1 Samuel 23:10Then David said, "O Yahweh, the God of Israel, your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
The setting
Keilah, ancient Israel (modern-day Khirbet Qila, Palestine), ~1010 BC. David realizes that Saul might destroy the entire city just to capture him, and his conscience is heavy...
The emotion here: anguished responsibility for potential innocent deaths
The original word
shamad (שָׁמַד) — to destroy utterly, annihilate, often used for military devastation
Why it matters
Ancient siege warfare often resulted in complete destruction of cities and massacre of inhabitants
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 23:10
David calls himself God's 'servant' even while being hunted — he still sees himself as chosen
Common misconceptionPeople think David is just asking for information, but he's actually confessing his moral burden for putting the city at risk.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 23:10
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 23:10 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 23:10 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to David. The dominant emotion in this verse is seeking, with a comfort power of 70% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the prayer genre of biblical literature. Key themes include prayer, trust in God. Notable phrases: O Yahweh, the God of Israel; your servant has surely heard. This verse is a prayer.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same seeking
“Pray without ceasing.”
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“But let justice roll on like rivers, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
— Amos 5:24
“Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that …”
— Genesis 18:25
“Call to me, and I will answer you, and will show you great things, and difficult, which you don't know.”
— Jeremiah 33:3
“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evi…”
— Luke 11:4
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 23:10 mean to you, today?
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