Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 15 Aug. 2021
Read NAW translation of 1 Samuel 23:15-29 - Now, David realized that Saul had come out to take his life away, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest. Then Jonathan son of Saul got up and went to David at the forest and boosted up his hand in {Yahweh}, and he said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father is not going to find you. Furthermore, it is you who will be king over Israel. And as for me, I will belong to you as a second-in-command, and even my father Saul knows it will be thus.” Then the two of them cut a covenant before the face of Yahweh. Presently, Jonathan went to his house while David settled down in the forest. Now, the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah to say, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds in the forest, on the hill of Chakilah which is south of the wasteland? So now, for all your heart’s desire, let the king come right on down {} to us. Let us shut the guy out into the control of the king!” Then Saul said, “May y’all be blessed by Yahweh, for y’all have spared me the trouble! Please go {and} confirm again, and get reconnaissance and watch his place where his foot passes. {Be furtive} there, for, as {y’all} said to me, he is {} slick! So, watch and get reconnaissance of his hideouts where He hides himself there, then y’all return to me with confirmation. Then I will go with y’all, and then, if he is in the land, I will indeed systematically search him out among all the thousands of Judah!” So they got up and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now, David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah to the south of the wasteland. Then Saul and his men went to seek {for him}, but men communicated it to David, so he went down the rock and resided in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard, he then hunted after David {in} the wilderness of Maon. Now, Saul went along the mountain on this side, while David and his men were on that side of the mountain, and David made a mad dash to get away from Saul’s front while Saul and his men were circling towards David - and towards his men - to take them into custody. Just then, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come! For Philistines have made a surprise attack against our country!” Then Saul turned back from hunting after David, and he went to engage the Philistines. Therefore they call that place The Rock of the Divisions.
David knew that Saul was on the prowl, wanting to find and kill him. He had already said as much to Abiathar in the last chapter, verse 23.
So David had left Q’eilah after saving them from the Philistines and had returned to camping in the wilderness in Horesh (which means “forest”). The New International Commentary on the Old Testament suggests he was at “Khirbet Khoreisa, about 2 miles from Tel Zip.”
It is at this time that his friend Prince Jonathan takes the initiative to visit him, and Jonathan does four strategic things for David that are key for encouragement:
v.16 He “encouraged David in God” – lit. “he strengthened/boosted his hand in the Lord”
“strengthened... his hand of faith to lay hold on God, as his covenant God and lean and rely upon... his power and in his providence, and in his promises to him” ~John Gill
“As a pious friend, he directed him to God, the foundation of his confidence and the fountain of his comfort: He strengthened his hand in God. David, though a strong believer, needed the help of his friends for the perfecting of what was lacking in his faith; and herein Jonathan was helpful to him, by reminding him of the promise of God, the holy oil wherewith he was anointed, the presence of God with him hitherto, and the many experiences he had had of God's goodness to him. Thus he strengthened his hands for action, by encouraging his heart, not in the creature, but in God.” ~Matthew Henry
Jonathan encouraged David through verbal reminders not to fear but rather to rely on God’s word. In v.17 Jonathan said to David, “Don’t be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father is not going to find you. Furthermore, it is you who will be king over Israel.”
Jonathan’s assurance that Saul will not find David might have been a promise to use his influence to distract Saul from finding David. (Could it be that Jonathan staged the whole conflict with the Philistines later on purposefully to draw Saul off of the chase with David? We don’t know.)
But more fundamentally, Jonathan was expressing trust in God, that God would sovereignly protect David from getting clobbered by Saul, reminding David that God could be trusted to control all the spy operatives in Saul’s political machine, a prospect entirely outside of their human control but entirely within the power of God and certainly implied in all of God’s promises to David.
Jonathan dreamed together with David about the future: “And as for me, I will belong to you as a second-in-command, and even my father Saul knows it will be thus.”
“Saul knew that David should be king, both by Samuel's words, that the Lord had cast off Saul, and chosen his neighbour better then he (15:28), by the continual good success that David had... [and] he might also have heard of the anointing of David by Samuel, and his conscience did testifie against him, that he was unworthie to hold the kingdom…” ~Willett
God’s plan was unmistakeable, so Jonathan dreamed together with David about it. “Think of how great it’s going to be when you are finally king, David! No more being chased by my Dad. No more camping in caves in the desert. Full authority to run the country like you think it should be and to root out all the corruption of the current administration. It’ll be you and me together again, and I’ll be perfectly content to be at your side as second-in-command. Good times are coming, David, God has promised us this!”
Of course Jonathan was mistaken about surviving to see David crowned king, but he was on the right track to get his friend’s mind out of the dumps and thinking about the fulfillment of God’s promises in the future.
Finally, Jonathan encouraged David through a covenant renewal ceremony in v.18 “Then the two of them cut a covenant before the face of Yahweh.”
I use the term “renewal” because David and Jonathan had already made a covenant in chapter 18 v.3, and had already renewed it once in chapter 20, saying, “‘you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.’ So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, ‘Let the LORD require it at the hand of David's enemies.’ Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.” (1 Sam. 20:14-17 NKJV)
The covenant formalized their commitment to one another, taking the reassurances that any friend would give verbally to the next level of certainty.
