Keilah
“Fortress, or citadel”
Summary
A fortified city in the lowland region of Judah, famous as the place David rescued from the Philistines only to be nearly betrayed by its inhabitants to Saul.
☩David's Rescue of the City
Keilah was a fortified city in the Shephelah or lowland district of Judah, equipped with walls, gates, and bars. The Philistines attacked the city at harvest time, plundering the threshing floors and driving off cattle. David, after twice inquiring of God, went down with his 600 men and decisively defeated the Philistines, recovering the stolen livestock and remaining in the city while the harvest was completed. During this time, Abiathar the priest, sole survivor of the massacre at Nob, joined David at Keilah, bringing the sacred ephod with him.
☩Betrayal Prevented
When Saul learned that David was within a fortified town, he summoned all the people to war, planning to besiege Keilah. David, using the ephod, inquired of God whether Saul would come down and whether the men of Keilah would surrender him. God revealed that both would happen—the inhabitants would indeed deliver David into Saul's hands. Like his greater Descendant, David was being betrayed by the ungrateful people he had come to save. David and his 600 men immediately departed, and when Saul learned they had escaped, he abandoned his expedition. Some scholars suggest the betrayers may have been specifically the Canaanite portion of the population, referred to as "Baalites" in the Hebrew text, to whom David's devotion to Jehovah was offensive.
☩Later History
The city remained significant into later periods. In the time of Nehemiah, Keilah was prominent enough to have two district rulers, Hashabiah and Bavai, both of whom participated in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The ancient importance of Keilah is confirmed by its mention in five of the Tell el-Amarna tablets, where it appears under the name Kilti alongside other notable cities such as Gedor, Gath, and Gezer. The site has been identified with Khurbet Kila, a hill covered with ruins in the higher part of Wady es Sur.
Related Verses16 mentions
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Keilah," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. V (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Keilah," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. III (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Keilah," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).
- 4.Andrew Robert Fausset, "Keilah," in The Englishman's Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopædia (Hodder & Stoughton, 1878).