וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה פְלִשְׁתִּים נִלְחָמִים בִּקְעִילָה וְהֵמָּה שֹׁסִים אֶת־הַגֳּרָנוֹת׃   23:1

1Sam. 23:1   And they told to David saying, “Behold, the Philistines are fighting with Keilah and they are robbing the threshing place.”

וַיִּשְׁאַל דָּוִד בַּיהוָה לֵאמֹר הַאֵלֵךְ וְהִכֵּיתִי בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים הָאֵלֶּה ס וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל־דָּוִד לֵךְ וְהִכִּיתָ   23:2 בַפְּלִשְׁתִּים וְהוֹשַׁעְתָּ אֶת־קְעִילָה׃

1Sam. 23:2   So David inquired with the Lord saying, “Shall I go and strike against these Philistines?”  And the Lord said to David, “Go and strike against the Philistines and save Keilah.”

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אַנְשֵׁי דָוִד אֵלָיו הִנֵּה אֲנַחְנוּ פֹה בִּיהוּדָה יְרֵאִים וְאַף כִּי־נֵלֵךְ קְעִלָה אֶל־מַעַרְכוֹת פְּלִשְׁתִּים׃   23:3

1Sam. 23:3   But the men of David said to him, “Behold, we are in fear here in Judah; then how much more when we go to Keilah to the armies of the Philistines!”

וַיּוֹסֶף עוֹד דָּוִד לִשְׁאֹל בַּיהוָה וַיַּעֲנֵהוּ יְהוָה וַיֹּאמֶר קוּם רֵד קְעִילָה כִּי־אֲנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־פְּלִשְׁתִּים בְּיָדֶךָ׃   23:4

1Sam. 23:4   And David continued yet to inquire with the Lord, and the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I have delivered the Philistines into your hand.”

וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד (וַאִנְשׁוֹ) [וַאֲנָשָׁיו] קְעִילָה וַיִּלָּחֶם בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּים וַיִּנְהַג אֶת־מִקְנֵיהֶם וַיַּךְ בָּהֶם מַכָּה גְדוֹלָה וַיֹּשַׁע   23:5 דָּוִד אֵת יֹשְׁבֵי קְעִילָה׃

1Sam. 23:5   So David went with his men to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and drove away their cattle and struck a great slaughter against them, and David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

The word in parentheses is missing a yad, making it singular, with his man, instead of plural as it should be.  The correction is within the brackets.

וַיְהִי בִּבְרֹחַ אֶבְיָתָר בֶּן־אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אֶל־דָּוִד קְעִילָה אֵפוֹד יָרַד בְּיָדוֹ׃   23:6

1Sam. 23:6   And it happened, with the chasing of Abiathar son of Achimelech to David to keilah, he brought down an ephod in his hand.

וַיֻּגַּד לְשָׁאוּל כִּי־בָא דָוִד קְעִילָה וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל נִכַּר אֹתוֹ אֱלֹהִים בְּיָדִי כִּי נִסְגַּר לָבוֹא בְּעִיר דְּלָתַיִם   23:7 וּבְרִיח׃ַ

1Sam. 23:7   And it was told to Saul that David came to Keilah, and Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in, going into a city of gates and bars.”

וַיְשַׁמַּע שָׁאוּל אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם לַמִּלְחָמָה לָרֶדֶת קְעִילָה לָצוּר אֶל־דָּוִד וְאֶל־אֲנָשָׁיו׃   23:8

1Sam. 23:8   And Saul summoned all the people to fight, to go down to Keilah to lay siege to David and to his men.

וַיֵּדַע דָּוִד כִּי עָלָיו שָׁאוּל מַחֲרִישׁ הָרָעָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־אֶבְיָתָר הַכֹּהֵן הַגִּישָׁה הָאֵפוֹד׃   23:9

1Sam. 23:9   Now David knew that Saul was planning evil against him, and he said to Abiathar, the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁמֹעַ שָׁמַע עַבְדְּךָ כִּי־מְבַקֵּשׁ שָׁאוּל לָבוֹא אֶל־קְעִילָה לְשַׁחֵת לָעִיר   23:10 בַּעֲבוּרִי׃

1Sam. 23:10   Then David said, “O Lord, God of Israel!  Surely your servant has heard that Saul is seeking to come to Keilah to bring destruction to the city on my account.”

