1 Samuel 23:15David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the wood.
The setting
Ziph wilderness, southern Israel, ~1020 BC. Rocky desert terrain with caves. David and his 600 men hiding in forest patches while King Saul leads 3,000 soldiers hunting them...
The emotion here: chronicling relentless terror with matter-of-fact tone
The original word
biqēsh (בִּקֵּשׁ) — to seek persistently, to hunt down with intent to destroy
Why it matters
The Ziphites repeatedly betrayed David's location to Saul for political favor
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 23:15
This wasn't a single chase — Saul hunted David for YEARS, making normal life impossible
Common misconceptionPeople think David was hiding for a few weeks. This manhunt lasted nearly a decade — David lived as a fugitive from age 20 to 30.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 23:15
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 23:15 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 23:15 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. The setting is wilderness. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is anxious, with a comfort power of 20% and a tone that is urgent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include danger, fear. Notable phrases: Saul had come out to seek his life.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same anxious
“And no wonder, for even Satan masquerades as an angel of light.”
— 2 Corinthians 11:14
“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”
— 2 Timothy 3:12
“The evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?"”
— Acts 19:15
“I fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'”
— Acts 22:7
“When we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is har…”
— Acts 26:14
Your reflection
What does 1 Samuel 23:15 mean to you, today?
A short note. A question. A prayer. Saved privately to your Soul Garden, dated, and tied to this verse forever.
Speak your heart →Get 3 verses for "anxious"
Delivered to your inbox right now. Free.