It was one thing for Jonathan to say, “Hey buddy, of course I’ll support you if you ever become king one day,” but it was another thing to swear it in front of a priest.
It was one thing for David to say, “If I ever become king, you won’t have to worry about your family, Jonathan,” but it was another for him to ensure formally that there would be no revenge killings and no preemptive assassinations of potential rivals to the throne in Saul’s family. There could be no changing their minds now.
What a breath of fresh air for David to receive such a soul-fortifying and faith-strengthening visit from his dear friend! But all good things must come to an end on this earth, and so Jonathan had to return to his life in the halls of power while David remained with his outlaw band in the wilderness. Next, in contrast to the encouragement of Jonathan, we read of the treachery of the Ziphites starting in v.19.
The Ziphites were descendants of Caleb of the tribe of Judah (1 Chron. 2:42).
They didn’t want their towns destroyed by Saul like Nob had been (and almost Q’eilah). They figured if they kissed up to Saul and helped him get rid of David, they would stay on Saul’s good side, and Saul was the kind of guy you really didn’t want to get on the bad side of! (Willett, Henry, Gill)
There may also have been some unease among the longtime residents of Ziph concerning what kind of trouble this band of outlaws was going to cause in the area. In a couple of chapters, we’ll meet one of these residents, named Nabal, and he was none-too-welcoming of David’s intrusion. (Gordon, Tsumura)
So they go to Saul’s palace in Gibeah and give away David’s location1:
“From the tell of Ziph, a panorama of the whole surrounding district is to be seen. No wonder, then, that the Ziphites saw David and his men passing to and fro in the mountains of the wilderness… [Looking south from Ziph towards Maon, t]he mountain plateau seems here to end. It is true the summit ridge of the southern hills runs out a long way further towards the southwest; but towards the southeast the ground sinks more and more down to a tableland of a lower level, which is called “the plain to the right hand [that is, to the south] of the wilderness2...” ~Robert Jamieson, 1871 AD, quoting Van De Velde
Modern Jewish commentator Rabbi Goldman agreed that Jeshimon is not a proper place name, and that it should be translated “waste/desolation” instead of transliterated “Jeshimon.” He also added that, “[T]he hill of Hachilah [is] perhaps to be identified with the ridge El-Kolah, about six miles east of Ziph and overlooking the barren country between the hills of Judah and the Dead Sea.”
The Ziphites pledge, furthermore, to assist Saul in capturing David there.
Saul’s response doesn’t seem to put much stock in the Ziphites’ report.
If you think about it, the Ziphites did frame their report to him as question: “Isn’t David hiding here?” Well, is he or is he not?
And they didn’t exactly have David under their control; they were just offering to help in the process of moving David into the King’s hands and get him out of their hair.
Moreover, as Saul says, David is “crafty/cunning/subtle” - the Hebrew word has a root meaning of “smooth.”
Whether this is Saul quoting David (as the Enlightenment-era Masoretic text says),
or whether this is someone else’s characterization of David (as the versions3 from the early-church-era say),
Saul considered David to be a “slick character” who was really tricky to deal with.
Saul, however, chose to ignore the more important reason for David’s survival, namely that God was protecting him and keeping Saul’s plots against David from being successful.
So Saul tells the Ziphites to go double-check and get more reconnaissance on David so that he doesn’t end up on a wild goose chase. Saul voices his doubts with with word “if,” (“if he is in the land”), and he voices the expectation that he is going to have to search the households of Judah one-by-one for David anyway, doubting that the Ziphites will actually be able to lead him to David’s exact location after all their looking around for him.
I think I’d be insulted if I were one of those Ziphites. And Saul’s threat to rampage through “the thousands of Judah” clan by clan until he found David probably left the Ziphites thinking, “Why did we go to the trouble to rat on David in the first place, if Saul is still going to come down and ransack all our villages anyway?!”
It’s around this time that David wrote Psalm 54: “A Contemplation of David When the Ziphites Went and Said to Saul, ‘Is David Not Hiding with Us?’ Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength. Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Selah Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth. I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.” (NKJV)
“[B]y the time the Ziphites returned home, David had intelligence of their design, and therefore removed from the wilderness of Ziph to the wilderness of Maon; which, though in the same tribe... was now [a little] farther to the south of it, and in a plain, whereas before he was on a hill.” ~John Gill
Maon was four (Soncino) to five miles south of Ziph, with a hill surrounded by grazing fields (NICOT).
It isn’t long before Saul has mobilized an army and headed down to the Judean wilderness near Ziph to hunt David down.
The picture I get is that David is up on a hilltop and sees the troops coming his way, so he and his men climb down the rocks on the far side of the hill. Saul’s army, now knowing where they are, splits up and sends a division both ways around the base of the hill to intercept David. David is panicking on the other side, trying to figure out how to make a mad dash to another safe place when the only option is a long run across flat wilderness where there is nowhere to hide. It’s feeling like “game over.”
But then, at the last minute, there is an unexpected interruption. A messenger comes running into Saul’s ranks shouting that the Philistines have conducted a surprise attack against Saul’s land, urgently demanding that Saul hurry home to deal with the invasion.
The particular word used by the messenger to describe the Philistine military offensive has a root meaning of “stripping bare,” which could indicate a lot of raiding and plundering and destruction of property.
