Topic
Keilah
12 passages cited, from 4 classic reference works.
These works date from 1884–1915 and are in the public domain. They reflect the Protestant scholarship of their time: their history, archaeology and dates can be out of date, and where they interpret, other traditions read the text differently. The verses are shown in the King James Version, the wording these works were written against.
The verses
The passages the works cite, those cited by more of them first.
- Joshua 15:44Easton · Smith · ISBE · Nave 1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah
And Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah; nine cities with their villages:
- 1 Chronicles 4:19ISBE · Nave 2. A descendant of Caleb
And the sons of his wife Hodiah the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.
- Nehemiah 3:17ISBE · Nave 1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah — Rulers of, aid in restoring the wall of Jerusalem after the captivity
After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.
- Nehemiah 3:18ISBE · Nave 1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah — Rulers of, aid in restoring the wall of Jerusalem after the captivity
After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.
- 1 Samuel 23:1–8Easton
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines,…
- 1 Samuel 23:1Nave 1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah — Philistines make a predatory excursion against, after harvest
Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.
- 1 Samuel 23:2–13Nave 1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah — David rescues
Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we…
- 1 Samuel 23:7–13Smith
¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars. And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to…
- 1 Samuel 23:7ISBE
¶ And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.
- 1 Samuel 23:8ISBE
And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.
- 1 Samuel 23:13ISBE
¶ Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.
- 1 Samuel 23:15Easton
And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.
In the reference works
Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897) · 4 references
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 deliver him up to Saul (13), he and his men “departed from Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go.” They fled to the hill Hareth, about 3 miles to the east, and thence through Hebron to Ziph (q.v.). “And David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a wood” (1 Sam. 23:15). Here Jonathan sought him out, “and strengthened his hand in God.” This was the last interview between David and Jonathan (23:16-18). It is the modern Khurbet Kila. Others identify it with Khuweilfeh, between Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) and Beersheba, mentioned in the Amarna tablets.
Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884) · 2 references
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915) · 8 references
ke-i'-la (qe`ilah; Keeilam):
(1) A city of the Shephelah mentioned (Jos 15:44) along with Nezib, Aehzib and Mareshah. Among those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem was "Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district. After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah" (Ne 3:17,18).
1. David and Keilah:
It is, however, from the story of the wandering of David that we have most information regarding this place. It was a city with gates and bars (1Sa 23:7). The Philistines came against it and commenced robbing the threshing-floors. David, after twice inquiring of Yahweh, went down with his 600 men (1Sa 23:13) and "fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with great slaughter." Saul hearing that David and his men were within a fortified town "summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men" (1Sa 23:8). Then David asked Abiathar the priest to bring him an ephod, and he inquired of Yahweh whether, if Saul came, the men of Keilah would surrender him to save that city; hearing from Yahweh, "They will deliver thee up," he and all his men escaped from Keilah and went into the wilderness. The reputed strength of Keilah is confirmed by its mention in 5 tablets in the Tell el-Amarna Letters under the name of Kilts (qilti, Petrie) with Gedor, Gath, Rabbah and Gezer.
2. Identification:
Although other identifications were proposed by the older topographers, there is now a general consensus of opinion that the site of this city is Khurbet Kila (Josephus, Ant, VI, xiii, 1, in his account of David's adventure calls the place "Killa"). It is a hill covered with ruins in the higher part of Wady es Sur, 1,575 ft. above sea-level, whose terraced sides are covered with grainfields. The Eusebius, Onomasticon (Latin text) states that it was 8 miles from Eleutheropolis, which is about the distance of Khurbet Kila from Beit Jibrin. Beit Nusib (Nezib) is a couple of miles away, and Tell Sandahannah (Mareshah) but 7 miles to the West (Jos 15:44). An early Christian tradition states that the prophet Habakkuk was buried at Keilah.
(2) The Garmite (which see), 1Ch 4:19; see PEF, 314, Sh XXI.
E. W. G. Masterman
In the topical indexes
Nave's Topical Bible (1896) · 6 references, grouped by sub-topic
- 1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah Jos 15:44
- Philistines make a predatory excursion against, after harvest 1Sa 23:1
- David rescues 1Sa 23:2-13
- Rulers of, aid in restoring the wall of Jerusalem after the captivity Ne 3:17,18
- 2. A descendant of Caleb 1Ch 4:19
Texts: Easton's Bible Dictionary (1897); Smith's Bible Dictionary (1884); International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1915); Nave's Topical Bible (1896), from the CrossWire SWORD modules (public domain). Verse references were parsed from the works' own markup and checked against the KJV verse list.