1Samuel 21:1 ¶ Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
1Samuel 21:2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
Though commentators don’t agree on the exact location of Nob, most agree that it was near Jerusalem. Some commentators note that the tabernacle may have been located there at this time since Ahimelech later makes reference to the ephod being there. This would seem to be affirmed by the fact that the bread given David was the shewbread (v6) from the tabernacle that was replaced weekly.
David fled first to Nob to get help from Ahimelech the priest. That David would come to him alone with no weapons or supplies probably made Ahimelech suspicious and fearful of what David might do. He questioned David as to why he was alone. David told the priest that Saul had sent him on a secret errand that had necessitated him leaving immediately without the normal preparation. He noted that his servants were waiting for him somewhere close by.
David obvious lied to the priest, but he certainly felt justified in seeking food and a weapon since he had been forced to flee for no fault of his own. In the next section it will be noted that the priest inquired of the LORD before giving David what he wanted, therefore implying that the LORD considered it a valid request. The LORD Jesus even referenced this particular action of David’s as an example of the fact that in God’s economy man’s need overrides the importance of keeping the letter of the law, and God considered him guiltless.
Matthew 12:1–7 “At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.”
Though we aren’t told how David gathered a group of followers, the words of Matthew seem to affirm that he at least had a few men with him at this time.
1Samuel 21:3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
1Samuel 21:4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
1Samuel 21:5 And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
1Samuel 21:6 So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
David asked the priest to give him five loaves of bread, or whatever he had available. The priest told David that he had no common bread; all he had was the consecrated bread. He would give him that if his men had abstained from sleeping with any women. David assured Ahimelech that it was the custom for his soldiers to stay away from women when going to battle, and they had been clean for three days. Even the men’s belongings were clean.
We know from the next chapter that Ahimelech inquired of the LORD before giving David what he asked for.
1 Samuel 22:10 “And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
So the priest gave David the consecrated bread, the showbread, from the day before that had just been replaced.
1Samuel 21:7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
It is noted that a certain servant of Saul was present and witnessed all that transpired between David and Ahimelech. The servant is identified as Doeg, an Edomite, the overseer of Saul’s herdmen. It is noted that he was “detained before the LORD,” but no reason is given.
It will be shown in the next chapter that when he leaves Nob, Doeg runs straight to Saul to report what he knows.
1Samuel 21:8 And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.
1Samuel 21:9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
David next asked Ahimelech if he had a spear or sword he could give him. He explained that he had to leave so quickly that he did not have time to get his own. The priest told him that the only weapon he had was Goliath’s sword; it was wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. He told David he could have it if he wanted it. David declared that it was one of a kind, and he would take it.
Even if Ahimelech was suspicious about what was going on, he must have reasoned that if anyone deserved to have Goliath’s sword, it was David since he had killed him.
1Samuel 21:10 ¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
1Samuel 21:11 And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
David kept running because he feared Saul. For some reason he decided to go to Achish, the king of Gath, in the land of the Philistines. Interestingly, Gath was the hometown of Goliath.
The servants of the king reminded him that they thought this man was David, the man who had been lauded for killing ten thousands, while Saul was only noted as killing thousands.
1Samuel 21:12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
1Samuel 21:13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
1Samuel 21:14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
1Samuel 21:15 Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
When David heard what the servants said, he became afraid of how Achish would respond. He decided to act like a mad man, so he scratched marks on the doors of the gate and drooled down his beard. Achish was disgusted and asked his servants why they had brought this man before him in the first place; he must have thought that this surely couldn’t be the David of renown. He declared that he had enough crazy men among his own people and certainly didn’t need another one in his house.
It is noted in the introduction to Psalm 34 that David wrote this psalm in light of God’s protection at this time.
Psalms 34:0–22 “A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. [This description makes it clear that Abimelech and Achish are the same. It is believed by some that Abimelech is a title.] I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry. The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all. He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.”
Many commentators like to point out that David is acting in the flesh in the early part of his flight from Saul. I don’t think that necessarily means that he is acting without faith, and I think this psalm helps clarify that fact. We all react to crises in our lives in different ways, and sometimes our reasoning is affected by the stress we experience. I think it was after his escape from Achish that David finally got a grip and began to think more clearly and look to the LORD for His leading instead of just reacting. There is a section in the next chapter that seems to affirm this thought, and it seems that the arrival of Abiathar the priest (who probably brought the ephod with him) reminds David that he should seek God’s direction in every decision he makes.
1 Samuel 22:20–23:2 “And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD’S priests. And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house. Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.”
David is so confident that the LORD is with him that he can assure Abiathar that he will be safe as long as he is with David. It is noted that he begins to make decisions by enquiring of the LORD.
1Samuel 22:1 ¶ David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
1Samuel 22:2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
This chapter continues as if there were no chapter break….
David left Gath and escaped to the cave Adullam, about six miles southwest of Bethlehem. When his brothers and kinfolk heard that he was there, they went down to join him. I’m not sure if their primary motivation was fear that Saul would take his anger out on them or a desire to support him or both.
All other men in the area who were in trouble or in debt or just bitter for whatever reason also joined him. He eventually gathered a following of about 400 men that considered him their captain.