But beyond the root meaning, it appears to be a specialized military term that first shows up in the book of Judges, describing a “surprise attack,” involving a rapid movement of troops to take control of enemies. This element of surprise could explain why Saul didn’t see it coming and had embarked on chasing David through the southern desert rather than staying home to defend his nation.
Saul’s decision to break off the chase of David when he was so close to capturing him is surprising,
but Bible Commentators like John Gill suggest that it was in his self-interest because the Philistine attack may have been “into the tribe of Benjamin, where his patrimony, residence, and court were, and which were liable to fall into their hands; and therefore his presence was immediately required, and haste was necessary.”
Andrew Willet (and others) commented that it couldn’t have been mere patriotic duty that caused Saul to leave David and fight the Philistines because “before this, when David had rescued Keilah from the Philistims... Saul [did nothing to defend his country, but only] took occasion presently after that victorie to pursue David: whereas if he had preferred the public business, he should have followed after the common adversarie, and let David alone. Therefore this was rather the Lord’s work, that pulled away Saul against his own inclination…”
“The wisdom of God is never at a loss for ways and means to preserve his people. As this Saul was diverted, so another Saul was converted, just when he was breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the saints of the Lord (Acts 9:1).” ~M. Henry
I am also reminded of Psalm 10, where David cries out, “Why, Yahweh, will You stand in [the] distance [and] ignore [things] at times when there is a crisis? With arrogance a wicked man hotly-pursues a lowly man [Like Saul did David in the wilderness]. They will be caught in schemes that they thought up because [the] wicked man boasted over his selfish desires, and it was the greedy he blessed [like Saul blessed theZiphites]; Yahweh he despised. A wicked man according to [the] stuck-up-ness of his nose will never be a seeker; all his schemes [assume] there is no God… It is a curse that fills His mouth – also deceit and oppression; under his tongue are trouble and iniquity. He sits in ambush... In the hiding-places he murders an innocent man… Arise, Yahweh! God, lift up Your hand; do not forget the lowly ones… You saw, for You Yourself will take a look at trouble and grief in order to take charge. To You the weakest will abandon himself; [to the] orphan You Yourself have been a helper. Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; search out his wickedness [until] you find none. Yahweh is king forever and ever. [The] nations perished from His earth. It is the desires of the lowly ones that You, Yahweh heeded. You will cause their heart to stand firm; You will cause Your ear to be attentive, in order to adjudicate for an orphan or [for] the one who is beaten down; never again to add to the trembling of mortal-man from the earth.” (NAW)
I imagine that locals throughout the centuries have taken great relish in bringing guests to that hill and re-telling that story of David’s narrow escape by God’s providence.
They named the place in Hebrew “Sela’ ham-mach-leqot.” Sela’ means “rock,” but opinions are divided over whether chaleq means “Escape” or “Smooth” or “Divisions.”
I think “Divisions” is the best translation, since it is supported by the traditional Greek and Latin versions and since it matches both the lexical meaning of chaleq and the events of the story where Saul divided his troops to catch David and then had to call it all off and divide his attention with fighting Philistines.
David had to move again, this time to En-Gedi, about 15 miles from Maon in the rocky mountains east of the wilderness, but God saw to it that David was sustained even in this incredibly stressful time.
God Himself is an encourager:
He said in Jeremiah 31:25 “...I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
We can pray together with Nehemiah, “They are all trying to make us afraid... Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.” (Nehemiah 6:9, cf Job 4:3, Ezekiel 13:20-23)
And we know from the benedictions in 2 Thess. 2:17 and 1 Peter 5:10 that He will:
"He will comfort [our] hearts and establish them in every good work and word,"
and "He Himself will renew, He will confirm, strengthen, [and] establish" you.
Not only will God encourage His people, He also calls His people to encourage each other. How will you be an “encourager in the Lord” to someone else this week? Can use use one or more of the ways that Jonathan encouraged David?
How could you strengthen someone’s hand in the Lord?
How much do you want to bet that some of the phrases in Psalm 54 were planted in David’s mind by his friend Jonathan? “God’s name is our salvation, David. He hears your prayers, David. He is a vindicator of the oppressed against their oppressors; God will repay your enemies for their evil, David. God’s name is good, David. Keep trusting Him, keep calling out to Him, keep waiting for Him, He will come through for you!” David gets the credit for writing those words, but you never know how much God can use a few encouraging words from you in someone else’s life.
Can you remind someone not to fear but rather to rely on God’s word?
I can’t tell you how many times I have comforted crying, fear-wracked children in the middle of the night with the words of Psalm 56:3, “When I am afraid I will trust in You, in God whose word I praise.” God’s word is a powerful weapon against fear, and it is amplified in power when it is a friend encouraging you with it!
What
promises from God can you remind your friends of, in order to lift
their mind toward the future rather than getting stuck in the
problems of the present?
The
spirituals of the African American church tradition are a treasure
trove for this:
Soon I Will Be Done With The Troubles Of The World, Going Home to Live With God! I Want to see my Jesus… Home to Live With God!
Everything’s Gonna Be All Right When Jesus Comes, No More Trouble In the Land!
I Wanna Be Ready, Lord, Ready to put on my long, white robe!
