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
[[To the chief Musician, H5329 Maschil, H4905 A Psalm of David, H1732 when Doeg H1673 the Edomite H130 came H935 and told H5046 Saul, H7586 and said H559 unto him, David H1732 is come H935 to the house H1004 of Ahimelech.]] H288 Why boastest H1984 thou thyself in mischief, H7451 O mighty H1368 man? the goodness H2617 of God H410 endureth continually. H3117 Thy tongue H3956 deviseth H2803 mischiefs; H1942 like a sharp H3913 razor, H8593 working H6213 deceitfully. H7423 Thou lovest H157 evil H7451 more than good; H2896 and lying H8267 rather than to speak H1696 righteousness. H6664 Selah. H5542 Thou lovest H157 all devouring H1105 words, H1697 O thou deceitful H4820 tongue. H3956 God H410 shall likewise destroy H5422 thee for ever, H5331 he shall take thee away, H2846 and pluck thee out H5255 of thy dwelling place, H168 and root thee out H8327 of the land H776 of the living. H2416 Selah. H5542 The righteous H6662 also shall see, H7200 and fear, H3372 and shall laugh H7832 at him: Lo, this is the man H1397 that made H7760 not God H430 his strength; H4581 but trusted H982 in the abundance H7230 of his riches, H6239 and strengthened H5810 himself in his wickedness. H1942 But I am like a green H7488 olive tree H2132 in the house H1004 of God: H430 I trust H982 in the mercy H2617 of God H430 for ever H5769 and ever. H5703 I will praise H3034 thee for ever, H5769 because thou hast done H6213 it: and I will wait H6960 on thy name; H8034 for it is good H2896 before thy saints. H2623
And Ahiah, H281 the son H1121 of Ahitub, H285 Ichabod's H350 brother, H251 the son H1121 of Phinehas, H6372 the son H1121 of Eli, H5941 the LORD'S H3068 priest H3548 in Shiloh, H7887 wearing H5375 an ephod. H646 And the people H5971 knew H3045 not that Jonathan H3129 was gone. H1980
Then came H935 David H1732 to Nob H5011 to Ahimelech H288 the priest: H3548 and Ahimelech H288 was afraid H2729 at the meeting H7125 of David, H1732 and said H559 unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man H376 with thee? And David H1732 said H559 unto Ahimelech H288 the priest, H3548 The king H4428 hath commanded H6680 me a business, H1697 and hath said H559 unto me, Let no man H376 know H3045 any thing H3972 of the business H1697 whereabout I send H7971 thee, and what I have commanded H6680 thee: and I have appointed H3045 my servants H5288 to such H6423 and such H492 a place. H4725 Now therefore what is H3426 under thine hand? H3027 give H5414 me five H2568 loaves of bread H3899 in mine hand, H3027 or what there is present. H4672 And the priest H3548 answered H6030 David, H1732 and said, H559 There is no common H2455 bread H3899 under mine hand, H3027 but there is H3426 hallowed H6944 bread; H3899 if the young men H5288 have kept H8104 themselves at least H389 from women. H802 And David H1732 answered H6030 the priest, H3548 and said H559 unto him, Of a truth H518 women H802 have been kept H6113 from us about these three H8032 days, H8543 since I came out, H3318 and the vessels H3627 of the young men H5288 are holy, H6944 and the bread is in a manner H1870 common, H2455 yea, though it were sanctified H6942 this day H3117 in the vessel. H3627 So the priest H3548 gave H5414 him hallowed H6944 bread: for there was no bread H3899 there but the shewbread, H3899 H6440 that was taken H5493 from before H6440 the LORD, H3068 to put H7760 hot H2527 bread H3899 in the day H3117 when it was taken away. H3947 Now a certain man H376 of the servants H5650 of Saul H7586 was there that day, H3117 detained H6113 before H6440 the LORD; H3068 and his name H8034 was Doeg, H1673 an Edomite, H130 the chiefest H47 of the herdmen H7462 that belonged to Saul. H7586 And David H1732 said H559 unto Ahimelech, H288 And is there H3426 not H371 here under thine hand H3027 spear H2595 or sword? H2719 for I have neither brought H3947 my sword H2719 nor my weapons H3627 with me, H3027 because the king's H4428 business H1697 required H1961 haste. H5169 And the priest H3548 said, H559 The sword H2719 of Goliath H1555 the Philistine, H6430 whom thou slewest H5221 in the valley H6010 of Elah, H425 behold, it is here wrapped H3874 in a cloth H8071 behind H310 the ephod: H646 if thou wilt take H3947 that, take H3947 it: for there is no other H312 save H2108 that here. H2088 And David H1732 said, H559 There is none like that; give H5414 it me. And David H1732 arose, H6965 and fled H1272 that day H3117 for fear H6440 of Saul, H7586 and went H935 to Achish H397 the king H4428 of Gath. H1661 And the servants H5650 of Achish H397 said H559 unto him, Is not this David H1732 the king H4428 of the land? H776 did they not sing H6030 one to another of him H2088 in dances, H4246 saying, H559 Saul H7586 hath slain H5221 his thousands, H505 and David H1732 his ten thousands? H7233 And David H1732 laid up H7760 these words H1697 in his heart, H3824 and was sore H3966 afraid H3372 of H6440 Achish H397 the king H4428 of Gath. H1661 And he changed H8138 his behaviour H2940 before H5869 them, and feigned himself mad H1984 in their hands, H3027 and scrabbled H8427 on the doors H1817 of the gate, H8179 and let his spittle H7388 fall down H3381 upon his beard. H2206 Then said H559 Achish H397 unto his servants, H5650 Lo, ye see H7200 the man H376 is mad: H7696 wherefore then have ye brought H935 him to me? Have I need H2638 of mad men, H7696 that ye have brought H935 this fellow to play the mad man H7696 in my presence? shall this fellow come H935 into my house? H1004
A false H8267 witness H5707 shall not be unpunished, H5352 and he that speaketh H6315 lies H3577 shall not escape. H4422
Now G1161 the chief priests, G749 and G2532 elders, G4245 and G2532 all G3650 the council, G4892 sought G2212 false witness G5577 against G2596 Jesus, G2424 to G3704 put G2289 him G846 to death; G2289 But G2532 found G2147 none: G3756 yea, G2532 though many G4183 false witnesses G5575 came, G4334 yet found they G2147 none. G3756 G1161 At the last G5305 came G4334 two G1417 false witnesses, G5575 And said, G2036 This G3778 fellow said, G5346 I am able G1410 to destroy G2647 the temple G3485 of God, G2316 and G2532 to build G3618 it G846 in G1223 three G5140 days. G2250
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 1 Samuel 22
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.