1 Samuel 23:12

¹⁰ And David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the city on my account.

¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, please tell Your servant.” “He will,” said the LORD.

So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.

¹³ Then 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.

¹⁴ And 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.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: So David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men into the hand of Saul?” “They will,” said the LORD.
KJV: Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.
WEB: Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” The LORD said, “They will deliver you up.”
ASV: Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver up to me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver thee up.
DARBY: And David said, Will the citizens of Keilah deliver up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will deliver [thee] up.
BLB: And David said, “Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And YHWH said, “They will shut [you] up.”

ÅB: Da sa David: Vil Ke'ilas menn overgi meg og mine menn til Saul? Herren svarte: Ja, det vil de.
OTB: Da sa David: "Vil mennene i Ke'ila overgi meg og mine menn til Saul?" Og Herren sa: "De vil overgi deg."
B1930: Da sa David: Vil Ke'ilas menn overgi mig og mine menn til Saul? Herren svarte: Ja, det vil de.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Samuel 23:20
Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.”
Read in context
Psalms 62:1
In God alone my soul finds rest; my salvation comes from Him.
Read in context
Psalms 31:8
You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open.
Read in context
Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
Read in context
1 Samuel 23:7
When Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”
Read in context
Ecclesiastes 9:14–15
There was a small city with few men. A mighty king came against it, surrounded it, and built large siege ramps against it.
Read in context
Psalms 118:8
It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.
Read in context
Isaiah 29:15
Woe to those who dig deep to hide their plans from the LORD. In darkness they do their works and say, “Who sees us, and who will know?”
Read in context