Study Desk

So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there.

Soon Saul learned that David and his men had been discovered. At that time, Saul was in Gibeah, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with his spear in his hand and all his servants standing around him.

Then Saul said to his servants, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?

Then the king sent messengers to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and his father's whole family, who were priests at Nob. And all of them came to the king.

Then the king ordered the guards at his side, "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me." But the king's servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.

But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.

Then David and his men went to Keilah, fought against the Philistines, and carried off their livestock, striking them with a mighty blow. So David rescued the people of Keilah.

Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant." "He will," said the LORD.

Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.

And David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God would not deliver David into his hand.

While David was in Horesh in the Wilderness of Ziph, he saw that Saul had come out to take his life.

And Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon in the Arabah south of Jeshimon,

and Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.

Saul was proceeding along one side of the mountain, and David and his men along the other side. Even though David was hurrying to get away, Saul and his men were closing in on David and his men to capture them.

So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called the Rock of Escape.

So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and went to look for David and his men in the region of the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

Soon Saul came to the sheepfolds along the road, where there was a cave, and he went in to relieve himself. And David and his men were hiding in the recesses of the cave.

So he said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed. I will never lift my hand against him, since he is the LORD's anointed."