I liked this application Guzik noted from Redpath: “These are the kind of men who came to David: distressed, bankrupt, dissatisfied. These are the kind of people who come to Christ, and they are the only people who come to Him, for they have recognized their distress, their debt, and bankruptcy, and are conscious that they are utterly discontented. The sheer pressures of these frustrations drives them to the refuge of the blood of Christ that was shed for them."
Note: Both psalms 57 and 142 note that they were written during the time that David was in hiding in the cave. Both psalms are honest in reflecting the highs and lows of David’s emotions, and both reveal that David’s faith remained strong in spite of his troubles.
1Samuel 22:3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
1Samuel 22:4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
1Samuel 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.
David traveled to Mizpeh of Moab to ask the king to provide sanctuary for his father and mother until God revealed His will as to what he should do. Remember—Ruth, David’s great-grandmother, was a Moabite. The king agreed to help David as requested, and his parents stayed in Moab the whole time that David was on the run from Saul.
I think it is significant to note that although David knew it was God’s will that he become king, he had no idea how the LORD was going to work that out. Still, he took the steps that he could to move forward just by trying to stay safe and provide for those he loved as well as he could in the process.
The prophet Gad told David to leave the cave of Adullam and go to the land of Judah, so he went to the forest of Hareth. It was another indication of David’s faith that he was willing to go back to Judah, his homeland, so close to the land of Benjamin, Saul’s homeland.
1Samuel 22:6 ¶ When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
1Samuel 22:7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
1Samuel 22:8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
It is noted that Saul still lived in Gibeah. When he received word that the location of David and his men had been discovered, he was sitting under a specific tree in Ramah with spear in hand and surrounded by his servants. He immediately challenged his servants. He asked them a rhetorical question intended to point out how well he treated them compared to what they could expect from David, “the son of Jesse”—clearly disclaiming any connection to him as his son-in-law and noting only his lowly heritage as a shepherd. He then questioned their loyalty by pointing out that none of them had informed him that his own son had conspired against him and encouraged David to flee—even implying that the purpose was to give David the opportunity to kill his father.
1Samuel 22:9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
1Samuel 22:10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
Doeg the Edomite was the first to speak up; it seems he had been put in charge of all of Saul’s servants. He told Saul that he had seen “the son of Jesse” when he went to Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. He related that Ahimelech had enquired of the LORD for David and also given him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Notice that Doeg said nothing about how David had deceived the priest by saying that he was on an urgent, secret mission for Saul. He evidently held some type of grudge against the priest.
1Samuel 22:11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
1Samuel 22:12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
1Samuel 22:13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
Saul then sent for Ahimelech the priest and all his family that served with him as priests in Nob, and they all came. Saul proceeded to question Ahimelech. He asked him why he had conspired with David against him by giving him bread and a sword and enquiring of God for him in support of his rebellion against the king. He clearly identified David as his enemy.
1Samuel 22:14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
1Samuel 22:15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
1Samuel 22:16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
Ahimelech basically told the king that he had no reason to suspect that David was his enemy. He only knew David as the most faithful of Saul’s servants, the king’s son-in-law, and an honorable man that served according to Saul’s command. Ahimelech then reminded Saul that he had enquired of God for him before—implying that it had been for the good of the kingdom. He said that he certainly had done nothing with evil intent against the king and neither had any of his family. The priest assured Saul that he knew nothing of the animosity between him and David. Interesting to me was that Ahimelech also said nothing about how David had deceived him by declaring that he was on an urgent, secret mission for Saul.
Saul’s response was rash, irrational and totally evil. He pronounced a sentence of death against Ahimelech and all the rest of his fellow priests.
1Samuel 22:17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.
1Samuel 22:18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
1Samuel 22:19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
The king turned to his servants and ordered them to kill all the priests of the LORD because they had conspired with David and had not told him of his flight. Amazingly, his servants defied his order and refused to kill the priests of the LORD. They still feared the LORD more than they feared Saul.
Saul then turned to Doeg and ordered him to kill the priests. Doeg didn’t hesitate; he evidently feared the king more than God. More likely, he saw this as a way of moving even higher up in the king’s regard and gaining a greater position. That one man killed 85 priests that day. It seems that he then went to Nob and killed the families of the priests as well as all their livestock.
This is one of those really hard to believe stories. How did one man overpower 85 men? Why did the priests not fight back—or at least run? Did the other servants keep them from escaping?
1Samuel 22:20 ¶ And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
1Samuel 22:21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD’S priests.
1Samuel 22:22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
1Samuel 22:23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
Thankfully, one of the priests did escape—Ahimelech’s son Abiathar. He fled and found David and told him how Saul had killed all the LORD’s priests. David admitted that he knew when he saw Doeg there that day that he would tell Saul. He was grieved at having been the cause of the death of Abiathar’s whole family. He promised Abiathar that he did not need to fear for his life even though Saul wanted them both dead. He promised that he would be safe as long as he stayed with David.
Again, we see that David’s faith is strong. Even though the facts seem to say otherwise, he knows that since God had chosen him as the next king of Israel, he would live to be the next king of Israel.