· Translation: KJV

1 Samuel 23:29David went up from there, and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

The setting

En Gedi oasis, Israel, ~1020 BC. David leads his men up into the rocky strongholds above the Dead Sea, finding caves and high places for protection...

The emotion here: grateful relief at finding sanctuary after intense danger

The original word

metsadot (מצדות) — fortified strongholds, natural rocky fortresses

Why it matters

En Gedi's caves can hide hundreds of people and have natural water sources

Read with care

What most readers miss in 1 Samuel 23:29

En Gedi means 'spring of the young goat' - an oasis where even animals find refuge

Common misconceptionPeople think David was running away in defeat, but he was strategically positioning himself in God's perfect hiding place.

Bible Genome reading

1 Samuel 23:29 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerNarrator
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionresting
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power50%
Quotability20%
Memorability40%
Crisis relevance30%
Standalone40%
Themes:refugesafety

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 1 Samuel 23

1 Samuel 23:29 comes from the book of 1 Samuel, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Narrator. The dominant emotion in this verse is resting, with a comfort power of 50% and a tone that is conversational. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include refuge, safety. Notable phrases: went up from there; strongholds of En Gedi.

Your reflection

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