1 Samuel 22:4-14

4 Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
5 1The prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah." So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
6 Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now 2Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him.
7 Saul said to his servants who stood around him, "Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? 3Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
8 "For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me 4when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you 5who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day."
9 Then 6Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, "7I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to 8Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 "9He inquired of the LORD for him, 10gave him provisions, and 11gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."
11 Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king.
12 Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord."
13 Saul then said to him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me 12by lying in ambush as it is this day?"
14 13Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, "And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king's son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house?

1 Samuel 22:4-14 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 22

This chapter gives us an account of the flight of David from place to place, from Gath to the cave of Adullam, where his relations came to him; from thence to Mizpeh in Moab, where he got leave of the king of Moab for his father and mother to dwell there; and from thence, by the advice of Gad the prophet, departed into the land of Judah, and came to the forest of Hareth, 1Sa 21:1-5; and of the complaint of Saul to his servants of their unfaithfulness to him, and indolence and unconcern at the behaviour of Jonathan and David to him, 1Sa 22:6-8; when Doeg the Edomite informed him of David being seen by him at Nob, and of his receiving food and a sword from Ahimelech the priest, who inquired of the Lord for him, 1Sa 22:9,10; upon which Saul sent for Ahimelech and all the priests at Nob, and charged them with a conspiracy against him; and notwithstanding the defence the priest made, Saul ordered him and the rest of the priests to be slain by his guards; which they refusing, Doeg became the executioner of them, and of all the inhabitants of the city of Nob, and the cattle in it, 1Sa 22:11-19; only Abiathar a son of Ahimelech escaped and fled to David with the sorrowful news; which greatly affected David, looking upon himself to be the occasion of this sad disaster, and he took Abiathar under his protection, and promised him safety, 1Sa 22:20-23.

Cross References 13

  • 1. 2 Samuel 24:11; 1 Chronicles 21:9; 1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 29:25
  • 2. Judges 4:5; 1 Samuel 14:2
  • 3. 1 Samuel 8:12; 1 Chronicles 12:16-18
  • 4. 1 Samuel 18:3; 1 Samuel 20:16
  • 5. 1 Samuel 23:21
  • 6. Ps 52: title
  • 7. 1 Samuel 21:1
  • 8. 1 Samuel 14:3; 1 Samuel 21:1
  • 9. Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 10:22
  • 10. 1 Samuel 21:6
  • 11. 1 Samuel 21:9
  • 12. 1 Samuel 22:8
  • 13. 1 Samuel 19:4, 5; 1 Samuel 20:32

Footnotes 5

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