News Translation
But David's men said to him, "We have enough to be afraid of here in Judah; it will be much worse if we go to Keilah and attack the Philistine forces!"
Literal Translation
And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; and how shall we go to Keilah to the armies of the Philistines?
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But ye men that were with Dauid, sayde vnto him: Beholde, we are here in feare in Iewry, and shall we go to Cegila vnto the hoost of the Philistynes?
American Standard Version
And David's men said unto him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Bible in Basic English
And David's men said to him, Even here in Judah we are full of fear: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauids men said vnto him, See, we be afrayde here in Iuda: howe much more then if we come to Keila against the hoast of the Philistines?
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David's men said unto him: 'Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?'
King James Version (1611)
And Dauids men said vnto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Iudah: how much more then if wee come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And the men of David said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judea; and how shall it be if we go to Keila? Shall we go after the spoils of the Philistines?
English Revised Version
And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Berean Standard Bible
But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And men, that weren with Dauid, seiden to him, Lo! we ben heere in Judee, and dredden; hou myche more, if we schulen go in to Seila ayens the cumpanyes of Filisteis.
Young's Literal Translation
And David's men say unto him, `Lo, we here in Judah are afraid; and how much more when we go to Keilah, unto the ranks of the Philistines?'
Update Bible Version
And David's men said to him, Look, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
Webster's Bible Translation
And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
World English Bible
David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
New King James Version
But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
New Living Translation
But David's men said, "We're afraid even here in Judah. We certainly don't want to go to Keilah to fight the whole Philistine army!"
New Life Bible
But David's men said to him, "See, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
New Revised Standard
But David's men said to him, "Look, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But the men of David said unto him, Lo! we, here, in Judah, are afraid, - how much more, then, if we go to Keilah, against the ranks of the Philistines?
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the men that were with David, said to him: Behold we are in fear here in Judea, how much more if we go to Ceila against the bands of the Philistines?
Revised Standard Version
But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Kei'lah against the armies of the Philistines?"
THE MESSAGE
But David's men said, "We live in fear of our lives right here in Judah. How can you think of going to Keilah in the thick of the Philistines?"
New American Standard Bible (1995)
But David's men said to him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the ranks of the Philistines?"

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

Behold: 1 Samuel 23:15, 1 Samuel 23:23, 1 Samuel 23:26, Psalms 11:1, Jeremiah 12:5

Reciprocal: Proverbs 20:8 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 23:5
"Sir," they answered, "you are an important man. Choose the best place to bury your wife. None of us would refuse you a resting place for your dead."
Genesis 23:7
Abraham bowed down
Genesis 27:46
Rebekah later told Isaac, "Those Hittite wives of Esau are making my life miserable! If Jacob marries a Hittite woman, I'd be better off dead."
1 Samuel 26:6
David asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Joab's brother Abishai, "Which one of you will go with me into Saul's camp?" "I will!" Abishai answered.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David's men said unto him, behold, we be afraid here in Judah,.... Of Saul and his army falling upon them, and crushing them, though they were in the tribe of Judah, where they had many friends, and in the heart of that tribe:

how much more then if we come to Keilah; which, though in the same tribe, yet in the further parts of it, and on the borders of the Philistines: and there engage

against the armies of the Philistines? too numerous and powerful for them, and so by this means be driven out of their place of safety, the forest of Hareth, where they could hide themselves upon occasion; to be exposed not only to the Philistines, before them, on the edge of their country, from whence they could have re-enforcements easily, but to Saul and his army behind them; and so, being between two fires, would be in danger of being cut off.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

If Gad was with David at the forest of Hareth 1 Samuel 22:5, and there inquired for him of the Lord 1 Samuel 23:2,1 Samuel 23:4, but did not accompany him to Keilah, and if Abiathar’s flight occurred at the time of David’s being at Keilah, we have an additional striking instance of God’s watchful providential care of David in thus sending Abiathar to supply the place of Gad at so critical a moment.


 
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