Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 23

Verses 1-25

XIII

DAVID AND HIS INDEPENDENT ARMY; THE END

1 Samuel 23:1-26:25

This section is very thrilling, containing many stirring adventures and hairbreadth escapes, showing the play of the mighty passions of love and hate, and treachery and loyalty. It contains the farewell between David and Jonathan in their last interview; the farewell between David and Saul: the death of Samuel and the engaging story of David and Abigail. No novel that I have ever read has incidents so romantic in nature as this section.

The turn in the fortunes of David comes at the Cave of Adullam. He is no longer a solitary fugitive. His helpers were:

1. An armed corps, small indeed in number, but unequaled in history as a mobile fighting force, who had gathered around him. Never before nor since have more heroes and champions been found in a band of 400, rapidly recruited to 600. As is quite natural, some of them are both desperate and evil characters. They harbor in caves or sleep under rocks, and from the mountaintops, like eagles in their eyries, survey all the mountain passes, ready to swoop down on their Philistine prey or to make timely escape from Saul’s forces, which they will not fight through David’s loyalty.

2. The son of the high priest with Ephod, fleeing from Saul’s murderous slaughter of his brethren at Nob, has turned to David, supplying his greatest need, that is, a means of communication with Jehovah, now forever denied to Saul. Through this means he easily learns what no earthly wisdom or system of espionage could discover – the very hearts and secret purposes of his enemies.

3. The school of the prophets, Jehovah’s mouthpieces, are for him, and Gad, their great representative, acts as his daily counselor – Gad who shall become one of the historians of his life.

David at this time evinced the most exalted patriotism. Though pursued by Saul’s relentless hate, he never at any time, employs his fighting force against Israel, nor ever harms Saul’s person, though it is twice within his power, but ever watching, he protects defenseless cities of his people by smiting their Philistine invaders, preserves the exposed farms and folds of the villages from their marauding bands. Not all Saul’s army is such a defense of Israel as David’s immortal 600. And this he did continuously, though every blow he struck for his people only advertised his whereabouts to Saul, and brought on immediately a man-hunt by Saul and his army. There is no parallel to these facts in history. If, when the "swamp-fox," Francis Marion, by creeping out of his secret places of retirement advertised his whereabouts by smiting a British or Tory force, Washington, Gates, Greene, or Morgan had detached a flying column to cut off Marion, then that would have been a parallel.

An example of this patriotism of David, and the ungrateful return to him is found in this section. From it we learn that when David, at a hazard so great that his own dauntless champions advised against it, under the guidance of Jehovah left the safer territory of Judah and braved with his 600 the whole Philistine army to rescue Keilah, Saul, informed of his presence there, summoned his whole army to besiege David in that city, and only through timely knowledge, communicated through the high priest’s Ephod, did David escape the enmity of Saul and the purposed treachery of the men of Keilah whom he had Just preserved.

A parallel in later days shows that information from Jehovah concerning the secret purposes of men eclipsed all knowledge to be derived from spies, and so saved the king of Israel. This parallel we find in 2 Kings 6:8-12. The king of Syria, at war with the king of Israel (by Israel in that place is meant the ten tribes that went off from Rehoboam), in private counsel with his officers, would designate a place where be would’ establish his camps in order to entrap the king of Israel. As soon as he had designated where these trap-camps would be placed, Elisha, God’s prophet, sent information to the king of Israel to beware of these places, and thus more than twice the king of Israel was saved. The king of Syria supposed that there was a traitor in his own camp, and wanted to know who it was that betrayed every movement that he made. One of his counselors replied that there was no traitor in his camp, but that Elisha, God’s prophet, knew every secret thought of the king’s bed-chamber.

I now call attention to the text difficulty in 1 Samuel 23:6. The text here says that Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, had joined David at Keilah, but 1 Samuel 22:20-23 shows that Abiathar had previously joined David at the Cave of Adullam. The context just above 1 Samuel 23:6 shows that David had inquired of the high priest as to whether he should go to the rescue of Keilah. The word, "Keilah," in 1 Samuel 23:6 ought therefore to be struck out, or else ought to follow the text of the Septuagint, which reads this way: "And it came to pass when Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, fled to David, that he went down with David to Keilah with the Ephod in his hand." That makes complete sense and retains the word "Keilah." David’s next refuge from Saul, the description of Saul’s pursuit, and Jehovah’s deliverance, are described in just two verses of the text, 1 Samuel 23:14-15: "And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds and remained in the wilderness of Ziph, and Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into Saul’s hands. And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood." That does not mean any big trees. It means thick brush – scrubby brush – as may be seen on West Texas mountains – shin-oak thickets. I have seen them so thick it looked like one couldn’t stick a butcher knife in them, and woe to the man who tried to ride through them!

Just here comes Jonathan’s last interview with David, which is given in three verses, 1 Samuel 23:16-18. While Saul is every day beating that brush to find David and can’t find him, Jonathan finds him and comes to show him that he has no part in this murderous pursuit of his friend; comes to tell him that both he and his father know that David will triumph and become king, and to make a covenant with him again that when he is king he will remember Jonathan’s house.

