1 Samuel
Chapter 21
David and Nob
David and Nob1David went on his way while Jonathan returned home.
David came to Nob to the priest Ahimelech. Ahimelech came to meet him and asked, trembling: “Why are you alone?”
David replied: “The king sent me on a mission and strictly ordered me not to tell anyone about it. Because of this, I have decided where I shall meet my men.
What do you have here? Can you give me five loaves of bread or whatever you have?”
The priest answered David: “I do not have ordinary bread at hand; there is only holy bread. If your men have had no relations with women, they may eat it.”
David answered: “Indeed, we have abstained from women these days since I set out. The young men remained sexually clean, though it was an ordinary expedition, and today they are clean.”
So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no other bread. This was the bread of Presence, which had been replaced by fresh bread the day it was removed.
Yet one of Saul’s men was there on that day. He was Doeg, the Edomite, and Saul’s chief shepherd.
David asked Ahimelech: “Do you have a spear or a sword with you? I did not take my arms with me because the king’s order was urgent.”
The priest replied: “I have here, wrapped in a piece of cloth behind the ephod, the sword of Goliath, the Philistine whom you killed in the valley of Elah. You can take this if you wish, for I have nothing else here.” David said: “There is none like it. Give it to me.”
David in Gath
That same day, David fled far from Saul. He went to Achish, king of Gath.
Achish’s servants remarked: “O king, is this not David? Did the people not dance on his account and sing: ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousand?’”
David understood these words and began to fear Achish, king of Gath.
So he pretended to be mad, marking the gate’s doors as he let his spittle run down his beard.
Achish told his servants: “Look, it is a madman. Why did you bring him to me?
Am I short of madmen that you must bring this fellow to act foolishly in my presence? Will this fellow come into my house?”
Commentaries
David in Nob.
The priest recognized David and his high status at court but was unaware of the new situation. He does not seem to have any connection with Samuel, the judge-prophet. David seeks two essential things: bread to sustain his life and a sword for his defense. What he finds is a good omen: for what better bread than that consecrated to the Lord, and what better sword than that of the Philistine? Matthew 12:1-4 cites this profane use of consecrated bread, in case of necessity, to defend the hungry disciples who pluck ears of corn on the Sabbath.
David in Gath.
David uses cleverness to avoid revenge by the king of Gath for the damage he caused to the Philistines. Remember what the girls sang as David passed by: “Saul has killed thousands; David has killed tens of thousands.” David knows he is in enemy territory.