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1 Samuel
Chapter Twenty-two
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 22
This
chapter gives us an account of the flight of David from place to place
from
Gath to the cave of Adullam
where his relations came to him; from thence to
Mizpeh in Moab
where he got leave of the king of Moab for his father and
mother to dwell there; and from thence
by the advice of Gad the prophet
departed into the land of Judah
and came to the forest of Hareth
1 Samuel 21:1; and
of the complaint of Saul to his servants of their unfaithfulness to him
and
indolence and unconcern at the behaviour of Jonathan and David to him
1 Samuel 22:6; when
Doeg the Edomite informed him of David being seen by him at Nob
and of his
receiving food and a sword from Ahimelech the priest
who inquired of the Lord
for him
1 Samuel 22:9; upon
which Saul sent for Ahimelech and all the priests at Nob
and charged them with
a conspiracy against him; and notwithstanding the defence the priest made
Saul
ordered him and the rest of the priests to be slain by his guards; which they
refusing
Doeg became the executioner of them
and of all the inhabitants of
the city of Nob
and the cattle in it
1 Samuel 22:11;
only Abiathar a son of Ahimelech escaped and fled to David with the sorrowful
news; which greatly affected David
looking upon himself to be the occasion of
this sad disaster
and he took Abiathar under his protection
and promised him
safety
1 Samuel 22:20.
1 Samuel 22:1 David therefore
departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers
and all his father’s house heard it
they went down there to him.
YLT
1And David goeth thence
and
is escaped unto the cave of Adullam
and his brethren hear
and all the house
of his father
and go down unto him thither;
David therefore departed from thence
.... From
Gath
being driven by Achish from his court
and let go by his servants
and
glad he was of the deliverance:
and escaped to the cave Adullam; which was no doubt near
to a city of the same name in the tribe of Judah
of which See Gill on Joshua 15:35; this
being a strong place
and in his own tribe
he might hope to be in greater
safety; here he penned his hundred forty second psalm
see Psalm 142:1
and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it; that he was
come thither:
they went down thither to him; to visit and comfort
him
counsel and assist him all they could; and chiefly to secure themselves
from the rage and malice of Saul
who they might fear would fall upon them
and
avenge himself on them for David's sake.
1 Samuel 22:2 2 And
everyone who was in distress
everyone who was in debt
and
everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over
them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
YLT
2and gather themselves unto
him do every man in distress
and every man who hath an exactor
and every man
bitter in soul
and he is over them for head
and there are with him about four
hundred men.
And everyone that was in distress
.... In
straitened circumstances
through the oppression of men
through poverty
and
afflictive providences in their families:
and everyone that was in debt; and not able
to pay their debts
and whose creditors were pressing upon them:
and everyone that was discontented; with Saul's
government and conduct: or "bitter in soul"F24מר נפש "amarus animo"
Pagninus
Montanus. ; distressed and uneasy in their minds
being pinched with want
or pressed with sore afflictions
which made them very disconsolate: these
gathered themselves unto him; to help him
or rather
to be helped by him; hoping in time things would take a favourable turn with
him
and he should be advanced to the throne
and so their circumstances would
be mended thereby:
and he became a captain over them; they enlisted themselves
in his service
and he took the command of them; he might not know the
circumstances of those in debt
nor of any of them thoroughly
nor their views
in joining him; however he meant not to shelter them from paying their just
debts if able
nor to encourage them in disloyalty to their king
only to make
use of them for his own preservation for the present. In this he was a type of
Christ
who receives sinners distressed with a sense of sin
discontented in
their present state
and in debt
and
unable to pay their debts; see Matthew 11:28
and there were with him about four hundred men; among whom
some think were the three mighty men spoken of in 2 Samuel 23:13.
1 Samuel 22:3 3 Then David went from there
to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab
“Please let my father and
mother come here with you
till I know what God will do for me.”
