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, arose and departed from Keilah, and they went wherever they could go. When it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he gave up the pursuit. 14David stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. Now David became aware that Saul had come out to seek his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. 16And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God. 17Thus he said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel and I will be next to you; and Saul my father knows that also.”

1 Samuel 23:15 word by word

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

• Now Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• becameרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• that Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• had comeיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• out to seekבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• his lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• was in the wildernessמִדְבָּרmidbâr · wildernessH4057
• of Ziphזִיףzîyph · ZiphH2128
• at Horeshחֹ֫רֶשׁchôresh · HoreshH2793

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 23:15

• Deuteronomy 3:28But charge Joshua and encourage him and strengthen him, for he shall go across at the head of this people, and he will give them as an inheritance the land which you will see.’
• Nehemiah 2:18I told them how the hand of my God had been favorable to me and also about the king’s words which he had spoken to me. Then they said, “Let us arise and build.” So they put their hands to the good work.
• Job 4:3Behold you have admonished many, And you have strengthened weak hands.
• Job 16:5I could strengthen you with my mouth, And the solace of my lips could lessen your pain.
• Proverbs 27:9Oil and perfume make the heart glad, So a man’s counsel is sweet to his friend.
• Ecclesiastes 4:9Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor.
• Isaiah 35:3Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
• Ezekiel 13:22Because you disheartened the righteous with falsehood when I did not cause him grief, but have encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way and preserve his life,
• Luke 22:32but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”
• Ephesians 6:10Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might.
• 2 Timothy 2:1You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
• Hebrews 12:12Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble,

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

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