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1 Samuel 21
1Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no man with you?"
2David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has commanded me a business, and has said to me, 'Let no man know anything of the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you; and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place.'
3Now therefore what is under your hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever there is present."
4The priest answered David, and said, "There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women."
5David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us about these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?"
6So the priest gave him holy [bread]; for there was no bread there but the show bread, that was taken from before Yahweh, 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 Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8David said to Ahimelech, "Isn't there here under your hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."
9The priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it; for there is no other except that here." David said, "There is none like that. Give it to me."
10David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11The servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David the king of the land? Didn't they sing one to another about him in dances, saying, 'Saul has slain his thousands, David his ten thousands?'"
12David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13He changed his behavior before them, and pretended to be mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
14Then Achish said to his servants, "Look, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me?
15Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"
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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?”
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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.