1 Samuel 22:8-18

8 Is this why you have all conspired against me, why none of you told me when my son went in league with Yishai's son? None of you is concerned about me! Otherwise you would have told me that my son had incited my servant to become my enemy, as he is now."

9 Then Do'eg the Edomi, who had been put in charge of Sha'ul's servants, answered,"I saw Yishai's son come to Nov, to Achimelekh the son of Achituv.

10 He consulted ADONAI for him, gave him food and gave him the sword of Golyat the P'lishti."

11 The king sent to summon Achimelekh the cohen the son of Achituv, along with all his father's family, the cohanim in Nov; and all of them went to the king.

12 Sha'ul said, "Listen here, you son of Achituv!" He answered, "Here I am, my lord."

13 Sha'ul said to him, "Why did you conspire against me, you and Yishai's son? By giving him bread and a sword and consulting God for him, you helped him rebel against me and become my enemy, which he now is!"

14 Achimelekh answered the king, "Is there anyone among all your servants more trustworthy than David? He's the king's son-in-law, he carries out your every request, your household honors him.

15 I didn't start consulting God for him just today. Heaven forbid! The king shouldn't accuse me or my father's family of anything! Your servant knows nothing at all about any of this!"

16 But the king said, "You must die, you and your father's whole family."

17 Then the king told the guards standing around him, "Go around, and kill the cohanim of ADONAI, because they are siding with David, and because they knew he was escaping, yet they didn't tell me." But the king's servants refused to lift their hands against the cohanim of ADONAI.

18 So the king said to Do'eg, "You go around and kill the cohanim!" Do'eg the Edomi went around and fell on the cohanim; that day he killed eighty-five persons wearing linen ritual vests.

1 Samuel 22:8-18 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.