Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Hebrew Names Version

1 Samuel 23:3

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?

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!”
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?"
Contemporary English Version
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!"
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 They told David, saying, Behold, the Pelishtim are fighting against Ke`ilah, and are robbing the threshing floors. 2 Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and strike these Pelishtim? the LORD said to David, Go, and strike the Pelishtim, and save Ke`ilah. 3 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? 4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. The LORD answered him, and said, Arise, go down to Ke`ilah; for I will deliver the Pelishtim into your hand. 5 David and his men went to Ke`ilah, and fought with the Pelishtim, and brought away their cattle, and killed them with a great slaughter. So David save the inhabitants of Ke`ilah. 6 It happened, when Avyatar the son of Achimelekh fled to David to Ke`ilah, that he came down with an efod in his hand.

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 10:15
Kana`an became the father of Tzidon (his firstborn), Het,
Genesis 23:5
The children of Het answered Avraham, saying to him,
Genesis 23:7
Avraham rose up, and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Het.
Genesis 25:10
the field which Avraham purchased of the children of Het. There was Avraham buried, with Sarah his wife.
Genesis 27:46
Rivka said to Yitzchak, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Het. If Ya`akov takes a wife of the daughters of Het, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?"
Genesis 49:30
in the cave that is in the field of Makhpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Kana`an, which Avraham bought with the field from `Efron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place.
1 Samuel 26:6
Then answered David and said to Achimelekh the Hittite, and to Avishai the son of Tzeru'yah, brother to Yo'av, saying, Who will go down with me to Sha'ul to the camp? Avishai said, I will go down with you.
2 Samuel 23:39
Uriyah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

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.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile