1 Samuel21
King James Version · Public Domain
1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.
3Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
6So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the Lord, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
8And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.
9And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
10And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
12And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
14Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 1 Samuel 21.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: David with Ahimelech. (1–9). David at Gath feigns himself mad. (10–15).
vv1-9
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. (1Sa 21:10-15)
vv10-15
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.
Key Words
דָּוִד: David, the youngest son of Jesse
בּוֹא: to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)
נֹב: Nob, a place in Palestine
אֲחִימֶלֶךְ: Achimelek, the name of an Israelite and of a Hittite
כֹּהֵן: literally one officiating, a priest; also (by courtesy) an acting priest (although a layman)
קִרְאָה: an encountering, accidental, friendly or hostile (also adverbially, opposite)
חָרַד: to shudder with terror; hence, to fear; also to hasten (with anxiety)
אָמַר: to say (used with great latitude)
מַדּוּעַ: what (is) known?; i.e. (by implication) (adverbially) why?
בַּד: properly, separation; by implication, a part of the body, branch of atree, bar forcarrying; figuratively, chief of a city; especially (with prepositional prefix) as an adverb, apart, only, besides
Cross References
1 Samuel 21Jesus cites David's eating of the shewbread to demonstrate that ritual laws yield to human necessity.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Jesus explains that the hallowed bread was strictly designated only for the priests to eat.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
New Testament parallel where Jesus asks the Pharisees if they read what David did when hungry.
Supported by JFB
Luke's account of Jesus defending His disciples by appealing to David receiving the priest's bread.
Supported by JFB
David's prayer to be kept from lying; commentators link this to his false statement to Ahimelech.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The ritual requirement of abstinence from women, which Ahimelech applied to David's men.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Levitical law establishing the regulations, sanctification, and weekly replacement of the holy shewbread.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Doeg the Edomite reports this meeting to Saul, resulting in the slaughter of the priests.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole
Explains how Goliath's sword, which David took, was originally deposited and preserved as a trophy.
Supported by JFB
Composed by David when he changed his behavior and feigned madness before Abimelech (Achish).
Jesus identifies the high priest during this event as Abiathar (often equated with Ahimelech).
Written concerning Doeg's betrayal of David to Saul, detailing his deceitful tongue.
The exact song sung by Israel that the servants of Achish quote against David.
Establishes Ahimelech's lineage as a son of Ahitub, connecting him to the house of Eli.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Identifies Nob as 'the city of the priests' which Saul later destroys because of David.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB