Study Desk

When the words that David spoke were heard, they informed Saul, and he sent for him.

Then David ran and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword and drew it out of its sheath and finished him, and cut off his head with it. When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled.

Then the men of Israel and Judah rose up and shouted, and they pursued the Philistines as far as the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the Philistine dead lay along the way to Shaaraim, even to Gath and Ekron.

Now it happened as they were coming, when David returned from killing the Philistine, that the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with joy and with other musical instruments.

The women sang as they played, and said, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands."

Then Saul became very angry, for this lyric displeased him; and he said, "They have given David credit for ten thousands, but to me they have given credit for only thousands! Now what more can he have but the kingdom?"

David set out and went, he and his men, and fatally struck two hundred men among the Philistines. Then David brought their foreskins, and they presented all two hundred of them to the king, so that he might become the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife.

Then the commanders of the Philistines went to battle, and it happened as often as they went out, that David was more successful than all the servants of Saul. So his name was held in high esteem.

When there was war again, David went out and fought the Philistines and defeated them with great slaughter, so that they fled from him.

Then Saul sent messengers to take David, but when they saw the company of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing and presiding over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul; and they also prophesied.

Then he went to Ramah himself and came as far as the large well that is in Secu; and he asked, "Where are Samuel and David?" And someone said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."

He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

When the boy was gone, David got up from the south side, then he fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, until David wept immeasurably.

But the servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands'?"

So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father's household heard about it, they went down there to him.

Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

And the king said to the guards who were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the LORD to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not inform me." But the servants of the king were unwilling to reach out with their hands to attack the priests of the LORD.

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

Then David said, "Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will hand you over."

Then David and his men, about six hundred, rose up and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit.