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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
David	דָּוִד֩ da.Vid	H1732	David · proper noun, a man's name
men	וַאֲנָשָׁ֨יו va.'in.shov	H582	a man in general (singly or collectively) · conjunction + noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
went	יָלַךְ yâlak	H3212	to walk (literally or figuratively)
Keilah	קְעִילָ֜ה ke.'i.Lah	H7084	Keilah · proper noun, a place name
fought	וַיִּלָּ֣חֶם vai.yi.La.chem	H3898	to feed on · conjunction + verb, niphal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Philistines	בַּפְּלִשְׁתִּ֗ים ba.pe.lish.Tim	H6430	a Pelishtite or inhabitant of Pelesheth · preposition with the article + noun, gentilic masculine plural absolute
away	וַיִּנְהַג֙ vai.yin.Hag	H5090	to drive forth (a person · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
cattle	מִקְנֵיהֶ֔ם mik.nei.Hem	H4735	something bought · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine plural
smote	וַיַּ֥ךְ vai.Yakh	H5221	to strike (lightly or severely · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
great	גְדוֹלָ֑ה ge.do.Lah	H1419	great (in any sense) · adjective, feminine singular absolute
slaughter	מַכָּ֣ה ma.Kah	H4347	a wound · noun, common feminine singular absolute
David	דָּוִ֔ד da.Vid	H1732	David · proper noun, a man's name
saved	וַיֹּ֣שַׁע vai.Yo.sha'	H3467	properly · conjunction + verb, hiphil sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
inhabitants	יֹשְׁבֵ֥י yo.she.Vei	H3427	properly · verb, qal active participle, masculine plural construct
Keilah	קְעִילָֽה ke.'i.Lah	H7084	Keilah · proper noun, a place name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 23:1-6

Now we find why the prophet Gad (by divine direction, no doubt) ordered David to go into the land of Judah, Sa1 22:5. It was that, since Saul neglected the public safety, he might take care of it, notwithstanding the ill treatment that was given him; for he must render good for evil, and therein be a type of him who not only ventured his life, but laid down his life, for those that were his enemies. I. Tidings are brought to David, as to the patron and protector of his country's liberties, that the Philistines had made a descent upon the city of Keilah and plundered the country thereabouts, Sa1 23:1. Probably it was the departure both of God and David from Saul that encouraged the Philistine…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 23:2

David inquired of the Lord--most probably through Gad (Sa2 24:11; Ch1 21:9), who was present in David's camp (Sa1 22:5), probably by the recommendation of Samuel. To repel unprovoked assaults on unoffending people who were engaged in their harvest operations, was a humane and benevolent service. But it was doubtful how far it was David's duty to go against a public enemy without the royal commission; and on that account he asked, and obtained, the divine counsel. A demur on the part of his men led David to renew the consultation for their satisfaction; after which, being fully assured of his duty, he encountered the aggressors and, by a signal victory, delivered the people of Keilah from fur…

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Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 23:5

Brought away their cattle - The forage and spoil which the Philistines had taken, driving the country before them round about Keilah.

John Gill on 1 Samuel 23:5

So David and his men went to Keilah,.... Animated by a commission from God, and a promise of success by him: and fought with the Philistines; encamped before Keilah: and brought away their cattle; which they had brought with them for the support of their army; or having routed them, they pursued them into their own country, and brought off their cattle from thence: and smote them with a great slaughter; killed great numbers of them, and put the rest to flight: so David saved the inhabitants of Keilah; from falling into the hands of the Philistines, by timely raising the siege of the city.

The Church Fathers

David and his men went to Keilah, etc. The Lord went in His preachers to heal the brokenhearted, and fought against the spirits of falsehood and perfidy, revealing the light of truth and faith, and drove them away from the souls of the redeemed by just separation, in whom they had previously tightly reined in with the bridle of error, as if riding over them, and subjecting them to their own power and domain, used to more effectively and powerfully ravage and subjugate others, and cause them to be anathematized with a great curse. Thus indeed He saved them, who recently avoiding their tentations, earnestly sought His protection. These things were often done from the beginning of the nascent Church, and there is almost no one who doubts that they are done daily through places.
— Bede, Commentary on Samuel

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

David — Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam.…
Keilah — Citadel, a city in the lowlands of Judah (Josh. 15:44). David rescued it from the attack of the Philistines (1 Sam. 23:1-8); but the inhabitants proving unfaithful to him, in that they sought to…
Ingratitude · .Men of Keilah to David — .Men of Keilah to David
Keilah · .David rescues — .David rescues
Philistines · David: Often defeated during Saul’s reign — David: Often defeated during Saul’s reign
Sieges · Cities invested by: Frequently helped by allies — Cities invested by: Frequently helped by allies

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Samuel 23:5

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 23:1-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 23:2

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 23:5

John Gill on 1 Samuel 23:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Samuel 23:5

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 23:1-6

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 23:2

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 23:5

John Gill on 1 Samuel 23:5

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 23:1-14

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Samuel 23:4