Bible Strands
1 Samuel 23:25
and 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Saul and his army advance toward the Wilderness of Maon to capture David, who receives warning of their approach and relocates to a defensible position.
The words — וַיֵּרֶד (va/i.Ye.red) = and he went down (H3381) and הַסֶּלַע (ha./Se.la') = the rock (H5553) record David's physical descent to a fortified location upon hearing of the pursuit.
The thread — This pattern of fleeing to a rock during military pursuit appears in Judges 15:8 with Samson and resolves in 1 Samuel 23:28 when Saul abandons the chase at that same site.
Why it lands — The text records a tactical withdrawal prompted by intelligence, requiring the reader to observe how survival depends on movement and terrain rather than supernatural intervention.
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
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.
Cross-references
- Judges 15:8 And he struck them ruthlessly with a great slaughter, and then went down and stayed in the cave at the rock of Etam.
- 1 Samuel 23:28 So Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why that place is called Sela-hammahlekoth.