Let us now take up David’s first escape from the treachery of the Ziphites, and how that escape was commemorated. Saul couldn’t find David in the wood, but the Ziphites (for it was in the wood of Ziph) knew where be was, and they told Saul where he was, and so Saul, guided by these treacherous Ziphites, summoned an army, completely surrounded the whole country, and at last got David, as it were, in a cul-de-sac. That French phrase means) to follow a road where all egress is blocked, forward or sideways. So there was just a mountain between Saul and David, and Saul’s army was all around and closing in. The deliverance comes providentially. Word is brought to Saul that the Philistines are striking at some place in his territory, and he has to call his army off just before he closes up the trap around David and go and fight the Philistines; and your record says that place is renamed in commemoration this simple word, "Selahammahlekoth," which means the rock of escape. If you were to visit the place the guide will show you today "Selahammahlekoth" – the rock of escape.

David’s next refuge from Saul was at the town of Engedi. The name is today preserved in the Aramaic form, "Ain Jidy." It is thought to be the oldest town in the world. The Genesis record of the days of Abraham says that Chedorlaorner led his army by Engedi. It was a town whose inhabitants saw the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, lying right below in the valley. It has been passed by a thousand armies. It means the fountain of goats. Bursting out of the mountainside is a spring of considerable volume, and from that flows the stream, Engedi, which, with two others, makes a little oasis there just above the Dead Sea – one of the most beautiful in the world; the finest vines, the most beautiful palm trees, and right up above the mountainside, are hundreds of caves, some of them so deep that they are as dark as the pit right at the mouth. A man standing in the light at the entrance cannot see anything within, but one hidden back a little distance can see distinctly anybody coming in. Nearly everybody that visits the Holy Land makes a pilgrimage to these famous caves, and if you are disposed to read the results of modern research with reference to the place you will find some very fine references in the following books: Thompson’s Land and the Book, from which we have had quotations; Robinson’s Researches in Bible Lands; Tristram’s Land of Israel; and one of the best is McGarvey’s Lands of the Bible. McGarvey is a Disciples theologian in Kentucky, and his is about the best book on the Holy Land extant. You will also find a very graphic account of these caves in Stanley’s Sinai and Palestine. The record tells us that Saul, in pursuit of David, while his army is scattered about searching for him, comes to one of these caves, and enters in, and David is in there at the time with some of his bravest men, and he, being in the dark, can see Saul plainly, and slips up and cuts off a piece of Saul’s cloak. One of his men wants him to kill Saul: "Now is your chance; this is the chance God has promised you; your enemy is in your power; smite him." But David would not do so. When Saul goes out of the cave David slips to the front, and from a high rock holds up that piece of skirt and calls to Saul, your text telling better than I can the thrilling way he reproached Saul for his pursuit of him, that he has never done him any harm, and that Saul was pursuing him to death without any cause.

We now come to a strange but certainly true thing. I will read what David said and Saul’s reply. It is Saul’s reply that I want you particularly to notice. David said, "Wherefore hearest thou men’s words saying, Behold David seeketh thy hurt," then closes up by saying, "The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee, but my hand shall not be upon thee." Listen at Saul’s reply: "Thou art more righteous than I" – standing there weeping now and saying this – "for that thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil; and thou hast showed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me, forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered me into thy hand thou killedst me not; for if a man findest his enemy, will he let him go well away; wherefore the Lord reward thee good for what thou hast done unto me this day. And now, behold I know well that thou shalt surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand; swear thou therefore, unto me by the Lord that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house." That sounded like penitence, but it was not. If it was, you would not see Saul pursuing him again, but it was temporary remorse, such as wicked men often evince. It is an Oriental custom that when a new king comes in he kills all the family of the one he succeeds, and that is what Saul fears, and David never did kill any of them after he became king.

It is evident from 1 Samuel 24:9-26:19 that some persistent, insidious slander, ever at Saul’s side, kept his wrath stirred up against David, and like a sinister Iago played upon Saul’s weakness, ever fanning by whisperings the flame of his jealousy. You would never know the name of this secret assassin of character from the history. But his name and character are pilloried in the immortal song of his would-be victim, and all the vileness of his demoniacal nature memorialized to the end of time. What is his name, and in what song commemorated? Just at this juncture Samuel, the great prophet – the greatest man next to Moses since Abraham’s day, dies. Later we will have an analysis of his character.

An example of David’s protection of the villages and farms is seen in the case of the rich man named Nabal ("Nabal" means "fool"), about whom his wife says later, "His name is Nabal and he is Nabal." There wouldn’t have been a sheep left in his flock nor a cow left to give him milk but for the protection extended by David’s band. The herdsmen say, "David’s band has been a wall about us." David’s men never took any of his property. Hungry though they were, they never killed one of his sheep nor one of his cattle. Passing bands of marauders would have swept away every vestige of his property, but David’s men beat them off.

