Bible Strands
1 Samuel 23:2
So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — David asks the LORD whether he should advance against the Philistines currently besieging Keilah. This inquiry occurs immediately after he receives a report of the enemy’s attack on the city’s threshing floors.
The words — וַ/יִּשְׁאַ֨ל (va/i.yish.'Al) translates to "and he enquired," while בַּ/פְּלִשְׁתִּ֖ים (ba./pe.lish.Tim) means "the Philistines." These terms anchor David’s conditional military question to a specific divine consultation and a named adversary.
The thread — David repeats this consultation pattern in 1 Samuel 23:4, 2 Samuel 5:19, and 2 Samuel 5:23. Each instance follows a report of Philistine movement and precedes a commanded military response.
Why it lands — The text requires a reader to acknowledge that authorized action follows divine instruction rather than human strategy. It demands submission to explicit commands before initiating armed conflict.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Therefore David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the Lord said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 23:4 Once again, David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him: “Go at once to Keilah, for I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
- 2 Samuel 5:19 So David inquired of the LORD, “Should I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?” “Go up,” replied the LORD, “for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
- 2 Samuel 5:23 So David inquired of the LORD, who answered, “Do not march straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees.
- Joshua 9:14 Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions but did not seek the counsel of the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 23:6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
- 1 Samuel 23:9 When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
- 1 Samuel 30:8 and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.”
- Jeremiah 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man’s way is not his own; no one who walks directs his own steps.
- Numbers 27:21 He shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who will seek counsel for him before the LORD by the judgment of the Urim. At his command, he and all the Israelites with him—the entire congregation—will go out and come in.”
- Judges 1:1 After the death of Joshua, the Israelites inquired of the LORD, “Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?”