Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:1-5

Bird's-eye view

This short narrative provides a sharp and telling contrast between Israel's two kings, the de jure king Saul and the de facto king David. While Saul, the sitting monarch, is derelict in his primary duty to defend Israel's borders, instead using the nation's resources to hunt his successor, David, the fugitive, steps into the leadership vacuum. Hearing that the Philistines are raiding the town of Keilah, David's first impulse is to act as Israel's protector. But before acting, he inquires of Yahweh, demonstrating his complete dependence upon God. Faced with the reasonable fears of his men, David does not rebuke them but patiently inquires of God a second time, receiving a direct command and a promise of victory. His subsequent obedience results in the salvation of Keilah and a great victory over the enemy. This incident is a microcosm of David's entire reign in waiting: exercising righteous leadership, depending on God's direction, and acting in faith, all while being hunted by the faithless king he is destined to replace.

Outline

Context In 1 Samuel

This passage occurs while David is a fugitive in the wilderness, relentlessly pursued by a paranoid and murderous King Saul. Immediately prior to this, David was in the Forest of Hereth (1 Sam 22:5). Crucially, the sole surviving priest from Saul's massacre at Nob, Abiathar, has fled to David, bringing the ephod with him (1 Sam 22:20-23). The ephod contained the Urim and Thummim, the means by which the high priest would inquire of God's will. This is the mechanism David uses here to ask of Yahweh. So, while Saul has slaughtered the priests and cut himself off from divine counsel, turning later to a witch for guidance, David has the true priesthood and the sanctioned means of divine inquiry with him in exile. This episode demonstrates that God's legitimate authority and blessing are with David's ragged band of outcasts, not with the formal state apparatus under Saul.

Key Issues

The Fugitive Shepherd-King

There are two kings in Israel. One is in the palace, surrounded by the instruments of power, and he is using all of it to pursue a personal vendetta against an innocent man. The other is in the wilderness, surrounded by a band of debtors and malcontents, and he is doing the actual work of a king. Saul is obsessed with protecting his own throne. David is concerned with protecting God's people. The Philistines, ever the opportunists, see a nation whose king is distracted by internal strife and decide it is a fine time for a little pillaging. They attack Keilah, a town in Judah, and begin to plunder their threshing floors, which is to say, their livelihood. This is a national security crisis, the very thing a king is for. But the king in Gibeah is busy. And so the report comes not to Saul, but to David. This is because God is showing all of Israel, and us, who the real king is.

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 Then they told David, saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are pillaging the threshing floors.”

The news comes to David. Why him? Because word has gotten around. While Saul is chasing shadows, David has been a protector for those who live on the frontiers (1 Sam 25:16). He is building a reputation as a guardian, a shepherd of the people. The Philistines are doing what Philistines do, attacking the weak points. They are after the grain, the sustenance of the people. This is not just a border skirmish; it is an attack on the covenant blessings of God's people. And the man who should be responding, King Saul, is asleep at the switch. The crisis reveals the leadership vacuum, and David is the one who notices it.

2 So David asked of Yahweh, saying, “Shall I go and strike these Philistines?” And Yahweh said to David, “Go and strike the Philistines and save Keilah.”

David's immediate reaction is not to muster his troops or calculate the odds. His first move is vertical. He inquires of the Lord. He has Abiathar and the ephod, the divinely appointed means for seeking such direction. This is the fundamental difference between David and Saul. David's default setting is dependence on God. Saul's is self-willed panic. David asks a simple, direct question, and God gives a simple, direct answer. The command is threefold: Go, strike, and save. God is commissioning David to do the king's job. He is to be the instrument of God's deliverance for Keilah.

3 But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the battle lines of the Philistines?”

Here we have the voice of reasonable, God-less pragmatism. David's men are not necessarily being faithless; they are being realistic from a worldly point of view. They are already fugitives. They are hiding from their own king in their own country. Every day is a risk. To leave their hideout and march on a walled city to fight the Philistine army seems like strategic suicide. It would be like painting a giant target on their backs for both Saul and the Philistines. Their argument is entirely logical if you leave God out of the calculation. This is the constant temptation for the people of God: to allow the apparent dangers of the circumstances to shout louder than the quiet command of God.

4 Then David asked of Yahweh once more. And Yahweh answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.”

This is a masterful display of leadership. David does not pull rank. He does not rebuke his men for their fear or question their loyalty. He takes their fear seriously and carries it back to the Lord. He is a shepherd of his men, not just a commander. He inquires "once more," demonstrating a patient humility. God's response is a gracious confirmation. He repeats the command, "Arise, go down," but this time He adds a glorious promise: "for I will give the Philistines into your hand." This is what faith needed to hear. The first answer was a command. The second is a command backed by a promise. God did not just tell them what to do; He told them what He was going to do. This is the foundation for all true courage.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines; and he led away their livestock and struck them with a great slaughter. Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

With the promise of God ringing in their ears, they obey. The action is swift and the result is decisive. A "great slaughter" indicates a complete and overwhelming victory. They not only defeat the enemy but also take their livestock as plunder, which would have been a welcome provision for David's fugitive army. The verse ends with a simple, powerful summary: "Thus David saved the inhabitants of Keilah." While Saul hunted one man, David saved a whole city. God publicly vindicated David's faith and established his credentials as the true savior and shepherd of Israel.

Application

This passage is a lesson in true leadership, which is always leadership under God's authority. Saul had the throne, but he had abdicated his responsibility. David had nothing but a cave and a promise, but he was doing the work of the kingdom. The Church today often finds itself in a similar position, a kingdom in exile, while the rulers of this age pursue their own vainglory.

Our first lesson is to see our circumstances as an opportunity for faithful action. When we see the enemy pillaging the threshing floors, attacking the family, the church, and the culture, our response should not be to hide in the caves. It should be to ask the Lord, "Shall I go and strike these Philistines?" We have a much surer word than the Urim and Thummim; we have the completed canon of Scripture. Our duty is to apply God's Word to our situation and ask for the wisdom and courage to act.

Our second lesson is how to deal with fear, both our own and that of our brothers. Fear often speaks with the voice of impeccable logic. The risk is real. The odds are long. But David shows us that the answer to fear is not a humanistic pep talk; it is a fresh inquiry at the throne of grace. We must take our fears to God and lay them before Him, asking for the assurance of His promise. God's promise does not remove the danger, but it gives us the courage to face it. He has promised, "I will be with you," and that is enough. When we act on that promise, we, like David, will find that God not only saves but also provides for His people through our faithful obedience.