English Standard Version
1 Samuel 23:14
14And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
1 Samuel 23:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
- New International Version (NIV)David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
- New Living Translation (NLT)David now stayed in the strongholds of the wilderness and in the hill country of Ziph. Saul hunted him day after day, but God didn’t let Saul find him.
Context of 1 Samuel 23:14
12Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will surrender you." 13Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the expedition. And David remained in the strongholds in the wilderness, in the hill country of the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand. 15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.
Read all of 1 Samuel 231 Samuel 23:14 word by word
וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב דָּוִ֤ד בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ בַּמְּצָד֔וֹת וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בָּהָ֖ר בְּמִדְבַּר־זִ֑יף וַיְבַקְשֵׁ֤הוּ שָׁאוּל֙ כָּל־הַיָּמִ֔ים וְלֹֽא־נְתָנ֥וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- abodeיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
- in strong holdsמְצָדmetsad metsâd metsâdâh · strongholdH4679
- in a mountainהַרhar · mountain: hill countryH2022
- of Ziphזִיףzîyph · ZiphH2128
- And Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- soughtבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
- him every dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- but Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- deliveredנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- him not into his handיָדyâd · hand: powerH3027
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 23:14
- Psalms 11:1In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to my soul, "Flee like a bird to your mountain,
- Joshua 15:24Ziph, Telem, Bealoth,
- 1 Samuel 27:1Then David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand."
- Psalms 54:3For strangers have risen against me; ruthless men seek my life; they do not set God before themselves. Selah
- Proverbs 1:16for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood.
- Proverbs 4:16For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong; they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
- 1 Samuel 23:7Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars."
- Psalms 32:7You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance. Selah
- Psalms 37:32The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to put him to death.
- Proverbs 21:30No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the Lord.
- Jeremiah 36:26And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king's son and Seraiah the son of Azriel and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to seize Baruch the secretary and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.
- Romans 8:31What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
- 2 Timothy 3:11my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
- 2 Timothy 4:17But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 23:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Wilderness of Ziph - Ziph was a city in the southern part of Judea, not far from Carmel.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Ziph is placed between Hebron and En-gedi (marginal references). (The “wood” 1 Samuel 23:15 is by Conder taken as a proper name, “Cheresh,” and identified with Khoreisa.)Read the comment
- 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. 14The wilderness strongholds were natural rock formations that offered shelter. Ziph was about 16 kilometers (10 miles) southeast of Keilah (1 Samuel 23:1).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 23:14
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries