1 Samuel 22:16

16 The king said, You shall surely die, Achimelekh, you, and all your father's house.

1 Samuel 22:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 22:16

And the king said, thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech
He pronounces the sentence himself, without taking the opinion and advice of others, or further time; which was an act of arbitrary power, and upon an innocent person, which was an act of great injustice: thou, and all thy father's house;
more unrighteous still; but God suffered him to do this to fulfil his will, and execute his threatenings against the house of Eli, which was this priest's father's house, for former wickedness; but this is no excuse for, nor extenuation of the sin of, Saul.

1 Samuel 22:16 In-Context

14 Then Achimelekh answered the king, and said, Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and is taken into your council, and is honorable in your house?

15 Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: don't let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more.

16 The king said, You shall surely die, Achimelekh, you, and all your father's house.

17 The king said to the guard who stood about him, Turn, and kill the Kohanim of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn't disclose it to me. But the servants of the king wouldn't put forth their hand to fall on the Kohanim of the LORD.

18 The king said to Do'eg, Turn you, and fall on the Kohanim. Do'eg the Edomite turned, and he fell on the Kohanim, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore a linen efod.