Brothers, Gather ‘Round, listen to my story ‘bout the Promised Land and the promised Glory!
Oh when will I see Jesus and reign with Him above and hear the trumpet sound in that morning? Oh shout glory, I shall rise above the skies when I hear the trumpet sound in that morning.
Heaven is a Wonderful Place, Filled with Glory and Grace, I Wanna see my Savior’s Face, Heaven is a Wonderful Place
I’m Gonna Sit at the Welcome-Table Some O’ Dese Days!
I’ve Got a Crown Up In-a The Kingdom, Ain-a That Good News!
Some day, a bright new wave will break across the shore, and there will be no pain and no more sighing and no more war, and little children never will go hungry anymore, for there will be a bright new morning over there. There’ll Be A Bright New World for us to share!
I could sing on and on, and maybe the words sound trite to you, but you think of your own ways of looking forward together to the fulfillment of God’s promises in the future!
Finally, how can you use covenantal promises like Jonathan did, to encourage others in the Lord?
The covenant of marriage is one of the ways we formalize an exclusive relationship between a man and a woman. Until they get married, they can change their minds and break up, but after saying vows, Jesus says, “Let no one separate.”
We also use covenantal promises in church membership so that we know who we are accountable to and who we are responsible to, and what exactly we expect from fellow church members.
Due to how fast people change jobs and move these days, most folks are not deeply rooted; people who are your acquaintances now will probably move on and no longer be in your circle of friends in a few years. Are there ways that you counteract that trend by taking friendship commitments to the next level of certainty and permanency?
It would be one thing for me to say, “Hey, if you ever need to borrow a tool, just come over to my house and help yourself.” But it would be taking it to the next level for me to go to a courthouse and have a title deed published that all the tools in my garage belong jointly to you and to me. You see the difference a covenant makes?
By the same token, we need to think through what we are actually willing and able to commit and not make covenants we can’t or shouldn’t keep.
May God give you opportunities, and give you faithfulness to follow through in encouraging others in the Lord!
Luke 22:32 But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren."
Acts 14:22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God."
Acts 15:32 Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.
Acts 15:41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Acts 18:23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Hebrews 12:12 Therefore strengthen the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees
Also see the example of Barnabas in Acts 11
LXXB |
BrentonC |
DRBD |
KJV |
NAW |
MT |
15
καὶ εἶδεν
Δαυιδ ὅτι ἐξέρχεται
Σαουλ τοῦ
ζητεῖν τὸν
X
|
15
And David perceived
that Saul went forth to seek X
|
15
And David saw
that Saul was come out to seek his life. And David was in the
desert of Ziph, in |
15
And David sawF
that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was
in the wilderness of Ziph in |
15 Now, David realized that Saul had come out to take his life away, and David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in the forest. |
15 וַיַּרְא דָוִד כִּי-יָצָא שָׁאוּל לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת-נַפְשׁוֹ וְדָוִד בְּמִדְבַּר-זִיף בַּחֹרְשָׁה: ס |
16
καὶ ἀνέστη Ιωναθαν
υἱὸς Σαουλ
καὶ ἐπορεύθη
πρὸς Δαυιδ εἰς
|
16
And Jonathan son of Saul rose, and went to David to |
16 And Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose, and went to David, into the wood, and strengthened his hand[s] in God: |
16 And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthenedI his hand in God. |
16 Then Jonathan son of Saul got up and went to David at the forest and boosted up his hand in {Yahweh}, |
16 וַיָּקָם יְהוֹנָתָן בֶּן-שָׁאוּל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל-דָּוִד חֹרְשָׁה וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת-יָדוֹ בֵּאלֹהִיםJ: |
17 καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν Μὴ φοβοῦ, ὅτι οὐ μὴ εὕρῃ σε ἡ χεὶρ Σαουλ τοῦ πατρός μου, καὶ σὺ βασιλεύσεις ἐπὶ Ισραηλ, καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαί σοι εἰς δεύτερον· καὶ Σαουλ ὁ πατήρ μου οἶδεν οὕτως. |
17 And he said to him, Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be second to thee; and Saul my father knows it. |
and he said to him: 17 Fear not: for the hand of my father, Saul, shall not find thee, and thou shalt reign over Israel, and I shall be next to thee; yea and X my father knoweth this. |
17 And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be nextK unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth. |
17 and he said to him, “Don’t be afraid, for the hand of Saul my father is not going to find you. Furthermore, it is you who will be king over Israel. And as for me, I will belong to you as a second-in-command, and even my father Saul knows it will be thus.” |
17 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַל-תִּירָא כִּי לֹא תִמְצָאֲךָ יַד שָׁאוּל אָבִי וְאַתָּה תִּמְלֹךְ עַל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה-לְּךָ לְמִשְׁנֶהL וְגַם-שָׁאוּל אָבִי יֹדֵעַ כֵּן: |
18
καὶ διέθεντο
ἀμφότεροι
διαθήκην
ἐνώπιον κυρίου.
