David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
Parallel translations
- WEB David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
- KJV And David was then in an hold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
- BSB At that time David was in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was at Bethlehem.
- NKJV David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.
- NLT David was staying in the stronghold at the time, and a Philistine detachment had occupied the town of Bethlehem.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
David was in the stronghold while a Philistine garrison occupied his hometown of Bethlehem.
Overview
The enemy's hold on Bethlehem, David's birthplace, deepens the poignancy of his longing in the next verses. Bethlehem, here under enemy occupation, would one day be the birthplace of David's greater Son, the true King who comes to reclaim what sin had seized.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- 1 Sam 22:4–5He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
- 1 Sam 24:22David swore to Saul. Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
- 1 Sam 13:4All Israel heard that Saul had struck the garrison of the Philistines, and also that Israel was considered an abomination to the Philistines. The people were gathered together after Saul to Gilgal.
- 1 Sam 13:23The garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Michmash.
- 1 Sam 14:6Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that Yahweh will work for us; for there is no restraint on Yahweh to save by many or by few.”
- 1 Sam 10:5“After that you will come to the hill of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is; and it will happen, when you have come there to the city, that you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the high place with a lute, a tambourine, a pipe, and a harp before them; and they will be prophesying.
- 1 Sam 22:1David therefore departed from there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
- 1 Chr 12:16Some of the children of Benjamin and Judah came to the stronghold to David.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 23:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.