1 Samuel 23:22

1 Samuel 23:22 Meaning and Explanation

Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.

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Saul sends the Ziphites back to confirm David's exact location, wary of David's cunning.

What Does 1 Samuel 23:22 Mean?

Saul sends the Ziphites back to gather firmer intelligence -- to learn David's exact haunt and who has seen him there. He is cautious because he has heard that David 'dealeth very subtilly,' that is, moves shrewdly and is hard to corner.

Saul's caution is the wariness of a man who has come to fear his pursued. He credits David with cunning and will not move until certain. There is a grim irony: the king devotes painstaking care to capturing the very man God has set apart to succeed him. Effort spent against God's purpose, however thorough, only multiplies futility. No diligence in the wrong cause can secure its end.

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What does 1 Samuel 23:22 mean?

Saul sends the Ziphites back to confirm David's exact location, wary of David's cunning.

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