καὶ ἐκάθητο
Δαυιδ ἐν |
18
So they both made a covenant before the Lord; and David dwelt in
|
18
And they two made a covenant before the Lord: and David abode in
the wood: but Jonathan |
18 And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house. |
18 Then the two of them cut a covenant before the face of Yahweh. Presently, Jonathan went to his house while David settled down in the forest. |
18 וַיִּכְרְתוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּרִית לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּחֹרְשָׁה וִיהוֹנָתָן הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ: ס |
19
Καὶ ἀνέβησαν
[οἱM]
Ζιφαῖοι [ἐκ
τῆς αὐχμώδους]
πρὸς Σαουλ
ἐπὶ τὸν βουνὸνN
λέγοντες Οὐκ
ἰδοὺ Δαυιδ
κέκρυπται παρ᾿
ἡμῖν [ἐν
Μεσσαρα]
ἐν τοῖς στενοῖςO
ἐν τῇ |
19
And the Ziphites
came up [out
of the dry country]
to Saul to the hill,
saying, Behold, is not David hidden with us [in
MessaraQ,]
in the |
19 And the Ziphites went up to Saul, in Gabaa, saying: Lo, doth not David lie hid with us in the strong holds of the wood, in mount Hachila, which is on the right hand of the desert. |
19 Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of JeshimonR? |
19 Now, the Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah to say, “Isn’t David hiding among us in the strongholds in the forest, on the hill of Chakilah which is south of the wasteland? |
19 וַיַּעֲלוּ זִפִים אֶל-שָׁאוּל הַגִּבְעָתָה לֵאמֹר הֲלוֹאS דָוִד מִסְתַּתֵּר עִמָּנוּ בַמְּצָדוֹת בַּחֹרְשָׁה בְּגִבְעַת הַחֲכִילָה אֲשֶׁר מִימִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן: |
20
καὶ νῦν πᾶν τὸ
πρὸς ψυχὴν XT
τοῦ
βασιλέως εἰς
κατάβασιν
καταβαινέτω
X
πρὸς
ἡμᾶς· κεκλείκασιν
αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς
χεῖρ |
20 And now according to all the king's X desire to come down, let him come down X to us; they have shut him up into the hand[s] of the king. |
20 Now therefore come down, as X thy soul hath desired X to come down: and it shall be our business to deliver him into the king's hand[s]. |
20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliverU him into the king's hand. |
20 So now, for all your heart’s desire, let the king come right on down {} to us. Let us shut the guy out into the control of the king!” |
20 וְעַתָּה לְכָל- אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרֶדֶת רֵד וְלָנוּV הַסְגִּירוֹ בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ: |
21 καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Σαουλ Εὐλογημένοι ὑμεῖς τῷ κυρίῳ, ὅτι ἐπονέσατεW περὶ ἐμοῦ· |
21 And Saul said to them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, for ye have been grieved on my [account]. |
21 And Saul said: Blessed be ye of the Lord, for you have pitied X my [case]. |
21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassionX on me. |
21 Then Saul said, “May y’all be blessed by Yahweh, for y’all have spared me the trouble! |
21 וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל בְּרוּכִים אַתֶּם לַיהוָה כִּי חֲמַלְתֶּם עָלָי: |
22
πορεύθητε δὴ
[καὶ]
ἑτοιμάσατε
ἔτι
καὶ γνῶτε
X
X τὸν
τόπον αὐτοῦ,
οὗ ἔσται ὁ ποὺς
αὐτοῦ, |
22
Go, I pray you, [and]
make
preparations
yet,
and notice
X X
his place where his foot shall be, |
22
Go, [therefore,]
I
pray you, [and]
use
all diligence,
and curiously
inquire,
and |
22
Go, I pray you, prepareAA
yet,
and knowAB
and see his place where his hauntAC
is, and
who hath seen him there: for it |
22 Please go {and} confirm again, and get reconnaissance and watch his place where his foot passes. {Be furtive} there, for as {y’all} said to me, he is {} slick! |
22 לְכוּ-נָא הָכִינוּAE עוֹד וּדְעוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת-מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה רַגְלוֹ מִי רָאָהוּAF שָׁם כִּי אָמַרAG אֵלַי עָרוֹם יַעְרִםAH הוּא: |
23 καὶ ἴδετε καὶ γνῶτε, X X X X X X X X X X X X X καὶ πορευσόμεθα μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἔσται εἰ ἔστιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐξερευνήσω αὐτὸν ἐν πάσαις χιλιάσιν Ιουδα. |
23 Take notice, then, and learn, X X X X X X X X X X X X X and I will go with you; and it shall come to pass that if he is in the land, I will search him out among all the thousands of Juda. |
23
X
Consider,
and seeAI
all his lurking
holes,
wherein
he is
hid,
and return to me with the
certainty [of
the thing],
that I may go with you. And if he should even |
23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurkingAJ places where he hideth himself X, and come ye again to me with the certaintyAK, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousandsAL of Judah. |
23 So, watch and get reconnaissance of his hideouts where He hides himself there, then y’all return to me with confirmation. Then I will go with y’all, and then, if he is in the land, I will indeed systematically search him out among all the thousands of Judah!” |
23 וּרְאוּ וּדְעוּ מִכֹּלAM הַמַּחֲבֹאִים אֲשֶׁר יִתְחַבֵּא שָׁם וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי אֶל-נָכוֹן וְהָלַכְתִּי אִתְּכֶם וְהָיָה אִם-יֶשְׁנוֹ בָאָרֶץ וְחִפַּשְׂתִּי אֹתוֹ בְּכֹל אַלְפֵיAN יְהוּדָה: |
24
καὶ ἀνέστησαν
|
24
And |
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: and David and his men were in the desert of Maon, in the plain at the right hand of Jesimon. |
24 And they arose, and went to Ziph beforeAQ Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plainAR on the southAS of Jeshimon. |
24 So they got up and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now, David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah to the south of the wasteland. |
24 וַיָּקוּמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ זִיפָה לִפְנֵי שָׁאוּל וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן בָּעֲרָבָה אֶל יְמִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן: |
25
καὶ ἐπορεύθη
Σαουλ καὶ οἱ
ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ
ζητεῖν [αὐτόνAT]·
καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν
τῷ Δαυιδ, καὶ
κατέβη [εἰς]
τὴν πέτραν |
25
And Saul and his men went to seek [him]:
and they brought word to David, and he went down [to]
the rock |
25
Then Saul and his men went to seek [himAU]:
and |
25
Saul also and his men went to seek him.