YLT
3And David goeth thence to
Mizpeh of Moab
and saith unto the king of Moab
`Let
I pray thee
my father
and my mother go out with you
till that I know what God doth for me;'
And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab
.... So called
to distinguish it from a place of the same name in the land of Israel; which
Junius says is the same with Malle
and signifies a fortified place
and refers
to the Apocrypha:"And how that many of them were shut up in Bosora
and
Bosor
and Alema
Casphor
Maked
and Carnaim; all these cities are strong and
great:' (1 Maccabees 5:26)here he
might think himself safer
though in an enemy's country
than in the land of
Israel:
and he said unto the king of Moab
let my father and my mother
I
pray thee
come forth; out of the land of Israel
or out of the cave of Adullam
whither they were come to him:
and be with you; if not with
the king of Moab at his court
yet in some part or other of his country
where
they might be safe from the rage of Saul:
till I know what God will do for me; on whose power and
providence he wholly relied
and not upon the men that flocked to him
nor upon
his own power and policy
courage and wisdom; he knew the promise of God to
him
and he put his trust in him for the performance of it; but knew not the time
nor way
and manner
in which it would be performed; and expected in the
meanwhile to be obliged to remove from place to place; and considering that his
aged parents were not fit for such quick and sudden motions
and long flights
he provided as well as he could for their settlement; which was an instance of
his filial affection for them
and piety towards them. His father's name is
well known
Jesse
4:22
&c. but his mother's
name is nowhere mentioned; the Jews say her name was Natzbet
the daughter of
AdalF25T. Bab. Bava Bathra
fol. 91. 1. .
1 Samuel 22:4 4 So he brought them before
the king of Moab
and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the
stronghold.
YLT
4and he leadeth them before
the king of Moab
and they dwell with him all the days of David's being in the
fortress.
And he brought them before the king of Moab
.... Having
leave from him for it
and left them with him; so the Targum
"caused them
to remain before him:"
and they dwelt with him all the whole time that David was in the
hold; either in the cave of Adullam
as some think; or rather at
Mizpeh in Moab
which might be a fortified place; or the sense may be
while he
was in any hold in those parts
as he might go from one to another; what became
of David's parents afterwards
we nowhere else read. The JewsF26Bemnidbar
Rabba
sect. 14. fol. 212. 1. Tanchuma apud Jarchium in loc. say the king of
Moab slew his father and his mother
and his brethren
all but one
whom Nahash
the Ammonite preserved; and is the kindness David speaks of
2 Samuel 10:2; and
if this was the case
now it was that his father and mother forsook him
and
God took him up
Psalm 27:10.
1 Samuel 22:5 5 Now the prophet Gad said
to David
“Do not stay in the stronghold; depart
and go to the land of Judah.”
So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.
YLT
5And Gad the prophet saith
unto David
`Thou dost not abide in a fortress
go
and thou hast entered for
thee the land of Judah;' and David goeth and entereth the forest of Hareth.
And the prophet Gad said unto David
.... Who either
accompanied him in his exile
or was sent unto him on this account
being one
of the company of the prophets
over whom Samuel was president
1 Samuel 19:20
abide not in the hold
depart
and get thee into the land of Judah; this seems to
confirm it that the hold David was in was not the cave of Adullam
because that
was in the tribe of Judah; but rather some hold in the land of Moab
which he
is directed by the prophet to leave
and go into the country of Judah
his own
tribe
where Saul would not be so forward to pursue him
and where he would be
among his friends
and in the way
upon Saul's death
to be anointed king over
Judah; besides
appearing more openly would show the innocence of his cause
and his confidence in the Lord
more than to lurk about in a foreign land:
then David departed; from "Mizpeh"
in "Moab"; or
however
from the hold in which he was:
and came into the forest of Hareth; where he would have
places and opportunity enough to hide himself as he saw fit. JeromF1De
loc. Heb. fol. 88. L. speaks of a village called Arath
where David abode
to
the west of Jerusalem. Kimchi says this was a dry barren place
but for the
sake of David it was made by the Lord a well watered and fruitful one.
1 Samuel 22:6 6 When Saul heard that David
and the men who were with him had been discovered—now Saul was staying
in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah
with his spear in his hand
and all
his servants standing about him—
YLT
6And Saul heareth that David
hath become known
and the men who [are] with him
and Saul is abiding in
Gibeah
under the grove in Ramah
and his spear [is] in his hand
and all his
servants standing by him.
