שמואל א, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ז׳

David's arrival in the fortified city of Keilah creates what appears to be a fatal trap, sparking immense confidence in Saul. He interprets this strategic move as direct divine intervention in his favor. Saul reasons that God has finally delivered his rival to him as punishment for a specific offense. In Saul's view, David committed a grave sin by consulting the Urim and Thummim, an act Saul believes is strictly reserved for the king. As a result of this overstep, he assumes God has handed David over to him [חומת אנך].

The primary approach among commentators is that God has simply delivered and locked David into Saul's grasp. However, others suggest a psychological element, explaining that God clouded David's judgment. By stripping away his strategic sense, God seemingly led David to make the critical error of entering a walled city with no escape routes [רלב״ג]. Furthermore, this new dynamic changes how Saul views his pursuit. Because David is now barricading himself inside a city, Saul feels entirely justified in treating him not as a fellow brother, but as a foreign enemy and an active rebel [מלבי״ם].

The physical layout of Keilah—a city secured by heavy doors and thick wooden poles used to lock the gates from the inside [מצודת ציון]—plays perfectly into Saul's hands. He assumes David will rely on the city's strong defenses, feel secure, and delay any attempt to flee [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. This creates an ideal tactical scenario for Saul, allowing him to easily surround the city and lay a prolonged siege until it is forced to surrender, leaving David with nowhere to run [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Filled with absolute certainty, Saul relies heavily on the secrecy of his impending attack. He never imagines that word of the planned siege could possibly reach his target. Yet, despite Saul's careful planning, God ensures that the secret is revealed to David [רלב״ג, רד״ק].