And they told David: wherefore he came down [into]
|
25 Then Saul and his men went to seek {for him}, but men communicated it to David, so he went down the rock and resided in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard, he then hunted after David {in} the wilderness of Maon. |
25 וַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו לְבַקֵּשׁ וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד וַיֵּרֶד הַסֶּלַע וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי-דָוִד מִדְבַּרAV מָעוֹן: |
26 καὶ πορεύονται Σαουλ [καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ] ἐκ μέρους τοῦ ὄρους τούτου, καὶ ἦν Δαυιδ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ ἐκ μέρους τοῦ ὄρους τούτου· καὶ ἦν Δαυιδ σκεπαζόμενοςAW πορεύεσθαι ἀπὸ προσώπου Σαουλ, καὶ Σαουλ καὶ οἱ ἄνδρες αὐτοῦ παρενέβαλονAX ἐπὶ Δαυιδ καὶ τοὺς ἄνδρας αὐτοῦ συλλαβεῖν αὐτούς. |
26 And Saul [and his men] go on one side of the mountain, and David and his men are on the other side of the mountain: and David was hiding himself to escape from Saul: and Saul and his men encamped against David and his men, in order to take them. |
26 And Saul went on this side of the mountain: and David and his men were on the other side of the mountain: and David despaired of being able to escape from the face of Saul: and Saul and his men encompassed David and his men round about, to take them. |
26
And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men
on that side of the mountain: and David made
haste to
get away |
26 Now, Saul went along the mountain on this side, while David and his men were on that side of the mountain, and David made a mad dash to get away from Saul’s front while Saul and his men were circling towards David - and towards his men - to take them into custody. |
26 וַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וַיְהִי דָוִד נֶחְפָּז לָלֶכֶת מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל וְשָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹטְרִים אֶל-דָּוִד וְאֶל-אֲנָשָׁיו לְתָפְשָׂם: |
27 καὶ ἄγγελος πρὸς Σαουλ ἦλθεν λέγων Σπεῦδε καὶ δεῦρο, ὅτι ἐπέθεντο οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. |
27 And there came a messenger to Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come hither, for the Philistines have invaded X the land. |
27 And a messenger came to Saul, saying: Make haste to come, for the Philistines have poured in themselves upon the land. |
27 But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invadedBB X the land. |
27 Just then, a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Hurry and come! For Philistines have made a surprise attack against our country!” |
27 וּמַלְאָךְ בָּא אֶל-שָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר מַהֲרָה וְלֵכָה כִּי- פָשְׁטוּBC פְלִשְׁתִּים עַל-הָאָרֶץ: |
28
καὶ ἀνέστρεψεν
Σαουλ μὴ καταδιώκειν
ὀπίσω Δαυιδ
καὶ ἐπορεύθη
εἰς συνάντησιν
τῶν ἀλλοφύλων·
διὰ τοῦτο ἐπεκλή |
28
So Saul returned from following after David, and went to meet the
Philistines: therefore that place |
28
Wherefore Saul returned, |
28 Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against XBF the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela hammahlekothBG. |
28 Then Saul turned back from hunting after David, and he went to engage the Philistines. Therefore they call that place The Rock of the Divisions. |
28 וַיָּשָׁב שָׁאוּל מִרְדֹף אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֵּלֶךְ לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים עַל-כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹתBH: |
The Greek and Hebrew and Latin texts place the next verse at the beginning of chapter 24, so it will not be dealt with here, although many English versions append it to chapter 23 here. |
29 BIThen David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds of Engaddi. |
29 And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi. |
|
|
|
1Jerome seems to have located them too far East. Gill quoted Jerome’s De loc. Heb. fol. 91. C as saying that “Jeshimon [w]as ten miles from Jericho to the south, near the Dead Sea; on the top of this hill, which was an ascent of... about four miles… [known in later years as] Masada…”
216th Century Puritan commentator Andrew Willett elaborated that David was “on the ‘right hand,’ that is, the south side, of the desert called in Hebrew ‘Jeshimon’: which mention is made of … in divers other places: so that it appeareth to be no proper name.”
