1 Samuel 21

David Flees to Nob

1 David went to Ahimelech the priest at Nob. Ahimelech was afraid to meet David, so he said to him, "Why are you alone and no one is with you?"

2 David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king gave me a mission, but he told me, 'Don't let anyone know anything about the mission I'm sending you on or what I have ordered you [to do].' I have stationed [my] young men at a certain place.

3 Now what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread or whatever can be found."

4 The priest told him, "There is no ordinary bread on hand. However, there is consecrated bread,^[a] but the young men may eat it^[b] only if they have kept themselves from women."^[c]

5 David answered him, "I swear that women are being kept from us, as always when I go out [to battle].^[d] The young men's bodies^[e] are consecrated even on an ordinary mission, so of course their bodies are consecrated today."

6 So the priest gave him the consecrated [bread], for there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord. When the bread was removed, it had been replaced with warm bread.

7 One of Saul's servants, detained before the Lord, was there that day. His name was Doeg the Edomite, chief of Saul's shepherds.

8 David said to Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn't even bring my sword or my weapons since the king's mission was urgent."

9 The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,^[f] is here, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want to take it for yourself, then take it, for there isn't another one here." "There's none like it!" David said. "Give it to me."

David Flees to Gath

10 David fled that day from Saul's presence and went to King Achish of Gath.

11 But Achish's servants said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Don't they sing about him during their dances: Saul has killed his thousands, but David his tens of thousands?"^[g]

12 David took this to heart^[h] and became very afraid of King Achish of Gath,

13 so he pretended to be insane in their presence. He acted like a madman around them,^[i][j]scribbling^[k] on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.

14 "Look! You can see the man is crazy," Achish said to his servants. "Why did you bring him to me?

15 Do I have such a shortage of crazy people that you brought this one to act crazy around me? Is this one going to come into my house?"^[l]

1 Samuel 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

David with Ahimelech. (1-9) David at Gath feigns himself mad. (10-15)

Verses 1-9 David, in distress, fled to the tabernacle of God. It is great comfort in a day of trouble, that we have a God to go to, to whom we may open our cases, and from whom we may ask and expect direction. David told Ahimelech a gross untruth. What shall we say to this? The Scripture does not conceal it, and we dare not justify it; it was ill done, and proved of bad consequence; for it occasioned the death of the priests of the Lord. David thought upon it afterward with regret. David had great faith and courage, yet both failed him; he fell thus foully through fear and cowardice, and owing to the weakness of his faith. Had he trusted God aright, he would not have used such a sorry, sinful shift for his own preservation. It is written, not for us to do the like, no, not in the greatest straits, but for our warning. David asked of Ahimelech bread and a sword. Ahimelech supposed they might eat the shew-bread. The Son of David taught from it, that mercy is to be preferred to sacrifice; that ritual observances must give way to moral duties. Doeg set his foot as far within the tabernacle as David did. We little know with what hearts people come to the house of God, nor what use they will make of pretended devotion. If many come in simplicity of heart to serve their God, others come to observe their teachers and to prove accusers. Only God and the event can distinguish between a David and a Doeg, when both are in the tabernacle.

Verses 10-15 God's persecuted people have often found better usage from Philistines than from Israelites. David had reason to put confidence in Achish, yet he began to be afraid. His conduct was degrading, and discovered wavering in his faith and courage. The more simply we depend on God, and obey him, the more comfortably and surely we shall walk through this troublesome world.

Footnotes

• [a]. Ex 25:30; Lv 24:5-9; Mt 12:3-4
• [b]. DSS; MT omits may eat it
• [c]. Ex 19:15
• [d]. 2 Sm 11:11
• [e]. Lit vessels
• [f]. 1 Sm 17
• [g]. 1 Sm 18:7, 29:5
• [h]. Lit David placed these words in his heart
• [i]. Lit madman in their hand
• [j]. Pss 34, 56 superscriptions
• [k]. LXX reads drumming
• [l]. Ps 34 superscription

Chapter Summary

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.