1 Samuel 23 · Verse 14

1 Samuel 23:14

And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
1 Samuel 23:14, King James Version

1 Samuel 23:14 in other translations

BSBAnd 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.
WEBDavid stayed in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God didn’t deliver him into his hand.
ASVAnd David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.
YLTAnd David abideth in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abideth in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeketh him all the days, and God hath not given him into his hand.
DARBYAnd David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.
BBEAnd David kept in the waste land, in safe places, waiting in the hill-country in the waste land of Ziph. And Saul was searching for him every day, but God did not give him up into his hands.
WebsterAnd David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

What does 1 Samuel 23:14 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 23:14-15
14-15. David abode in the wilderness ... of Ziph--A mountainous and sequestered region was generally called a wilderness, and took its name from some large town in the district. Two miles southeast of Hebron, and in the midst of a level plain, is Tell-ziph, an isolated and conical hillock, about a hundred feet high, probably the acropolis [Van De Velde], or the ruins [Robinson] of the ancient city of Ziph, from which the surrounding wilderness was called. It seems, anciently, to have been covered by an extensive woods. The country has for centuries lost its woods and forests, owing to the devastations caused by man.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 14 Wilderness of Ziph - Ziph was a city in the southern part of Judea, not far from Carmel.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 23:14-18
David made no attempt against Saul; he kept God's way, waited God's time, and was content to secure himself in woods and wildernesses. Let it make us think the worse of this world, which often gives such bad treatment to its best men: let it make us long for that kingdom where goodness shall for ever be in glory, and holiness in honour. We find Jonathan comforting David. As a pious friend, he directed him to God, the Foundation of his comfort. As a self-denying friend, he takes pleasure in the prospect of David's advancement to the throne. As a constant friend, he renewed his friendship with him. Our covenant with God should be often renewed, and therein our communion with him kept up. If the converse of one friend, at one meeting, gives comfort and strengthens our hearts, what may not be expected from the continual supports and powerful love of the Saviour of sinners, the covenanted Friend of believers!

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 23:14 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּ֨שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he dweltH3427
דָּוִ֤דda.VidDavidH1732
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ba.mid.Barin the wildernessH4057
בַּמְּצָד֔וֹתba.me.tza.Dotin the strongholdsH4679
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he dweltH3427
בָּהָ֖רba.Harin the hill countryH2022
בְּמִדְבַּר\־be.mid.bar-in [the] wilderness ofH4057
זִ֑יףZifZiphH2128
וַיְבַקְשֵׁ֤הוּvay.vak.She.huand he sought himH1245
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַיָּמִ֔יםhai.ya.Mimthe daysH3117
וְלֹֽא\־ve.lo'-and notH3808
נְתָנ֥וֹne.ta.Nohe gave himH5414
אֱלֹהִ֖ים'E.lo.HimGodH430
בְּיָדֽוֹ\׃be.ya.Doin hand hisH3027

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 23:14

  • Psalms 54:3-4

    For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah. Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

  • Psalms 32:7

    Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.

  • Joshua 15:55

    Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

  • Joshua 15:24

    Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

  • Romans 8:31

    What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

  • Proverbs 21:30

    There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

  • 2 Timothy 3:11

    Persecutions, afflictions, which came unto me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra; what persecutions I endured: but out of them all the Lord delivered me.

  • 2 Timothy 4:17-18

    Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

  • Jeremiah 36:26

    But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the Lord hid them.

  • Psalms 37:32-33

    The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him. The Lord will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

  • 1 Samuel 27:1

    And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

  • Psalms 11:1-3

    To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. In the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain? For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
a mountain.
Ps 11:1-3
the wilderness.Ziph is mentioned in Joshua with Carmel and Maon, near which it seems to have been situated; and as we have mention of Carmel and Maon in the history of David, as adjoining to Ziph, it cannot be doubted that by the Ziph, in the wilderness of which David now lay, and where was the hill of Hachilah, is to be understood Ziph near Carmel and Maon.
Jos 15:24,55
Saul.
27:1; Ps 54:3,4; Pr 1:16; 4:16
but God.
7; Ps 32:7; 37:32,33; 54:3,4; Pr 21:30; Jer 36:26; Ro 8:31
2Ti 3:11; 4:17,18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 23:13

    Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

  • 1 Samuel 23:14

    And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

  • 1 Samuel 23:15

    And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

Read all of 1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23:14 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y David se estaba en el desierto en peñas, y habitaba en un monte en el desierto de Ziph; y buscábalo Saúl todos los días, mas Dios no lo entregó en sus manos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David habita au désert, dans des lieux forts, et il habita dans la montagne, au désert de Ziph. Et Saül le cherchait tous les jours; mais Dieu ne le livra pas en sa main.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und David blieb in der Wüste auf den Bergfesten, und er blieb auf dem Gebirge in der Wüste Siph. Und Saul suchte ihn alle Tage, aber Gott gab ihn nicht in seine Hand.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Morabatur autem David in deserto in locis firmissimis, mansitque in monte solitudinis Ziph, in monte opaco: quærebat eum tamen Saul cunctis diebus, et non tradidit eum Deus in manus ejus.