Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 24:1

"And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi." — 1 Samuel 24:1 (ASV)

When Saul returned. —It is clear how intent Saul was on his bloody purpose concerning his supposed rival, for as soon as the Philistine raid was repulsed, with sleepless animosity he at once set out with a force of considerable magnitude, as the next verse relates, to hunt down his enemy. Saul was encouraged in this fresh enterprise by the offer of the Ziphites (see 1 Samuel 24:19–22).

These bitter enemies of David, in the interval of the Philistine war—accustomed to the passes and mountains of the barren region of the south of Canaan—complying with the king’s request (1 Samuel 23:23), had taken careful note of the hiding places where David was concealed, and were now prepared to act as guides to the well-equipped and disciplined forces under Saul in their marches and counter-marches in the deserts bordering on the south of Judah.

En-gedi. —David and his band were now wandering along a lofty plateau, upon the tops of cliffs some 2,000 feet above the Dead Sea. En-gedi—still known as Ain-jedy, the Fountain of the Kid—is a beautiful oasis in the barren wilderness to the south of Judah. Its original name was Hazazon Tamar—“The Palm Wood” (see 2 Chronicles 20:2)—and it was once an ancient settlement of the Amorites . It has in every age been a favorite spot with the possessors of the land.

King Solomon appears to have paid special attention to this garden of the wilderness. He planted the hills around it with vines; from the fountain flows a warm, clear stream, delicious to the taste. The remains of ancient gardens tell us that in the golden days of the kings, En-gedi was probably a favorite resort of the wealthy citizens of Jerusalem. Solomon, in his “Song of Songs,” writes of it in a way that shows how he loved it, when he compares his beloved to a cluster of camphire in the vineyards of En-gedi (Song of Solomon 1:14).

Its present condition, as described by modern travelers, more closely resembles the En-gedi of the time when Saul hunted David among the rocks and caverns than the En-gedi that was the resort of Jerusalem's citizens, beautiful with Solomon's gardens and vines.—Conder: Tent Life.

Dean Stanley and others have described the spot with great care and left us a vivid picture of the scene. They tell us of the long and weary journey across the desolate valleys and precipitous barren heights, and of the enchanting scene that lay before them once Ain-jedy was reached. They describe in flowing language the plentiful and rich vegetation, the trees and fruits, the ruins of the ancient gardens, and the remains of the beautiful groves, still inhabited by a multitude of singing birds.

In the limestone cliffs are numerous caves, some of them very large and deep, well suited to be the temporary shelter for large groups of men.