הֲיַסְגִּרֻנִי בַעֲלֵי קְעִילָה בְיָדוֹ הֲיֵרֵד שָׁאוּל כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׁמַע עַבְדֶּךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הַגֶּד־נָא לְעַבְדֶּךָ   23:11 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה יֵרֵד׃

1Sam. 23:11   “Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand?  Will Saul come down as your servant has heard?  O Lord, God of Israel, tell, I beseech you, to your servant.”  And The Lord said, “He will come down.”

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד הֲיַסְגִּרוּ בַּעֲלֵי קְעִילָה אֹתִי וְאֶת־אֲנָשַׁי בְּיַד־שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה יַסְגִּירוּ׃   23:12

1Sam. 23:12   Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”  And the Lord said, “They will deliver.”

וַיָּקָם דָּוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו כְּשֵׁשׁ־מֵאוֹת אִישׁ וַיֵּצְאוּ מִקְּעִלָה וַיִּתְהַלְּכוּ בַּאֲשֶׁר יִתְהַלָּכוּ וּלְשָׁאוּל הֻגַּד כִּי־נִמְלַט   23:13 דָּוִד מִקְּעִילָה וַיֶּחְדַּל לָצֵאת׃

1Sam. 23:13   Then David arose with his men, about six hundred men, and they left from Keilah and went wherever they could go.  And it was told to Saul that David was escaping from Keilah, and he left off going forth.

וַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּמִּדְבָּר בַּמְּצָדוֹת וַיֵּשֶׁב בָּהָר בְּמִדְבַּר־זִיף וַיְבַקְשֵׁהוּ שָׁאוּל כָּל־הַיָּמִים וְלֹא־נְתָנוֹ אֱלֹהִים   23:14 בְּיָדוֹ׃

1Sam. 23:14   And David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds and endured in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph.  And Saul sought him all the time but God did not deliver him into his hand.

וַיַּרְא דָוִד כִּי־יָצָא שָׁאוּל לְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת־נַפְשׁוֹ וְדָוִד בְּמִדְבַּר־זִיף בַּחֹרְשָׁה׃   23:15

1Sam. 23:15   And David saw that Saul came out seeking his life while David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.

וַיָּקָם יְהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־שָׁאוּל וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־דָּוִד חֹרְשָׁה וַיְחַזֵּק אֶת־יָדוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים׃   23:16

1Sam. 23:16   And Jonathan son of Saul arose and went to David to the forest and strengthened his hand with God.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אַל־תִּירָא כִּי לֹא תִמְצָאֲךָ יַד שָׁאוּל אָבִי וְאַתָּה תִּמְלֹךְ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָנֹכִי אֶהְיֶה־לְּךָ   23:17 לְמִשְׁנֶה וְגַם־שָׁאוּל אָבִי יֹדֵעַ כֵּן׃

1Sam. 23:17   And he said to him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul, my father, shall not take hold of you and you shall be king over Israel, and I shall be for the second to you; and Saul, my father, has so also known.”

וַיִּכְרְתוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּרִית לִפְנֵי יְהוָה וַיֵּשֶׁב דָּוִד בַּחֹרְשָׁה וִיהוֹנָתָן הָלַךְ לְבֵיתוֹ׃   23:18

1Sam. 23:18   And the two of them made a covenant before the Lord, and David stayed in the forest and Jonathan left for his house.

וַיַּעֲלוּ זִפִים אֶל־שָׁאוּל הַגִּבְעָתָה לֵאמֹר הֲלוֹא דָוִד מִסְתַּתֵּר עִמָּנוּ בַמְּצָדוֹת בַּחֹרְשָׁה בְּגִבְעַת   23:19 הַחֲכִילָה אֲשֶׁר מִימִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן׃

1Sam. 23:19   And the Ziphites came up to Saul to Gibeah saying, “Is not David hiding with us in the strongholds in the forest on the hill of Hachilah, which is to the south of Jeshimon?”

