1 Samuel 23 · Verse 25

1 Samuel 23:25

Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
1 Samuel 23:25, King James Version

1 Samuel 23:25 in other translations

BSBand Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard of this, he pursued David there.
WEBSaul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon.
ASVAnd Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down to the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
YLTAnd Saul and his men go to seek, and they declare to David, and he goeth down the rock, and abideth in the wilderness of Maon; and Saul heareth, and pursueth after David to the wilderness of Maon.
DARBYAnd Saul and his men went to seek him. And they told David; and he came down from the rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And Saul heard that, and he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
BBEAnd Saul and his men went in search of him. And David had word of it, so he came down to the rock in the waste land of Maon. And Saul, hearing of this, went after David into the waste land of Maon.
WebsterSaul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

What does 1 Samuel 23:25 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
25. David ... came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon--Tell Main, the hillock on which was situated the ancient Maon (Jos 15:55), and from which the adjoining wilderness took its name, is one mile north, ten east from Carmel. The 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 wilderness" [Van De Velde].

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 25 The wilderness of Maon - Maon was a mountainous district in the most southern parts of Judah. Calmet supposes it to be the city of Menois, which Eusebius places in the vicinity of Gaza; and the Maenaemi Castrum, which the Theodosian code places near to Beersheba.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 23:19-29

In the midst of his wickedness, Saul affected to speak the language of piety. Such expressions, without suitable effects, can only amuse or deceive those who hear, and those who use them. This mountain was an emblem of the Divine Providence coming between David and the destroyer. Let us not be dismayed at the prospect of future difficulties, but stay ourselves upon Him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 23:19-29 →

1 Samuel 23:25 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.

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְvai.Ye.lekhand he wentH1980
שָׁא֣וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
וַאֲנָשָׁיו֮va.'a.na.Shavand men hisH582
לְבַקֵּשׁ֒le.va.Keshto seek [him]H1245
וַיַּגִּ֣דוּvai.ya.Gi.duand people toldH5046
לְדָוִ֔דle.da.Vidto DavidH1732
וַיֵּ֣רֶדvai.Ye.redand he went downH3381
הַסֶּ֔לַעha.Se.la'the rockH5553
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he remainedH3427
בְּמִדְבַּ֣רbe.mid.Barin [the] wilderness ofH4057
מָע֑וֹןma.'onMaonH4584
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣עvai.yish.Ma'and he heardH8085
שָׁא֔וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
וַיִּרְדֹּ֥ףvai.yir.Dofand he pursuedH7291
אַחֲרֵֽי\־'a.cha.rei-afterH310
דָוִ֖דda.VidDavidH1732
מִדְבַּ֥רmid.Bar[the] wilderness ofH4057
מָעֽוֹן\׃ma.'onMaonH4584

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 23:25

  • Judges 15:8

    And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.

  • 1 Samuel 23:28

    Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Sela–hammahlekoth.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
into a rock. or, from the rock.
28; Jud 15:8

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 23:24

    And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

  • 1 Samuel 23:25

    Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

  • 1 Samuel 23:26

    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 for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

Read all of 1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23:25 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y partióse Saúl con su gente á buscarlo; pero fué dado aviso á David, y descendió á la peña, y quedóse en el desierto de Maón. Lo cual como Saúl oyó, siguió á David al desierto de Maón.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Saül et ses hommes allèrent pour le chercher; et on le rapporta à David, et il descendit le rocher, et habita au désert de Maon. Et Saül l’apprit, et il poursuivit David au désert de Maon.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Saul und seine Männer zogen hin, um ihn zu suchen; und man berichtete es David, und er ging den Felsen hinab und blieb in der Wüste Maon. Und als Saul es hörte, jagte er David nach in die Wüste Maon.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Ivit ergo Saul et socii ejus ad quærendum eum. Et nuntiatum est David: statimque descendit ad petram, et versabatur in deserto Maon: quod cum audisset Saul, persecutus est David in deserto Maon.