No sooner had Saul been informed of Da'vid's capture of Kei'lah that he formed a plot by which he hoped to entrap Da'vid and his men within the walls of Ju'dah. Again Da'vid turnt to the LORD for guidance, asking whether the men of Kei'lah would protect him or yield to the demand of Saul that he and his men be given to him as prisoners. When told that they would give in to the will of Saul, Da'vid led his men out into the wilderness of Ziph, moving from place to place among the rocks and isolated spots of that wild territory
When Saul was told that Da'vid had fled from Kei'lah, he gave up his plans to attack that town, but continued his pursuit of Da'vid and his men. Every time that news came to him of possible hiding places for them in the mountains he would send an army to search for his enemy, but the Providence of GOD kept Da'vid out of the way of the pursuing armies. Even the treachery of the Ziph'ites, who proposed to find Da'vid's hiding place and aid the army of Saul in capturing him, was brought to failure by the Hand of GOD.
At last, when it appeared that Saul's armies had caught Da'vid and his men in a trap, a messenger told the cruel king that the Phi-lis'tines were attacking his home country, and that he must send the army back at once to meet the invasion. Thus victory over his hated rival was denied Saul, and he was forced to turn his armies from the pursuit of Da'vid to the defense of their own land.
It was during these perilous days in the wilderness of Ziph, just after the shameful conduct of the men of Kei'lah, and just before the treachery of the Ziph'ites, that Da'vid was given strength by a friendly visit from Jon'a-than. Moved by his great love for Da'vid, this noble young prince ran the risk of death at the hands of his father by making a secret visit to his friend in exile. He urged Da'vid not to be afraid, for the LORD would not permit him to be captured by Saul, and assured him that he was soon to become the king of Is'ra-el. With deep religious feelings on the part of both, the covenant of friendship between these two great souls were renewed, and Da'vid's hopes for the future were made much stronger.
