1 Samuel 23:15

1 Samuel 23:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
• New International Version (NIV)While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life.
• English Standard Version (ESV)David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.

Context of 1 Samuel 23:15

13Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth. 14And 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. 16And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, 17saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”

1 Samuel 23:15 word by word

וַיַּ֣רְא דָוִ֔ד כִּֽי־יָצָ֥א שָׁא֖וּל לְבַקֵּ֣שׁ אֶת־נַפְשׁ֑וֹ וְדָוִ֥ד בְּמִדְבַּר־זִ֖יף בַּחֹֽרְשָׁה׃ סRead the interlinear

• While Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• was in Horeshחֹ֫רֶשׁchôresh · HoreshH2793
• in the Wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• of Ziphזִיףzîyph · ZiphH2128
• sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• thatכִּיkîy · forH3588
• Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• had come outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• to takeבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• ·אֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• his lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 23:15

• Deuteronomy 3:28But commission Joshua, encourage him, and strengthen him, for he will cross over ahead of the people and enable them to inherit the land that you will see.”
• Nehemiah 2:18I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me, and what the king had said to me. “Let us start rebuilding,” they replied, and they set their hands to this good work.
• Job 4:3Surely you have instructed many, and have strengthened their feeble hands.
• Job 16:5But I would encourage you with my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would bring relief.
• Proverbs 27:9Oil and incense bring joy to the heart, and the counsel of a friend is sweetness to the soul.
• Ecclesiastes 4:9Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
• Isaiah 35:3Strengthen the limp hands and steady the feeble knees!
• Ezekiel 13:22Because you have disheartened the righteous with your lies, even though I have caused them no grief, and because you have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways to save their lives,
• Luke 22:32But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”
• Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
• 2 Timothy 2:1You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
• Hebrews 12:12Therefore strengthen your limp hands and weak knees.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 23:15

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 14-18Verses 14-18 David made no attempt against Saul; he kept God's way, waited God's time, and was content to secure himself in woods and wildernesses. Let it make us think the worse of this world, which often gives such bad treatment to its best men: let it make us long for that kingdom where goodness shall for ever be in glory, and holiness in honour. We find Jonathan comforting David. As a pious friend, he directed him to God, the Foundation of his…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-29Because Saul received reports from informants, he was able to continue pursuing David (1 Samuel 23:7,13). David also had informants, which helped him stay ahead of Saul (1 Samuel 23:1, 9, 15, 25). David’s greatest advantage was that he could seek guidance and help from God, which Saul did not have (1 Samuel 23:2, 4, 12).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 14-1514-15. David abode in the wilderness ... of Ziph--A mountainous and sequestered region was generally called a wilderness, and took its name from some large town in the district. Two miles southeast of Hebron, and in the midst of a level plain, is Tell-ziph, an isolated and conical hillock, about a hundred feet high, probably the acropolis [Van De Velde], or the ruins [Robinson] of the ancient city of Ziph, from which the surrounding wilderness was called…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 23:15

• David
• Malice
• Ziph

In the dictionaries

• David
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Forest
• Keilah
• Town
• Horesh
• Samuel, Books of
• Ziph (1)
• Hachilah, the Hill

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings