KJV
1 Samuel 21
1¶ Then 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.
10¶ And 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 This Passage
Key Words and Topics
These study connections are drawn from the internal BSB concordance and topical index imported into Daily Bread Intake.
Key Words in This Passage
Select a word to open the full concordance search.
Related Topics
Achish: David Escapes To 1 Samuel 21:10–15
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. / But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” / Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Ahimelech: Gives Shewbread and the Sword of Goliath to David 1 Samuel 21:1
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
Beard: David 1 Samuel 21:13
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.
Betrayal of David, by Doeg 1 Samuel 21:1–10
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” / “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place. / Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
Bread: Ordinary, Called Common Bread 1 Samuel 21:4
“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.”
Bread: Sacred, Called Hallowed Bread 1 Samuel 21:4, 6
“There is no common bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves from women.” / So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence, which had been removed from before the LORD and replaced with hot bread on the day it was taken away.
Confidence: Betrayed: Ahimelech, by David 1 Samuel 21:1–9
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” / “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place. / Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
Dancing: General Scriptures Concerning 1 Samuel 21:11
But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?”
David: King of Israel: Escapes by Way of Nob, where he Obtains Shewbread and Goliath's Sword from Abimelech 1 Samuel 21:1–6
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?” / “The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place. / Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”
David: King of Israel: Escapes to Gath 1 Samuel 21:10–15
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. / But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” / Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Deceit: David 1 Samuel 21:13
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard.
Deception: David Feigns Madness 1 Samuel 21:10–15
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. / But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” / Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Dissembling: David 1 Samuel 21:13–15
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard. / Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me? / Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”
Doeg: An Edomite, Present when Ahimelech Helped David 1 Samuel 21:7
Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.
Elah: A Valley where David Killed Goliath 1 Samuel 21:9
The 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, you may take it. For there is no other but this one.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
Falsehood: David in Feigning Madness 1 Samuel 21:13–15
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard. / Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me? / Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”
Falsehood: David Lied to Ahimelech 1 Samuel 21:1
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
Fugitives: David 1 Samuel 21:10
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath.
Gath: David Takes Refuge At 1 Samuel 21:10–15
That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. / But the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David, the king of the land? Did they not sing about him in their dances, saying: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands’?” / Now David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
Goliath: Defied Armies of Israel and is Killed by David 1 Samuel 21:9
The 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, you may take it. For there is no other but this one.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”
Insanity: Feigned by David 1 Samuel 21:13–15
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard. / Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me? / Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”
Kings: Officers of Overseer of Royal Herds 1 Samuel 21:7
Now one of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the LORD. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief shepherd for Saul.
Lying: David 1 Samuel 21:2
“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.
Malingering: David Feigning Madness 1 Samuel 21:13–15
So he changed his behavior before them and feigned madness in their hands; he scratched on the doors of the gate and let his saliva run down his beard. / Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man is insane! Why have you brought him to me? / Am I in need of madmen, that you have brought this man to rave in my presence? Must this man come into my house?”
Select a topic to open the full topical search.
Bible Dictionary
Related Dictionary Terms
Explore people, places, themes, and biblical terms connected to this passage.
Commentary Insights
Study and Reflection
Explore devotional and study commentary connected to this passage.
Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
Pastoral and devotional reflections focused on spiritual formation and application.
1 Samuel 21:1-9 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. (1Sa 21:10-15)
1 Samuel 21:10-15 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.