3Namely, the Targum, Septuagint, Vulgate, and Syriac texts of verse 22, which, while not in agreement with each other, are all agreed against David being the source of the quote.
AMy
original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in
footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB,
or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not
in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use
of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square
brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different
from all the other translations, I underline it. When a
version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far
from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout.
And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I
insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original
word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I
occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between
the various editions and versions when there are more than two
different translations of a given word. The
only known Dead Sea
Scroll containing 1
Samuel 23
is 4Q52,
which contains fragments
of vs. 8-23,
and which has been dated at
250
B.C. Where it agrees
with the MT, I have colored the MT purple. Where the DSS
supports the LXX with omissions or text not in the MT, I have
highlighted with
yellow the LXX and its translation into English, and where I
have accepted that into my NAW translation, I have marked it with
{pointed brackets}.
BThis is Rahlf’s edition of the Septuagint text, presumably following the majority of Greek manuscripts.
CThis is a translation into English of the Greek Vaticanus, which is one of the oldest-known Septuagint manuscripts.
DThis is a translation into English of the Latin Vulgate.
EAquila (ulh) and Symmachus (drumw) corrected the LXX to the MT word for “wood/forest” Same with vs.16 and 18, although Aquila switches to drumon in v.18.
FNASB = “became aware”
GGreek & Hebrew are definite (“the”). NASB & NIV = “Horesh” Same with vs.16, 18 & 19, except it’s not definite in v.16.
HSymmachus = eqarsune (“encouraged”).
INIV = “helped him find strength,” NASB translates uncharacteristically periphrastically = “encouraged him”
JDSS = hw** agrees with the LXX “Lord,” as does the Targum, over against the MT “God,” but it is a synonymous term. Targum adds “word,” as in “strengthened him in the word of the Lord”
KNIV translated more literally “second.”
LWillett says that “Jonathan was deceived in thinking he should be next unto David, when he was king.” It seems, however, that the focus is not so much on Jonathan aspiring to this position but rather it is on Jonathan submitting to the ascendance of David to the throne. On mishneh, see Esther 10:3 (Mordecai “second” to King Xerxes) and 2 Chron. 28:7 (Elqana “second” to King Ahaz).
MKittel cites a couple of Hebrew manuscripts which support a definite article here, although it is not in the MT.
NAll the later Greek versions transliterated this word (Gabaq = “Gibeah”) rather than translating it, but it does mean “hill.”
OAquila & Symmachus rendered closer to the Hebrew with ocurwmasi (“strongholds”), while Theodotian branched out with sphlaioiV (“caves”), but all are appropriate-enough descriptions of the actual place.
PAq. hfanismenhV (“having disappeared”), S. erhmou (“desert”) Same in v.24, except Symmachus switches to aoikhtou (“house-less place”)
QThis is a Greek pronunciation of the Hebrew word. The LXX, as it often does with obscure words, gives both the Hebrew word and its translation.
RMost commentators considered this word to mean “wasteland” rather than being a specific place name.
SThe DSS omits this word, “Is not?” but it’s in the LXX and the Vulgate. There is, however, a good bit of extra space in the DSS for some extra words, so perhaps it could support the MT’s addition of “Is not” and/or the LXX’s addition of “from the desert,” but in order to fit, the word order in the DSS would have to be different than it is in the MT.
TSymmachus rendered with synonyms: kata pasan epiqumian sou (“according to all the desire of you”).
UNASB, ESV = “surrender,” NIV = “hand over”
VTsumura, following the MT, translated, “It is up to us to deliver him up…” DSS = wnylu dry “let him come down. Upon us…” McCarter, following the DSS translated, “It will be our task…” Not significantly different in meaning.
WAq., Q. efeisasqe, (“spared the trouble” – a more straight-forwardly accurate statement about what they did for Saul), S. esplagcnisqhte (“had compassion”). cf. 1 Samuel 22:8 “...there is no one of you that is sorry [πονῶν] for me, or informs me…” (Brenton)
XNIV = “concern for” Everywhere else this Hebrew word occurs in the Samuels (1 Sam. 15:3, 9, 15; 2 Sam. 12:4, 6; 21:7), all the English versions translate it “spare” (except 2 Sam 12:4-6, where it is translated “spared,” “refused,” “was unwilling,” “refrained,” “pitied”).
YSyriac and Targum (“they said to him”) are also plural as opposed to the MT singular, But S & T are 3rd person like the MT, instead of the LXX 2nd person.
ZThe Hebrew word ali without vowel pointing as it originally was, can mean “perhaps” or it can mean “to me.”
AANASB, ESV = “make more sure” Lit. “establish, firm up”
ABThe Hebrew root is “know,” NASB = “investigate,” NIV = “find out”
ACThe Hebrew word here is literally “his foot”
ADThe Hebrew is literally “he said to me.”
AESeveral Hebrew manuscripts add an “and” here, and there is an “and” here in the LXX, Targum, and Vulgate. There are, by the way, also Hebrew manuscripts which, like the Syriac and Vulgate, read “consider” (הבינו) instead of the MT’s “establish” (הכינו), but that doesn’t really change the story.
