I Shmuel 23: Divine Distraction

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Aug 20, 2026 · 2m

The dance between Shaul and David continues. David runs away, and Shaul chases him. The chapter ends with a very intense scene. David is hiding on one side of the mountain and Shaul and his forces are approaching on the other side. David is trapped. When the end seems near, God sends a lifeline. “A messenger came and told Saul, ‘Come quickly, for the Philistines have invaded the land’” (וּמַלְאָךְ בָּא אֶל־שָׁאוּל לֵאמֹר מַהֲרָה וְלֵכָה כִּי־פָשְׁטוּ פְלִשְׁתִּים עַל־הָאָרֶץ) (verse 27). The word used for messenger is the same word for angel. Some commentators explain that this was indeed a…