1 Samuel 23:25Saul and his men went to seek him. When David was told, he went down to the rock, and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. When Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.
The setting
Wilderness of Maon, ~1010 BC. David receives word that Saul is coming and immediately flees to a massive rock outcropping for protection. This is near modern Maon, Israel.
The emotion here: tension and admiration at David's quick survival instincts
The original word
yārad (יָרַד) — went down, suggesting David descended to lower ground or into a valley for hiding
Why it matters
The wilderness of Maon covers about 400 square miles of harsh, rocky terrain perfect for guerrilla warfare
Read with care
What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 23:25
David had an intelligence network — someone risked their life to warn him Saul was coming
Common misconceptionPeople imagine David panicking and running blindly, but he strategically moved to defensible terrain and had advance warning systems.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 1 Samuel 23:25
Bible Genome reading
1 Samuel 23:25 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
1 Samuel 23:25 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 pursuit, evasion. Notable phrases: Saul and his men went to seek; David went down to the rock.
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 23:25 mean to you, today?
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