When Saul heard that David was discovered
and the men that were
with him
.... That it was known where David was
and what number of men
were gathered to him
and that they now openly appeared in the tribe of Judah;
for some time Saul had heard nothing of him
but now a report had reached his ears
that David was in arms
and at the head of a number of men; which now greatly
alarmed Saul
and possessed him with fears and jealousies of his people
and
all about him:
now Saul abode in Gibeah
under a tree in Ramah; this was
Gibeah of Saul
and in or near which was a place called Ramah
or an high
place
as the word signifies
on which was a remarkable tree
and under that
Saul abode
being a proper shelter for him from any inclemency of the weather;
for this was not Ramah where Samuel dwelt
though the Jews in the TalmudF2T.
Bab. Taanith
fol. 5. 2. so think
and metaphorically understand the tree in it
of Samuel in Ramah praying for him
by means of which he continued two years in
the height of his kingdom; but this was a tree in a literal sense. R. JonahF3Apud
Ben Melech in loc. says it is possible it might be the same which in Arabia is
called Ethel
and is like to a tamarisk tree:
having his spear in his hand: ready to defend himself
and revenge his enemies; or rather which he held as a sceptre in his hand; See
Gill on 1 Samuel 20:33
and all his servants were standing about him; in reverence
of him
and honour to him
waiting upon him
and ready to obey his orders:
these were his courtiers
or his guards
or both.
1 Samuel 22:7 7 then Saul said to his
servants who stood about him
“Hear now
you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse
give every one of you fields and vineyards
and make you all captains of
thousands and captains of hundreds?
YLT
7And Saul saith to his
servants who are standing by him
`Hear
I pray you
ye Benjamites; also to all
of you doth the son of Jesse give fields and vineyards! all of you he doth
appoint heads of thousands and heads of hundreds!
Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him
.... He took
this opportunity of addressing them in the following manner
upon the report of
David being at the head of a certain number of men:
hear now
ye Benjamites; for Saul being of the
tribe of Benjamin
his courtiers and his bodyguards chiefly
if not altogether
consisted of persons of that tribe; and therefore as they were under obligation
to him
and ought to abide by him
and adhere closely to him
so it was the
more ungrateful in them
as he thought
not to be concerned for his honour and
interest:
will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards; as Saul had
done
or was capable of doing
and would do if they were faithful to him;
whereas it was not in the power of David
whom in contempt he calls the son of
Jesse
to do it; and even should he ever be king
and in his power to make such
donations
it cannot be thought he would give them to them
but to the
favourites of his own tribe:
and make you all captains of
thousands and captains of hundreds; which he now could not
do
since he had with him but four hundred men in all; and should his army
increase
and the kingdom come into his hands
so far would all of them be from
being advanced to posts in the army
that it was probable none of them would
but those of his own tribe and party.
1 Samuel 22:8 8 All of you have conspired
against me
and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a
covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry
for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me
to
lie in wait
as it is this day.”
YLT
8for ye have conspired all
of you against me
and there is none uncovering mine ear about my son's
covenanting with the son of Jesse
and there is none of you grieving for me
and uncovering mine ear
that my son hath raised up my servant against me
to
lie in wait as [at] this day.'
That all of you have conspired against me
.... For
though they had not revolted from him
and been guilty of overt acts of
treason
yet since they did not discover to him what he supposed they knew
and
showed no concern for the circumstances in which he was
he interpreted this a
conspiracy against him:
and there is none that showeth me that my son hath made a
league with the son of Jesse; Saul did not know this certainly
he only
suspected it from the strict and close friendship between them
and imagined
that some of his servants were acquainted with it
though they kept it from
him; whereas none knew of it but Jonathan and David themselves:
and there is none of you that is sorry for me; concerned
troubled
and grieved
that he should be in such circumstances
his own son and
his son-in-law in league against him: or
as De Dieu renders it
were not
"solicitous" for him
cared not how things went with him
or
against
him:
or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against
me to lie in wait
as at this day? which he concluded was
the case
from Jonathan's not appearing at court since Saul cast the javelin at
him
1 Samuel 19:10; or
however
if he did
his countenance showed he was uneasy and discontented
and
displeased with Saul; and
besides
he could not think that David
with such a
handful of men he had with him
would ever attempt to invade his kingdom
and
seize his crown and throne
unless he was privately encouraged by his own son;
and David's being either in the cave of Adullam
or forest of Hareth
whichever
of them Saul heard of
he interpreted as lying in wait for him
whereas it was
only for the security of himself; and what Saul took ill of his servants was
that none of them apprized him of his son's concern in this matter.
