The Meaning of 1 Samuel 23:14 Explained

1 Samuel 23:14

KJV: And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

YLT: And David abideth in the wilderness, in fortresses, and abideth in the hill-country, in the wilderness of Ziph; and Saul seeketh him all the days, and God hath not given him into his hand.

Darby: And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds, and abode in the mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God did not give him into his hand.

ASV: And David abode in the wilderness in the strongholds, and remained in the hill-country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  abode  in the wilderness  in strong holds,  and remained  in a mountain  in the wilderness  of Ziph.  And Saul  sought  him every day,  but God  delivered  him not into his hand. 

What does 1 Samuel 23:14 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 23:1-14 - Success And Safety Under God's Guidance
We learn here that those who are called to walk in the maze of human life need to look constantly upward for direction. "It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Our eyes need to be fixed constantly on the Lord. "Lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." We have no priestly ephod to direct us. But if we roll the responsibility of our way on God and wait for Him, the conviction of His plan will steal into our hearts, and this will be corroborated by the advice of experienced friends and the trend of circumstances.
The recompense of the people of Keilah for David's noble interposition on their behalf was very base, and warns us not to trust in human safeguards, which are so liable to be broken down. The only place of absolute security is in God. Blessed are they whose life is "hid with Christ in God"! David knew that, and in these sad and difficult days, when he was hunted as a partridge on the mountains, he was composing some of his most helpful psalms. See Psalms 11:1-7; Psalms 54:1-7; Psalms 57:1-11. In our own troubled times, how good it is that we should listen to the sweet music of the eternal world which surrounds this one and in which the harried soul may have its abiding-place. [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 23:14 mean?

And stayed David in the wilderness in strongholds and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph And sought him Saul every day but not did deliver him God into his hand
וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב דָּוִ֤ד בַּמִּדְבָּר֙ בַּמְּצָד֔וֹת וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בָּהָ֖ר בְּמִדְבַּר־ זִ֑יף וַיְבַקְשֵׁ֤הוּ שָׁאוּל֙ כָּל־ הַיָּמִ֔ים וְלֹֽא־ נְתָנ֥וֹ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּיָדֽוֹ

וַיֵּ֨שֶׁב  And  stayed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
דָּוִ֤ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בַּמִּדְבָּר֙  in  the  wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
בַּמְּצָד֔וֹת  in  strongholds 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine plural
Root: מְצָד  
Sense: fort, stronghold, fastness.
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב  and  remained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בָּהָ֖ר  in  the  mountains 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
בְּמִדְבַּר־  in  the  Wilderness 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִדְבָּר 
Sense: wilderness.
זִ֑יף  of  Ziph 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: זִיף 
Sense: a son of Jehaleleel, a descendant of Judah, and brother of Ziphah.
וַיְבַקְשֵׁ֤הוּ  And  sought  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּקַשׁ  
Sense: to seek, require, desire, exact, request.
שָׁאוּל֙  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
כָּל־  every 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַיָּמִ֔ים  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
וְלֹֽא־  but  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נְתָנ֥וֹ  did  deliver  him 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
אֱלֹהִ֖ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּיָדֽוֹ  into  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.