Bible Strands
1 Samuel 23:8
Then Saul summoned all his troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Saul acts immediately after receiving intelligence that David has entered Keilah, directing his entire army to march against him.
The words — וַיְשַׁמֵּעַ (va-yə-šam-mê-a) = he summoned or mobilized, and קְעִילָה (qə-ʿî-lāh) = Keilah.
The thread — The narrative tracks Saul’s escalating pursuit of David, moving from verbal prediction in 1 Samuel 23:7 to active military mobilization here, which David counters by consulting the ephod in 1 Samuel 23:9.
Why it lands — It requires the reader to observe how royal authority translates into concrete military action, setting the stage for the next tactical and spiritual exchange between the pursuer and the pursued.
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
And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.