But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.
When the Philistines heard that David had been crowned king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to attack him. When David heard about this, he went down to his stronghold.
The writer is showing that David's enemies immediately came to attack him once he became king, but David wisely retreated to a safe, fortified place.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical narrative, David had just been anointed as king over all Israel after the death of King Saul, marking the unification of the tribes under his leadership and the beginning of his reign in Jerusalem. The Philistines, who were longstanding enemies of Israel and had frequently clashed with them during Saul's rule, saw David's rise as a direct threat to their power and decided to launch an attack. Upon hearing of their approach, David retreated to a stronghold, likely a fortified place like a cave or hilltop, to gather his forces and prepare for defense.
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