1David cometh to Nob, and obtaineth of Ahimelech hallowed bread: Doeg is present. 8David asketh for a sword, and receiveth the sword of Goliath. 10He fleeth to Gath, where to save his life he feigneth himself mad.
1THEN came David to 1Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech 2was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou 3alone, and no man with thee?
1 This was a city, pertaining to the priests, not far from Anathoth, in the tribe of Benjamin, 1 Kings 2:26. Neh. 11:32 where at this time the ark of the covenant was. Hence it came to pass that so many priests were with each other, as is related, 1 Sam. 22:18.
2 Hebr. trembled to meet David. Compare 1 Sam. 13:7; 16:4.
3 Mention is made in Mat. 12:3, 4 of David, and they that were with him, of whom it is said here, that David had made known to them some certain place, so that it seems that David came alone to the priest.
2And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The 4king 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 5servants 6to such and such a place.
4 This is a lie, proceeding from human frailty, to conceal and hide the right cause of his flight. See Exod. 1:19.
5 That is, the men, who were added to me by the king.
6 Hebr. peloni almoni. See Ruth 4:1. Other, on the place of N.N. distinct. Other, on the place of one so and so called.
3Now therefore 7what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
7 Namely, of things fit to be eaten.
4And the priest answered David, and said, There is no 8common bread under mine hand, 9but there is 10hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least 11from women.12
8 The word common is both here and elsewhere placed opposite to the word holy, or, hallowed.
9 He speaks here of the show-bread loaves, here set before the Lord and so hallowed unto the Lord, whereof no man might eat, but the priests only. See Exod. 25:30; Lev. 24:5.
10 Hebr. bread of holiness, that is, holy bread, and also verse 5.
11 Understand it from their lawful wives; for although: Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: Heb. 13:4, nevertheless, by reason of men’s weakness, sin is easily mixed therewith; therefore the Lord requires that at certain and occasional times and seasons people should abstain from coming together. See Exod. 19:15; 1 Cor. 7:5.
12 Understand in addition, then I will give it thee.
5And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about 13these three days, since I came out, and the 14vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is 15in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the 16vessel.
13 As if David would say: We have been three days on the journey, and consequently so long time separated from our wives.
14 That is, their bodies, garments, and whatsoever they have taken along with them on the journey. Holy signifies in this place, not defiled, or polluted by touching any unclean thing.
15 Hebr. and this way is unholy or common. David wants to say: Thou needest not be so scrupulous or make so great ado, to give me and those who are with me, to eat of those loaves; for, though they be holy as long as they stand upon the table before the Lord, yet seeing thou must now change them and take them away, (or all must be taken away, and changed) and put new loaves instead thereof (or, new be put in already:) therefore their holiness will not now be such as it was before; they will in some sort be common, because the priests with their families will eat them, whereas before, they, being placed before the face of the Lord, might be eaten of no man. Therefore according to the rule and law of charity, (which is more than the ceremonies) others may also in time of need, and through want of other food, eat thereof; as Christ has expounded this law, Mat. 12:4, 7.
16 Of these vessels, see Exod. 25:29.
6So the priest gavea him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put 17hot bread in the 18day when it was taken away.
a Mat. 12:3; Mark 2:25; Luke 6:3.
17 That is, fresh, newly baked bread.
18 Namely, when the Sabbath-day came, as is there commanded Lev. 24:8.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, 19detained 20before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an 21Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
19 Or, having shut-up himself. Be it either in respect of the Sabbath, whereon he would rest there; or, because he would tarry there a while, for to worship, or, because he would perform some vow that he had made.
20 Namely, in the tabernacle.
21 Namely, by birth, but by receiving and embracing the Jewish religion, became a proselyte. Other, an Adomite; that is, of the city Adamah, situated in the tribe of Naphtali, Joshua 19:36.
8¶And 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 22behind 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.
22 So that it is kept and locked up by or with the ephod in the tent. Other, after that he (Ahimelech) had put on the ephod, and had asked counsel of the Lord. See 1 Sam. 22:10, 13, 15. See the like phrase, Gen. 24:67; Deut. 24:20, 21.
10¶And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to 23Achish the king of Gath.24
23 This king is called in Psalm 34 title Abimelech. Achish was his proper name, but Abimelech a name common to all the kings of the Philistines. See Gen. 20; 21; 26.
24 Situated in the land of the Philistines. See 1 Sam. 5:8; 17:4.
11And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David 25the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saulb hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
25 That is, governor or ruler of the land of Israel, who has married the daughter of king Saul, and who is likely to be king after him.
b 1 Sam. 18:7.
12And David laid up these words in his heart, and 26was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
26 See Psalm 34.
13And he changed 27his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad 28in their hands, and 29scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.
27 Hebr. his savor. As we perceive by the taste, whether the meat be good or bad, sweet or sour; so one may perceive by the countenance or gestures, whether a man be wise or foolish, pious or evil.
28 That is, when they had taken him, and led him to the king. See Psalm 34 title; Psalm 56 title.
29 Other, he marked on the doors of the gates, that is, he pictured, or made little scrawling on the doors, as if he had been simple or sottish.
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 30in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
30 That is, before me.