AFThe LXX reads as though the MT were מהרה (“quickly” – a word found in v.27) instead of מי ראהו (“Who saw him?”). DSS is obliterated here, but does not have enough space for all the letters in the MT, whereas it does have enough space for the LXX reading. Tsumura, while defending the MT, cited Wellhausen, Hertzberg, and McCarter in favor of the LXX reading here.
AGWillett advocated for the singular, explaining, “David in former times, when he used to go forth to battell for Saul, being asked by what meanes he had such prosperous successe, would answer, that he used subtiltie and policie.” (Gill agreed) R. Isaiah interpreted, "It [my heart] says to me."
AHThere
is not enough room in the DSS for the reduplication of the verb
found in the MT, thus the DSS supports the LXX, which only states
the final verb once. The only effect of this is to remove the
“very,” and that does not change the story.
As for
the verb itself, it is relatively rare, occurring only in Ex. 15:8
(where waters “gathered/piled”); Job 5:13 (where the
wise are caught in their “craftiness/shrewdness”); Ps.
83:4 (“crafty/shrewd/cunning” counsel/plans); Prov. 15:5
(keeping reproof is “prudent/sensible/wise”); and Prov.
19:25 (the simple will become “wary/shrewd/prudent”).
AISyriac and some Hebrew manuscripts also reverse the order of “know and see,” along with the Vulgate, but this makes no difference in meaning.
AJNASB, NIV = “hiding”
AKNIV = “definite information” This same Hebrew root was translated “prepare” (KJV) or “make more sure” (NASB) in the previous verse.
ALNIV, Goldman = “clans,” but the Hebrew word literally means “thousands.”
AMThe DSS is obliterated at the opening of this verse, but it doesn’t have room for one of the first three words in the MT before the legible word “hiding-places.” The LXX has the first two words “see and know” but not the third word “from all,” so מִכֹּל is probably the word not in the DSS. Puzzlingly, however, מַּחֲבֹאִים through נָכוֹן is missing from the LXX in all its forms (including Vaticanus, Alexandrian, and revisions by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotian who tended to follow the MT tradition). Unfortunately, מַּחֲבֹ[אִים] is the last legible word of the 4Q52 Dead Sea Scroll of Samuel, so there is no DSS text to compare the rest of this verse with.
ANGoldman advocated translating this “clans,” which is what the NIV did. Cf. Micah 5:2 NKJV "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel…"
AOLater Greek versions translated this word more along the meaning of the Hebrew word: Aq. omalh (“the level way”), S. pediadi (“plain”).
APThe word “Ziph” is different in the LXX from the MT in three respects: 1) earlier in the sentence than the MT, 2) plural instead of the MT singular, and 3) definite vs. the MT indefinite.
AQNIV, ESV = “ahead of”
ARNASB, NIV, and ESV transliterated this Hebrew word “Arabah” instead of translating it as the KJV did.
ASHebrew & Greek lit. “right hand,” but the cultural meaning of that word included “south”
ATSyriac and some Hebrew manuscripts which insert “him” or “David” support this
AUAlthough “him” is in the DRB, I don’t think it’s in the original Vulgate Latin.
AVSeveral Hebrew manuscripts add a beth preposition (“into”) to the beginning of this word, and practically all the ancient versions (Targum, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate) also insert the word “in” here.
AWLater Greek versions reflect a continuing lack of consensus over the Hebrew word: Aq. qamboumenoV (“panicking”), S. peristellomenoV (“being surrounded”), Q. kruptomenoV (“hiding”).
AXAll the later Greek versions went with peristefanounteV (“turned themselves around”).
AYThe original Greek and Hebrew instead read “from the face of Saul,” however, there is a significant textual tradition from the ancient Greek and Latin versions which implies “alarm” in the verb translated “hurry/haste.”
AZNASB = “surrounding,” NIV, ESV = “closing in on”
BANASB = “seize,” NIV, ESV = “capture”
BBNASB, NIV, ESV = “raid”
BC The root meaning is to “strip off clothing” and by extension to “flay an animal-skin” (Gen. 37:23; Lev. 1:6; 6:4; 16:23; Num. 20:26, 28), but it is also used as a term for a particular military offensive in Jdg. 9:33, 44; 20:37; 1 Sam. 27:8, 10; 31:8-9; 1 Chr. 14:9, 13; 2 Chr. 25:13; 28:18; and 29:34. It was a strategy used by both Israelites and Philistines, and the most descriptive passages in Judges indicate that it involved an element of surprise and a fast troop movement.
BDcf. Theodotian’s synonym for “divisions” = diairesewn. No Greek versions seemed to consider “escape” as an alternate translation.
BEESV followed the LXX singular passive form (“was called”) rather than the MT plural active form (“they called”), but the meaning is practically the same.
BFThe KJV missed the 2nd Hebrew verb, which literally means “to call” (but is translated “to meet” in most other versions).
BGKJV transliterates the Hebrew. NASB & ESV translate the Hebrew = “Rock of Escape,” but the word chaleq doesn’t mean “escape” but rather “smooth” or “apportionment/allotment.”
BHTargum = “therefore they called that place the Rock of Division, the place where the heart of the king was divided to go here and there,” Rashi = “he was in two minds,” McCarter = “Slippery Rock/Bald Mountain.”
BIThe Vulgate actually places this verse with the next chapter, but it is set with chapter 23 in Douay’s English translation.