Worthy.Bible » STRONG » 1 Samuel » Chapter 22 » Verse 9-17

1 Samuel 22:9-17 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

9 Then answered H6030 Doeg H1673 the Edomite, H130 which was set H5324 over the servants H5650 of Saul, H7586 and said, H559 I saw H7200 the son H1121 of Jesse H3448 coming H935 to Nob, H5011 to Ahimelech H288 the son H1121 of Ahitub. H285

10 And he enquired H7592 of the LORD H3068 for him, and gave H5414 him victuals, H6720 and gave H5414 him the sword H2719 of Goliath H1555 the Philistine. H6430

11 Then the king H4428 sent H7971 to call H7121 Ahimelech H288 the priest, H3548 the son H1121 of Ahitub, H285 and all his father's H1 house, H1004 the priests H3548 that were in Nob: H5011 and they came H935 all of them to the king. H4428

12 And Saul H7586 said, H559 Hear H8085 now, thou son H1121 of Ahitub. H285 And he answered, H559 Here I am, my lord. H113

13 And Saul H7586 said H559 unto him, Why have ye conspired H7194 against me, thou and the son H1121 of Jesse, H3448 in that thou hast given H5414 him bread, H3899 and a sword, H2719 and hast enquired H7592 of God H430 for him, that he should rise H6965 against me, to lie in wait, H693 as at this day? H3117

14 Then Ahimelech H288 answered H6030 the king, H4428 and said, H559 And who is so faithful H539 among all thy servants H5650 as David, H1732 which is the king's H4428 son in law, H2860 and goeth H5493 at thy bidding, H4928 and is honourable H3513 in thine house? H1004

15 Did I then H3117 begin H2490 to enquire H7592 of God H430 for him? be it far from me: H2486 let not the king H4428 impute H7760 any thing H1697 unto his servant, H5650 nor to all the house H1004 of my father: H1 for thy servant H5650 knew H3045 nothing H1697 of all this, less H6996 or more. H1419

16 And the king H4428 said, H559 Thou shalt surely H4191 die, H4191 Ahimelech, H288 thou, and all thy father's H1 house. H1004

17 And the king H4428 said H559 unto the footmen H7323 that stood H5324 about him, Turn, H5437 and slay H4191 the priests H3548 of the LORD; H3068 because their hand H3027 also is with David, H1732 and because they knew H3045 when he fled, H1272 and did not shew H1540 H241 it to me. But the servants H5650 of the king H4428 would H14 not put forth H7971 their hand H3027 to fall H6293 upon the priests H3548 of the LORD. H3068

Commentary on 1 Samuel 22 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 22

1Sa 22:1-8. David's Kindred and Others Resort to Him at Adullam.

1. David … escaped to the cave Adullam—supposed to be that now called Deir-Dubban, a number of pits or underground vaults, some nearly square, and all about fifteen or twenty feet deep, with perpendicular sides, in the soft limestone or chalky rocks. They are on the borders of the Philistine plain at the base of the Judea mountains, six miles southwest from Beth-lehem, and well adapted for concealing a number of refugees.

his brethren and all his father's house … went down—to escape the effects of Saul's rage, which seems to have extended to all David's family. From Beth-lehem to Deir-Dubban it is, indeed, a descent all the way.

2. every one that was in distress—(See on Jud 11:3).

3. David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab—"Mizpeh" signifies a watchtower, and it is evident that it must be taken in this sense here, for it is called "the hold" or fort (1Sa 22:4). The king of Moab was an enemy of Saul (1Sa 14:47), and the great-grandson of Ruth, of course, was related to the family of Jesse. David, therefore, had less anxiety in seeking an asylum within the dominions of this prince than those of Achish, because the Moabites had no grounds for entertaining vindictive feelings against him, and their enmity, to Saul rendered them the more willing to receive so illustrious a refugee from his court.

5. the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold—This sound advice, no doubt, came from a higher source than Gad's own sagacity. It was right to appear publicly among the people of his own tribe, as one conscious of innocence and trusting in God; and it was expedient that, on the death of Saul, his friends might be encouraged to support his interest.

forest of Hareth—southwest of Jerusalem.

6. Saul abode … under a tree in Ramah—literally, "under a grove on a hill." Oriental princes frequently sit with their court under some shady canopy in the open air. A spear was the early scepter.

7, 8. Hear now, ye Benjamites—This was an appeal to stimulate the patriotism or jealousy of his own tribe, from which he insinuated it was the design of David to transfer the kingdom to another. This address seems to have been made on hearing of David's return with his four hundred men to Judah. A dark suspicion had risen in the jealous mind of the king that Jonathan was aware of this movement, which he dreaded as a conspiracy against the crown.

1Sa 22:9-16. Doeg Accuses Ahimelech.

9. Doeg … set over the servants—Septuagint, "the mules of Saul."

10. he inquired of the Lord for him—Some suppose that this was a malicious fiction of Doeg to curry favor with the king, but Ahimelech seems to acknowledge the fact. The poor simple-minded high priest knew nothing of the existing family feud between Saul and David. The informer, if he knew it, said nothing of the cunning artifice by which David obtained the aid of Ahimelech. The facts looked against him, and the whole priesthood along with him were declared abettors of conspiracy [1Sa 22:16, 17].

1Sa 22:17-19. Saul Commands to Kill the Priests.

17, 18. the footmen that stood about him—his bodyguard, or his runners (1Sa 8:11; 2Sa 15:1; 1Ki 1:5; 1Ki 14:28), who held an important place at court (2Ch 12:10). But they chose rather to disobey the king than to offend God by imbruing their hands in the blood of his ministering servants. A foreigner alone (Ps 52:1-3) could be found willing to be the executioner of this bloody and sacrilegious sentence. Thus was the doom of the house of Eli fulfilled [1Sa 2:30-36].

19. Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword—The barbarous atrocities perpetrated against this city seem to have been designed to terrify all the subjects of Saul from affording either aid or an asylum to David. But they proved ruinous to Saul's own interest, as they alienated the priesthood and disgusted all good men in the kingdom.

1Sa 22:20-23. Abiathar Escapes and Flees after David.

20-23. one of the sons of Ahimelech … escaped—This was Abiathar, who repaired to David in the forest of Hareth, rescuing, with his own life, the high priest's vestments (1Sa 23:6, 9). On hearing his sad tale, David declared that he had dreaded such a fatal result from the malice and intriguing ambition of Doeg; and, accusing himself as having been the occasion of all the disaster to Abiathar's family, David invited him to remain, because, firmly trusting himself in the accomplishment of the divine promise, David could guarantee protection to him.