1 Samuel 22:9 9 Then answered Doeg the
Edomite
who was set over the servants of Saul
and said
“I saw the son of
Jesse going to Nob
to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
YLT
9And answer doth Doeg the
Edomite
who is set over the servants of Saul
and saith
`I have seen the son
of Jesse coming in to Nob
unto Ahimelech son of Ahitub
Then answered Doeg the Edomite
.... JosephusF4Antiqu.
l. 6. c. 12. sect. 1
4. calls him a Syrian
and so the Septuagint version; see
1 Samuel 21:7;
being full of enmity to David
and willing to curry favour with Saul
and eager
of further preferment
which Saul seemed to promise; and being more forward
than the rest of his servants
prevented them and spoke first:
(which was set over the servants of Saul): over his
herdsmen; see 1 Samuel 21:7
and said
I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech the
son of Ahitub; in imitation of Saul
he calls David by way of contempt the son
of Jesse; and signifies that what he had to say of him was not by report
but
he himself was an eyewitness of his coming to Nob
a city of the priests
and
to Ahimelech the high priest there
and of what passed between them.
1 Samuel 22:10 10 And he inquired of the Lord for him
gave
him provisions
and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
YLT
10and he asketh for him at
Jehovah
and provision hath given to him
and the sword of Goliath the
Philistine hath given to him.
And he inquired of the Lord for him
.... Which not being
expressed before
some have taken it to be a lie of Doeg's
he being charged
with lying by David
Psalm 52:3; but it
is not at all improbable that David should desire him to inquire of the Lord
for him
and that he did; and he seems to acknowledge it
1 Samuel 22:15; but
according to the Jewish writers Doeg meant by this to prove a charge of treason
both against David and Ahimelech; that the former made himself king
and the latter
owned him to be so
since inquiry by Urim and Thummim was not made for a
private person
but for a kingF5Misn. Yoma
c. 7. sect. 5. :
and gave him victuals; hallowed bread
loaves
of shewbread
which none but priests might eat of; such was his kindness to
him:
and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine; which David
took from him
and slew him with it. All this was true
but then he acted the
deceitful part
with which he is charged in the above psalms
in not declaring
how David had imposed upon the priest
by pretending he was sent in haste on
the king's business; which was the reason he was so ill provided with servants
food
and armour; which if Doeg had reported faithfully
as he ought to have
done
would have saved the credit and life of the priest
and of his family.
1 Samuel 22:11 11 So the king sent to call
Ahimelech the priest
the son of Ahitub
and all his father’s house
the
priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king.
YLT
11And the king sendeth to
call Ahimelech son of Ahitub
the priest
and all the house of his father
the
priests
who [are] in Nob
and they come all of them unto the king;
Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest
the son of Ahitub
.... Sent
messengers to him
and summoned him to appear before him:
and all his father's house; the family of Eli
which
God had threatened to destroy
and now the time was hastening on:
the priests that were in Nob; in which dwelt none but
priests
at least these were the chief of the inhabitants
and therefore called
the city of the priests
1 Samuel 22:19
and they came all of them to the king; not being
conscious of any evil they had committed
or that could be charged upon them;
or otherwise they would not have appeared
but would have fled to David for
protection.
1 Samuel 22:12 12 And Saul said
“Hear now
son of Ahitub!” He answered
“Here I am
my lord.”
YLT
12and Saul saith
`Hear
I
pray thee
son of Ahitub;' and he saith
`Here [am] I
my lord.'
