Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

1 SAMUEL 23:11KJV
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1 Samuel 23:11 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 23:11 mean?

1 Samuel 23:11 shows David asking God if the people of Keilah will hand him over to Saul and whether Saul will come down to capture him, and God answers that Saul will indeed come down. David is seeking guidance and confirmation from God about the danger he faces and what will happen next.

David is speaking to God after hearing that Saul is planning to come to Keilah, where David is staying, to capture him. David wants to know if the people he just helped will betray him and if Saul is truly coming. This verse highlights David’s dependence on God for direction during a time of real threat and uncertainty.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 23:11

  • "Deliver up" (סָגַר, sagar) means to hand over or surrender. David is specifically worried that the men of Keilah (אִישֵׁי קְעִילָה, ishei Keilah) might betray him to Saul, even though he had just rescued their city.
  • "Hand" (יָד, yad) is often used to mean power or control. David is asking if he will fall into Saul’s power.
  • "Come down" (יָרַד, yarad) is a common way to describe someone traveling from a higher place to a lower one, but it also signals action and intent—Saul is not just thinking about David, he is actively moving against him.
  • "Tell" (נָגַד, nagad) is a word for making something clear or known. David is pleading for a direct answer from God, not just a feeling or a sign.

Why 1 Samuel 23:11 matters

  • This verse shows how David does not assume he knows what will happen, even after doing good for the people of Keilah. He seeks God’s guidance rather than relying on his own judgment or past experience.
  • The verse emphasizes the real danger David faces, even from those he has helped, and the seriousness of Saul’s pursuit.
  • It connects to the larger story of David’s life on the run and his habit of seeking God’s direction before making major decisions, showing a pattern of trust and dependence on God.

Where else these words appear

“Keilah” Hebrew H7084 · used in 16 verses

  • Joshua 15:44 And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
  • 1 Samuel 23:5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
  • 1 Samuel 23:12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.

“men” Hebrew H1167 · used in 78 verses

  • Genesis 14:13 And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram.
  • Judges 9:18 And ye are risen up against my father's house this day, and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother;)
  • Proverbs 16:22 Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly.

“up” Hebrew H5462 · used in 87 verses

  • Genesis 2:21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
  • 1 Samuel 1:6 And her adversary also provoked her sore, for to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.
  • Job 12:14 Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.