1 Samuel21
New International Version
1David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
2David answered Ahimelek the priest, “The king sent me on a mission and said to me, ‘No one is to know anything about the mission I am sending you on.’ As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place.
3Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find.”
4But the priest answered David, “I don’t have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women.”
5David replied, “Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men’s bodies are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!”
6So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.
7Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief shepherd.
8David asked Ahimelek, “Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent.”
9The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
10That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
11But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
12David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath.
13So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.
14Achish said to his servants, “Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me?
15Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man 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