The Meaning of 1 Samuel 23:25 Explained

1 Samuel 23:25

KJV: 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.

YLT: And 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.

Darby: And 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.

ASV: And 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.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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. 

What does 1 Samuel 23:25 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 23:15-29 - A Relentless Pursuit Foiled
Amid outward strife, God is sure to provide some rill of human love-a tender friendship, a Jonathan. See Psalms 106:46. This is the mission of a friend-to strengthen our hands in God, whisper words of hope, and enter into renewed covenants with us. Is not this what our best Friend does? He finds us out in the deepest woods, and whispers His Fear not. There is no hunted soul to whom Jesus will not come to pour in the oil and wine of His presence.
Let us always strengthen our friends' hands in God. We sometimes weaken their good resolutions by our timid entreaties, as Peter did when he urged the Lord to spare Himself, Matthew 16:22. No, you must always help your friend to be his noblest and strongest. The angel strengthened the Redeemer in the garden. The one word for us to pass on is, "O man, greatly beloved, fear not; peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong," Daniel 10:19.
The Ziphites made a direct bid for Saul's favor, but their plot miscarried. When a man puts his life into God's hands, he has no need to fear "the arrow by day nor the terror by night." Whatever difficulties threaten him, there is ever a way of escape. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 23

1  David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah
7  God showing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites,
13  he escapes from Keilah
14  In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him
19  The Ziphites discover him to Saul
25  At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines
29  He dwells at En Gedi

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 23:25 mean?

And when went Saul and his men to seek [him] and they told David therefore he went down to the rock and stayed in the Wilderness of Maon And when heard [that] Saul and he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon
וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ שָׁא֣וּל וַאֲנָשָׁיו֮ לְבַקֵּשׁ֒ וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ לְדָוִ֔ד וַיֵּ֣רֶד הַסֶּ֔לַע וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר מָע֑וֹן וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע שָׁא֔וּל וַיִּרְדֹּ֥ף אַחֲרֵֽי־ דָוִ֖ד מִדְבַּ֥ר מָעֽוֹן

וַיֵּ֨לֶךְ  And  when  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
שָׁא֣וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַאֲנָשָׁיו֮  and  his  men 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְבַקֵּשׁ֒  to  seek  [him] 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
וַיַּגִּ֣דוּ  and  they  told 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לְדָוִ֔ד  David 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וַיֵּ֣רֶד  therefore  he  went  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הַסֶּ֔לַע  to  the  rock 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: סֶלַע  
Sense: crag, cliff, rock.
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב  and  stayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּמִדְבַּ֣ר  in  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
מָע֑וֹן  of  Maon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָעֹון 
Sense: a man of Judah.
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע  And  when  heard  [that] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
שָׁא֔וּל  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַיִּרְדֹּ֥ף  and  he  pursued 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָדַף  
Sense: to be behind, follow after, pursue, persecute, run after.
אַחֲרֵֽי־  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
דָוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
מִדְבַּ֥ר  in  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
מָעֽוֹן  of  Maon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָעֹון 
Sense: a man of Judah.

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