1 Samuel
Chapter 22
David Flees
David Flees1David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam, where his brothers and his father’s family came down to him.
Then those who had problems or debts or were embittered joined him there. Thus, he became their chief. He had about four hundred men with him.
From there, David went to Mizpeh in Moab and asked the king of Moab to let his father and mother stay with him until he found out what God would do for him.
So David left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed there as long as David remained in the refuge.
The prophet Gad told David: “Do not stay in the refuge; go to the land of Judah.” So David left and entered the forest of Hereth.
The Killing of the Priests
Saul heard that David and his men had been spotted. Saul was in Gibeah at that time, sitting under the tamarisk tree on the high place, his spear in hand, while his servants stood by.
Saul addressed them: “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make each of you a commander over a thousand or over a hundred men, that you should all be conspiring against me?
Why, then, did no one tell me that my son agreed with the son of Jesse? No one among you had mercy on me and told me that my own son had stirred up my servant to conspire against me, as is the case today.”
At this, Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with the officers of Saul, spoke up: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, in Nob.
Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him, provided him with food and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine as well.”
On hearing this, the king sent for Ahimelech, the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his family who were priests in Nob. They all came to the king.
Then Saul said: “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He replied: “Yes, my lord.”
Saul asked him: “Why did you conspire with the son of Jesse, giving him food and a sword and consulting the Lord for him so that he could rebel against me as is the case today?”
Ahimelech answered the king: “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house?
Is today the first time I have consulted the Lord for him? By no means! Let not the king accuse me or any family member of such a thing, for I knew nothing about the entire matter.”
The king said: “You and your entire family shall die, Ahimelech.”
And the king at once commanded the guards standing by: “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord for having assisted David. They knew very well that David was a fugitive but did not tell me anything.” The king’s servants, however, refused to lift their hands against the priests of the Lord.
The king turned to Doeg and commanded him: “Come and stab the priests.” And so Doeg the Edomite drew near and stabbed the priests. On that day, he killed eighty-five persons who were wearing the linen ephod.
After that, Saul put Nob, the city of priests, to the sword, killing men and women, children and infants, oxen, asses and sheep.
A son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.
Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.
David said: “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. So I am responsible for the death of your entire family.
Stay with me and do not be afraid, for he who wants to kill you must also kill me. You will be safe with me.”
Commentaries
David Flees.
While in his refuge at Adullam, David is visited by his family and receives his first indication of the number of people who join him and place themselves under his command. Note the text’s description of the quality of all these individuals: “in distress… in debt or desperate” (2). This could foreshadow the announcement of David’s reign and reflect the quality of life of the people over whom he will reign.
The Killing of the Priests.
The story continues from where Nob’s events ended and is organized in a straightforward way, similar to a court trial: accusation, questioning, verdict, and execution. Details build up to show how terrible the act was: a foreigner denounces them, the accused doesn’t get a fair response, the whole community suffers because of one person’s guilt, and priests are killed by the foreigner himself, while others refuse to harm those devoted to God. Saul tries to eliminate potential support for his rival by setting an example through punishment, but he ends up undermining justice, offending his soldiers, and killing in a sacrilegious way. Saul believes David is plotting against him; so, any cooperation with David is seen as a crime against the state. Additionally, involving God by asking an oracle makes things worse—Saul no longer has a prophetic oracle after breaking with Samuel, and there’s no evidence that he still consults the priestly oracle. The ending compares the scary Saul with the protective David.