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
And he shall stand H5975 before H6440 Eleazar H499 the priest, H3548 who shall ask H7592 counsel for him after the judgment H4941 of Urim H224 before H6440 the LORD: H3068 at his word H6310 shall they go out, H3318 and at his word H6310 they shall come in, H935 both he, and all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 with him, even all the congregation. H5712
And David H1732 enquired H7592 at the LORD, H3068 saying, H559 Shall I pursue H7291 after H310 this troop? H1416 shall I overtake H5381 them? And he answered H559 him, Pursue: H7291 for thou shalt surely H5381 overtake H5381 them, and without fail H5337 recover H5337 all.
Therefore they enquired H7592 of the LORD H3068 further, if the man H376 should yet come H935 thither. H1988 And the LORD H3068 answered, H559 Behold, he hath hid H2244 himself among the stuff. 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 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
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
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.