1 Samuel 22:5
And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth. And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
The verse belongs to the long history in 1 Samuel 14-31 of Saul's wicked career. That history shows how a man once humble before God became eminent in wickedness through pride, self-sufficiency, and tyranny. This is seen when Saul destroyed Nob, a city of the priests, with its inhabitants and domestic animals, because David had received favor there, though no one in the city thought that mercy would displease Saul.
The verse falls within the account of David's checkered but ever-rising career and the events through which God's providence shaped national affairs. It belongs to the account of David's flight from Saul and forms part of the history of David's loyal conduct while Saul sought to kill him. God sent the prophet Gad to warn David to leave his refuge and flee into Judah, and David obeyed and reached the forest of Hareth before Saul could capture him. The account to which the verse belongs teaches that it is safe to commit one's cause to God.