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<p>Here, 1. The Ziphites offer their service to Saul, to betray David to him, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.19,1Sam.23.20" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.19,1Sam.23.20"><span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.19">1 Sam. 23:19</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.20">20</span></a>. He was sheltering himself in the wilderness of Ziph (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.14,1Sam.23.15" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.14,1Sam.23.15"><span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.14">1 Sam. 23:14</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.15">15</span></a>), putting the more confidence in the people of that country because they were of his own tribe. They had reason to think themselves happy that they had an opportunity of serving one who was the ornament of their tribe and was likely to be much more so, who was so far from plundering the country, or giving it any disturbance with his troops, that he was ready to protect it and to them all the good offices that there was occasion for. But, to ingratiate themselves with Saul, they went to him, and not only informed him very particularly where David quartered (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.19" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.19">1 Sam. 23:19</a>), but invited him to come with his forces into their country in pursuit of him, and promised to deliver him into his hand, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.20" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.20">1 Sam. 23:20</a>. Saul had not sent to examine or threaten them, but of their own accord, and even without asking a reward (as Judas did—<i>What will you give me</i>?), they offered to betray David to him who, they knew, thirsted after his blood. 2. Saul thankfully receives their information, and gladly lays hold of the opportunity of hunting David in their wilderness, in hopes to make a prey of him at length. He intimates to them how kindly he took it (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.21" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.21">1 Sam. 23:21</a>): <i>Blessed be you of the Lord</i> (so near is God to his mouth, though far from his heart), <i>for you have compassion on me</i>. It seems he looked upon himself as a miserable man and an object of pity; his own envy and ill-nature made him so, otherwise he might have been easy and have needed no man’s compassion. He likewise insinuates the little concern that the generality of his people showed for him. “You have compassion on me, which others have not.” Saul gives them instructions to search more particularly for his haunts (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.22" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.22">1 Sam. 23:22</a>), “for” (says he) “I hear he deals very subtilely,” representing him as a man crafty to do mischief, whereas all his subtlety was to secure himself. It was strange that Saul did not go down with them immediately, but he hoped by their means to set his game with the more certainty, and thus divine Providence gave David time to shift for himself. But the Ziphites had laid their spies upon all the places where he was likely to be discovered, and therefore Saul might come and seize him if he was in the land, <a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.23" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.23">1 Sam. 23:23</a>. New he thought himself sure of his prey and pleased himself with the thoughts of devouring it. 3. The imminent peril that David was now brought into. Upon intelligence that the Ziphites had betrayed him, he retired from the hill of Hachilah to the wilderness of Maon (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.24" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.24">1 Sam. 23:24</a>), and at this time he penned the <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.54.1-Ps.54.7" href="/passage/?search=Ps.54.1-Ps.54.7">Ps. 54:1-7</a>, as appears by the title, wherein he calls the Ziphites <i>strangers</i>, though they were Israelites, because they used him barbarously; but he puts himself under the divine protection: “<i>Behold, God is my helper</i>, and then all shall be well” Saul, having got intelligence of him, pursued him closely (<a class="bibleref" title="1Sam.23.25" href="/passage/?search=1Sam.23.25">1 Sam. 23:25
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