Keilah
In Bible versions:
Keilah: NET AVS NIV NRSV NASB TEVa man who was a descendant of Hodiah of Judah
(31° 36´, 35° 0´)Hebrew
Strongs #07084: hlyeq Q@`iylah
Keilah = "fortress"1) a city in the lowlands of Judah northwest of Hebron
7084 Q`iylah keh-ee-law'
perhaps from 7049 in the sense of inclosing; citadel; Keilah,a place in Palestine:-Keilah.
see HEBREW for 07049
Keilah [EBD]
citadel, a city in the lowlands of Judah (Josh. 15:44). David rescued it from the attack of the Philistines (1 Sam. 23:1-8); but the inhabitants proving unfaithful to him, in that they sought to deliver him up to Saul (13), he and his men "departed from Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go." They fled to the hill Hareth, about 3 miles to the east, and thence through Hebron to Ziph (q.v.). "And David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a wood" (1 Sam. 23:15). Here Jonathan sought him out, "and strengthened his hand in God." This was the last interview between David and Jonathan (23:16-18). It is the modern Khurbet Kila. Others identify it with Khuweilfeh, between Beit Jibrin (Eleutheropolis) and Beersheba, mentioned in the Amarna tablets.
Keilah [NAVE]
KEILAH1. One of a group of nine cities in the southern part of Palestine allotted to Judah, Josh. 15:44.
Philistines make a predatory excursion against, after harvest, 1 Sam. 23:1.
David rescues, 1 Sam. 23:2-13.
Rulers of, aid in restoring the wall of Jerusalem after the captivity, Neh. 3:17, 18.
2. A descendant of Caleb, 1 Chr. 4:19.
KEILAH [SMITH]
(fortress), a city of the Shefelah, or lowland district of Judah. (Joshua 15:44) Its main interest consists in its connection with David. (1 Samuel 23:7-13) It is represented by Kila , a site with ruins, on the lower road from Beit Jibria to Hebron.KEILAH [ISBE]
KEILAH - ke-i'-la (qe`ilah; Keeilam):(1) A city of the Shephelah mentioned (Josh 15:44) along with Nezib, Aehzib and Mareshah. Among those who repaired the walls of Jerusalem was "Hashabiah, the ruler of half the district of Keilah, for his district. After him repaired their brethren, Bavvai the son of Henadad, the ruler of half the district of Keilah" (Neh 3:17,18).
1. David and Keilah:
It is, however, from the story of the wandering of David that we have most information regarding this place. It was a city with gates and bars (1 Sam 23:7). The Philistines came against it and commenced robbing the threshing-floors. David, after twice inquiring of Yahweh, went down with his 600 men (1 Sam 23:13) and "fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and slew them with great slaughter." Saul hearing that David and his men were within a fortified town "summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men" (1 Sam 23:8). Then David asked Abiathar the priest to bring him an ephod, and he inquired of Yahweh whether, if Saul came, the men of Keilah would surrender him to save that city; hearing from Yahweh, "They will deliver thee up," he and all his men escaped from Keilah and went into the wilderness. The reputed strength of Keilah is confirmed by its mention in 5 tablets in the Tell el-Amarna Letters under the name of Kilts (qilti, Petrie) with Gedor, Gath, Rabbah and Gezer.
2. Identification:
Although other identifications were proposed by the older topographers, there is now a general consensus of opinion that the site of this city is Khurbet Kila (Josephus, Ant, VI, xiii, 1, in his account of David's adventure calls the place "Killa"). It is a hill covered with ruins in the higher part of Wady es Sur, 1,575 ft. above sea-level, whose terraced sides are covered with grainfields. The Eusebius, Onomasticon (Latin text) states that it was 8 miles from Eleutheropolis, which is about the distance of Khurbet Kila from Beit Jibrin. Beit Nusib (Nezib) is a couple of miles away, and Tell Sandahannah (Mareshah) but 7 miles to the West (Josh 15:44). An early Christian tradition states that the prophet Habakkuk was buried at Keilah.
(2) The Garmite (which see), 1 Ch 4:19; see PEF, 314, Sh XXI.
E. W. G. Masterman