Now, on a festival, sheep-shearing day, David’s men, being weary and hungry, David sends ten men to Nabal, giving him an opportunity at least to feed one time the men that had protected him for the year, and Nabal’s reply is: "What is the son of Jesse to me that I should take my property and feed his straggling crowd?" There are such rich men now, and no wonder they are hated. There was a time in the early history of Texas when volunteer rangers protected all the exposed settlements with their flocks and herds. A man whose home and stock had been so preserved, who would deny hospitality to the unpaid rangers would have been held as infamous. Indeed, in all our West Texas history there never was one Nabal. These ten men went back and reported to David, and this time he didn’t consult either priest or prophet, but, boiling over in wrath, announced his purpose of not leaving a man alive in Nabal’s entire household, and goes to smite him with 400 of his picked men. One of the servants of Nabal had apprehended Just such a state of affairs and had told Abigail, the wife of Nabal, whereupon she, recognizing David as God’s anointed, as the champion of Israel, as the one about whom all true souls should be thinking, having faith in the promises of God concerning him, took a magnificent donation and hurried with it and met David coming blazing in wrath. The woman leaped down from the beast she was riding and made a speech that has never yet had an equal.

You remember how I called your attention to the famous speech in Scott’s Heart of Midlothian by Jeanie Deans, but this beats that. I haven’t time to analyze the speech; you have the record of it before you, but there never was more wisdom put into a few words. She shows David that the wrong done is inexcusable, but tells him to charge it to her, although she had nothing to do with it; tells him that so great a man as he is, God’s vicegerent) should not take vengeance in his own hands; that the day will come in his later life when he will look back with regret at the blood on his hands if he takes such a vengeance, and asks him to leave Nabal’s punishment to God. David was charmed with her and did everything she said. She went back home sad at heart, as many a good woman married to a bad man has to do. Nabal was on a spree. She didn’t tell him anything until the next morning, and as she told him what had transpired God smote him with apoplexy and a few days later – about ten days – smote him again so that he died, whereupon David sends for Abigail and marries her and at the same time marries another woman, plurality of wives prevailing in that day. Many preachers have preached sermons, some of them foolish and some of them really great, on "Nabal, the churl."

The incidents of the last meeting of Saul and David are pathetic. The Ziphites conspire again against David, and tell Saul where to find him. David sends out his spies and learns of Saul’s approach and easily evades him; then, taking just one man with him, Abishai, the fiery son of his sister Zeruiah, his nephew (you will hear about him oftentimes later), goes into the camp of Saul with his 3,000 picked veterans. Saul is sleeping, and Abner, his great general, sleeping by him, and Abishai following his nature, says, "Now let me kill him." David says, "No, you shall not strike him; he is the anointed king; leave him to God," and simply took Saul’s spear and cruse – his water vessel – and when he had got out of the camp he cried out to Abner and mocked him: "What a guardian of your king, that you let somebody come right into your camp and come right up to the person of your king! Behold the spear and cruse of Saul! You ought to be ashamed of yourself." Saul hears David, and now comes that strange language again. I want you to notice it again: "And Saul knew David’s voice, and said, ‘is this thy voice, my son David?’ (as you know, David was his son-in-law). And David said, ‘it is my voice, my lord, O king.’ And he said, ’Wherefore doth my lord pursue after his servant? for what have I done? or what evil is in mine hand? Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If Jehovah hath stirred thee up against me let him accept an offering: but if it be the children of men, cursed be they before Jehovah.’ "

Now comes a passage that we will have to explain in the next chapter: "For they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of Jehovah, saying, Go, serve other gods. Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of Jehovah, for the king of Israel is come to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains." This is a very undignified thing for a king to do – to go out flea hunting; go to chasing a partridge. "Partridge" there is what we call a "blue quail." They seldom fly, but they can run, and anyone who hunts them has to be very fast; hence the beauty of the illustration. Saul says, "I have sinned." (You remember he said that to Samuel.) "Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day, and behold I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly." David didn’t trust him. Saul concludes, "Blessed be thou, my son, David; for thou shall both do great things and also shalt prevail." So David went his own way, and Saul returned to his place. They never meet again. The pursuit is ended. We end this chapter with the end of the duel between Saul and David.

QUESTIONS

1. What is the interest of this section?

2. From what point and place comes the turn in the fortunes of David, and who were his helpers?

3. How does David at this time evince the most exalted patriotism?

4. What parallel in history of these facts?

5. Cite an example of this patriotism of David, and show the ungrateful return to him?

6. Cite a parallel in later days to show that information from Jehovah concerning the secret purposes of men eclipsed all knowledge to be derived from spies, and so saved the king of Israel.

7. Explain the text difficulty in 1 Samuel 23:6.

8. Where was David’s next refuge from Saul, what the description of Saul’s pursuit, and what Jehovah’s deliverance?

9. Describe Jonathan’s last interview with David.

10. Describe David’s first escape from the treachery of the Ziphites, and how that escape was commemorated.

11. What was David’s next refuge from Saul, what the history of the place, and what has modern research to say about it?

12. What the events there, and what illustrations therefrom?

13. What man, greatest next to Moses since Abraham’s day, dies at this juncture?

14. Cite an example of David’s protection of the villages and farms, giving the main incidents in the thrilling story of David and Abigail, and illustrate by Texas free rangers.

16. Describe the incidents of the last meeting of Saul and David.