They arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the Arabah on the south of the desert.
One of David's most urgent problems was that of feeding his little army of some six hundred men.  This was the urgent problem lying back of the many raids that David and his men conducted against the Philistines.  Also, it is evident that he protected some of the border cities against Philistine raids and required of them contributions of food and money.