qe.i.lah is a proper name used chiefly for the city where David confronted Philistines and escaped Saul.

The proper noun chiefly designates the city to which David goes, saves from Philistine attack, and later leaves as Saul approaches; it also appears in a city list and in references to a district bearing the same name. In 1 Chronicles 4:19, it occurs within a family description.

1. Proper name for a city and its district · dominant

   All supplied tokens are tagged Noun · Proper. In 1 Samuel 23:5 the APB renders David and his men going to the named place, defeating the Philistines, and saving its inhabitants; in 1 Samuel 23:7 it describes David as shut in within a city with doors and a bar. Joshua 15:44 includes it among cities, while Nehemiah 3:17 refers to half the district bearing this name.

   1 Samuel 23:51 Samuel 23:7Joshua 15:44Nehemiah 3:17Nehemiah 3:181 Chronicles 4:19

In the Anselm Project Bible: The APB consistently presents the term as the name “Keilah.” Across the supplied verses, it is named as a city, its inhabitants, or a district.