It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
"And the Lord said, `They will surrender you'"  (1 Samuel 23:12).  "The men of Keilah," the people of whom the Lord here spoke, does not refer to the general population of the place but to its leaders, elders or leaders.  David doubtless enjoyed widespread popularity with the people; but the leaders, through abject fear of the murderous Saul, would have surrendered David at once rather than risk the extermination of the whole city like that suffered by Nob.