                                                                                                                         [Return to Psal. 54:2]

וְעַתָּה לְכָל־אַוַּת נַפְשְׁךָ הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרֶדֶת רֵד וְלָנוּ הַסְגִּירוֹ בְּיַד הַמֶּלֶךְ׃   23:20

1Sam. 23:20   “So now, according to all the desire of your soul, O king, to come down, come down, and to us, to deliver him into the hand of the king.”

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל בְּרוּכִים אַתֶּם לַיהוָה כִּי חֲמַלְתֶּם עָלָי׃   23:21

1Sam. 23:21   And Saul said, “Blessed be you by the Lord that you have had compassion on me.”

לְכוּ־נָא הָכִינוּ עוֹד וּדְעוּ וּרְאוּ אֶת־מְקוֹמוֹ אֲשֶׁר תִּהְיֶה רַגְלוֹ מִי רָאָהוּ שָׁם כִּי אָמַר אֵלַי עָרוֹם יַעְרִם   23:22 הוּא׃

1Sam. 23:22   “Go now, confirm further, and know and see his place where his foot will be, who has seen him there, for it has been reported to me he can be very cunning.”

וּרְאוּ וּדְעוּ מִכֹּל הַמַּחֲבֹאִים אֲשֶׁר יִתְחַבֵּא שָׁם וְשַׁבְתֶּם אֵלַי אֶל־נָכוֹן וְהָלַכְתִּי אִתְּכֶם וְהָיָה אִם־יֶשְׁנוֹ   23:23 בָאָרֶץ וְחִפַּשְׂתִּי אֹתוֹ בְּכֹל אַלְפֵי יְהוּדָה׃

1Sam. 23:23   “So see and know about all the hiding places where he can hide there, and return to me that we will be certain, and I will go with you.  And it shall be, if he is there in the land, then I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

וַיָּקוּמוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ זִיפָה לִפְנֵי שָׁאוּל וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן בָּעֲרָבָה אֶל יְמִין הַיְשִׁימוֹן׃   23:24

1Sam. 23:24   So they arose and went to Ziph before Saul, but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon in the Arabah to the south of Jeshimon.

וַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו לְבַקֵּשׁ וַיַּגִּדוּ לְדָוִד וַיֵּרֶד הַסֶּלַע וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּר מָעוֹן וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל וַיִּרְדֹּף אַחֲרֵי־   23:25 דָוִד מִדְבַּר מָעוֹן׃

1Sam. 23:25   When Saul and his men went to search, then they told to David and he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon.  But Saul heard and he chased after David to the wilderness of Maon.

וַיֵּלֶךְ שָׁאוּל מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וְדָוִד וַאֲנָשָׁיו מִצַּד הָהָר מִזֶּה וַיְהִי דָוִד נֶחְפָּז לָלֶכֶת מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל וְשָׁאוּל   23:26 וַאֲנָשָׁיו עֹטְרִים אֶל־דָּוִד וְאֶל־אֲנָשָׁיו לְתָפְשָׂם׃

1Sam. 23:26   And Saul went on this side of the mountain while David and his men were on that side of the mountain, as David was making haste to get away from the presence of Saul, but Saul and his men were coming around to David and to his men to catch them.

וּמַלְאָךְ בָּא אֶל־שָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר מַהֲרָה וְלֵכָה כִּי־פָשְׁטוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים עַל־הָאָרֶץ׃   23:27

1Sam. 23:27   Then a messenger came to Saul saying, “Make haste and march, for the Philistines have made a raid upon the land.”

וַיָּשָׁב שָׁאוּל מִרְדֹף אַחֲרֵי דָוִד וַיֵּלֶךְ לִקְרַאת פְּלִשְׁתִּים עַל־כֵּן קָרְאוּ לַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא סֶלַע הַמַּחְלְקוֹת׃   23:28

1Sam. 23:28   So Saul returned from chasing after David and went to meet the Philistines.  Because of this they gave the name of Sela-hammachelkoth to that place.

The name Sela-Hammachelkoth can mean the cliff of escapes or the cliff of divisions, among other similar possibilities.

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