Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, July 29th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

The NET Bible®

1 Samuel 23:15

David realized that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - David;   Malice;   Ziph;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Deserts;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Palestine;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Forest;   Keilah;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Forest;   Ziph (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hereth;   Horesh;   Samuel, Books of;   Ziph;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Forest;   Horesh;   Saul;   Ziph;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Forest;   Ziph;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Rock;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Ziph;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Hach'ilah, the Hill,;   Ziph;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - David;   Forest;   Horesh;   Ziph (1);   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Forest;   Horesh;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.
Hebrew Names Version
David saw that Sha'ul had come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Zif in the wood.
King James Version
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
Lexham English Bible
When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
English Standard Version
David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
New Century Version
While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul was coming to kill him.
Amplified Bible
Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph [in the woods] at Horesh.
New American Standard Bible
Now David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph, at Horesh.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Dauid sawe that Saul was come out for to seeke his life: and Dauid was in the wildernes of Ziph in the wood.
Legacy Standard Bible
Then David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. Now David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
Contemporary English Version
One time, David was at Horesh in Ziph Desert. He was afraid because Saul had come to the area to kill him.
Complete Jewish Bible
David saw that Sha'ul had mounted another expedition to seek his life. David was then at Horesh in the Zif Desert.
Darby Translation
And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
Easy-to-Read Version
David was at Horesh in the desert of Ziph. He was afraid because Saul was coming to kill him.
George Lamsa Translation
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a forest.
Good News Translation
David saw that Saul was out to kill him. David was at Horesh, in the wilderness near Ziph.
Literal Translation
And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Dauid sawe, that Saul was gone forth to seke after his life. But Dauid was in the wildernes of Siph, in the wodd.
American Standard Version
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
Bible in Basic English
And David was full of fear, in the knowledge that Saul had come out to take his life; and David was in the waste land of Ziph, in Horesh.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Dauid sawe that Saul was come out to seke his lyfe: And Dauid was in the wildernesse of Ziph in the wood.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life; and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
King James Version (1611)
And Dauid saw that Saul was come out to seeke his life: and Dauid was in the wildernes of Ziph in a wood.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And David perceived that Saul went forth to seek David; and David was in the dry mountain in the New Ziph.
English Revised Version
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
Berean Standard Bible
While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Dauid siy, that Saul yede out, that he schulde seke his lijf. Forsothe Dauid was in the deseert of Ziph, in a wode.
Young's Literal Translation
And David seeth that Saul hath come out to seek his life, and David [is] in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest.
Update Bible Version
And David saw that Saul came out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.
Webster's Bible Translation
And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life: and David [was] in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
World English Bible
David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
New King James Version
So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest. [fn]
New Living Translation
One day near Horesh, David received the news that Saul was on the way to Ziph to search for him and kill him.
New Life Bible
David saw that Saul had come out to try to kill him. David was in the desert of Ziph at Horesh.
New Revised Standard
David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh when he learned that Saul had come out to seek his life.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, David, being in the wilderness of Ziph, in the thicket.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the desert of Ziph, in a wood.
Revised Standard Version
And David was afraid because Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the Wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

Contextual Overview

14 David stayed in the strongholds that were in the desert and in the hill country of the desert of Ziph. Saul looked for him all the time, but God did not deliver David into his hand. 15 David realized that Saul had come out to seek his life; at that time David was in Horesh in the desert of Ziph. 16 Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him through God. 17 He said to him, "Don't be afraid! For the hand of my father Saul cannot find you. You will rule over Israel, and I will be your second in command. Even my father Saul realizes this." 18 When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord , David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

life: Heb. nephesh, soul, Genesis 44:30

Reciprocal: Joshua 15:55 - Ziph 1 Samuel 23:3 - Behold 2 Samuel 4:8 - sought Daniel 10:18 - he Hebrews 11:38 - wandered

Cross-References

Exodus 30:13
Everyone who crosses over to those who are numbered is to pay this: a half shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel weighs twenty gerahs). The half shekel is to be an offering to the Lord .
Exodus 30:15
The rich are not to increase it, and the poor are not to pay less than the half shekel when giving the offering of the Lord , to make atonement for your lives.
Ezekiel 45:12
The shekel will be twenty gerahs. Sixty shekels will be a mina for you.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life,.... Either he saw him with his bodily eyes from the top of the mountain where he was, 1 Samuel 23:14; or he perceived, he understood by information given him by his friends, it may be by Jonathan, or by spies he sent to observe his motions:

and David [was] in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood; where he and his men could hide themselves among the trees in it; sometimes he was in a mountain in this wilderness, and sometimes in a wood, where he thought himself the safest; thus was this great man obliged to shift about for his safety.


 
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