1 Samuel 21:7-15

7 Now one of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was ¹Doeg the Edomite, the ²chief of Saul's shepherds.

8 David said to Ahimelech, "Now is there not a spear or a sword on hand? For I brought neither * my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's matter was urgent."

9 Then the priest said, "³The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed ⁴in the valley of Elah, behold, it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take it. For there is no other except it here." And David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."

10 Then David arose and fled that day from Saul, and went to ⁵Achish king of Gath.

11 But the ⁶servants of Achish said to him, "Is this not David the king of the land? ⁷Did they not sing of this one as they danced, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands '?"

12 David ⁸took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.

13 So he ⁹disguised his sanity before them, and acted insanely in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva run down into his beard.

14 Then Achish said to his servants, "Behold, you see the man behaving as a madman. Why do you bring him to me?

15 "Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this one to act the madman in my presence? Shall this one come into my house?"

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1 Samuel 21:7-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 21

This chapter relates that David went to Nob, and pretending he was on secret business for the king, got shewbread, and the sword of Goliath, from Ahimelech the priest, 1Sa 21:1-9; and that passing from thence to Gath, where he was known, through fear feigned himself mad, and so escaped from thence, 1Sa 21:10-15.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 9

1. 1 Samuel 14:47; 1 Samuel 22:9; Ps 52: title
2. 1 Chronicles 27:29, 31
3. 1 Samuel 17:51, 54
4. 1 Samuel 17:2
5. Ps 34: title
6. Ps 56: title
7. 1 Samuel 18:7; 1 Samuel 29:5
8. Luke 2:19
9. Ps 34: title

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "under your hand"
[b]. Lit "in my hand"
[c]. Lit "smote"
[d]. Lit "in his"