And Saul said
hear now
thou son of Ahitub
.... The
charge exhibited against him; in contempt of him
he does not so much as call
him by his name
nor give him the title of his office
as high priest; though
he was the second person in the kingdom
and to whose office a few years ago
the civil government was annexed:
and he answered
here I am
my lord; giving due
honour to Saul
though he received none from him
and appearing with great
boldness
as having a clear conscience
and so ready to hear what was to be
said unto him.
1 Samuel 22:13 13 Then Saul said to him
“Why have you conspired against me
you and the son of Jesse
in that you have
given him bread and a sword
and have inquired of God for him
that he should
rise against me
to lie in wait
as it is this day?”
YLT
13And Saul saith unto him
`Why have ye conspired against me
thou and the son of Jesse
by thy giving to
him bread and a sword
and to ask for him at God
to rise against me
to lie in
wait
as [at] this day?'
And Saul said unto him
why have ye conspired against me
thou
and the son of Jesse?.... No less than treason
and rebellion is he charged with
in conjunction with David; the proof follows:
in that thou hast given him bread and a sword; the
shewbread
and the sword of Goliath
1 Samuel 21:6
and
so had furnished him with food and arms; one that he suggests was in rebellion
against him
and therefore he must be involved in the same crime; but the
stronger proof follows
and hast inquired of God for him
that he should rise against me
to lie in wait as at this day: inquired of the Lord for him by Urim and
Thummim
to know his mind in this affair
and thereby encouraged him to rise up
in rebellion against him
and to lie in wait
as he did at the present time
watching for an opportunity to seize his crown and kingdom.
1 Samuel 22:14 14 So Ahimelech answered the
king and said
“And who among all your servants is as faithful as David
who is the king’s son-in-law
who goes at your bidding
and is honorable in
your house?
YLT
14And Ahimelech answereth the
king and saith
`And who among all thy servants [is] as David -- faithful
and
son-in-law of the king
and hath turned aside unto thy council
and is honoured
in thy house?
Then Ahimelech answered the king
and said
.... First
with respect to David
and then with regard to himself; with respect to David
as follows:
and who is so faithful amongst thy servants as David; I considered
him
as if he should say
as a servant of thine
upon an errand of thine
and
doing thy business; and as a faithful one
none more so
and as such I valued
and regarded him
not as a rebel to thee
having no such thought of him:
which is the king's son in law; who has behaved himself
so well
and thou hast entertained such an opinion of him
as to take him into
thy family
and marry thy daughter to him; wherefore showing him favour
and
doing him honour
was doing honour to thee and thy family
and surely there can
be no blame in that:
and goeth at thy bidding; has always been ready to
execute thy commands
and obey thine orders
let them be what they will; as to
go out against an enemy
and fight Saul's battles for him:
and is honourable in thine house? behaved honourably
there
and highly esteemed by all
as well as had the honour bestowed upon him
to be the king's son-in-law
and made captain of a thousand; and therefore who
could think that showing respect to such a man could be deemed treason and
conspiracy
or he be thought to be a traitor to the king? and then with respect
to himself he answers
1 Samuel 22:15 15 Did I then begin to
inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to
his servant
or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew
nothing of all this
little or much.”
YLT
15To-day have I begun to ask
for him at God? far be it from me! let not the king lay anything against his
servant
against any of the house of my father
for thy servant hath known
nothing of all this
less or more.'
Did I then begin to inquire of God for him?.... Was this
the first time of inquiring of God for him? no; I have done this many a time
when he has been going upon the king's business
engaging in war with his
enemies; he has then consulted the Lord by me
and I have inquired of the Lord
for him
as I now did; and which I did as innocently
and as much for the
king's service
as ever I did any. Kimchi observes it may be read without the
interrogation
"that day I began to inquire of God for him"; it was
the first time I ever did
and I did not know it would have been grievous to
thee
or have given thee any disturbance or uneasiness. I did not know that he
fled from thee
or was not in thy service
and upon thy business; had I known
it
I would never have done it
and as it is the first time it shall be the
last:
be it far from me; from doing such a thing
had I known it to
be disagreeable to thee
or how David stood with thee:
let not the king impute any thing unto his servant
nor
to all the house of my father; charge me or them with the crime of
treason
or conspiracy against him
or with aiding:
assisting
and abetting
traitors and conspirators:
for thy servant knew nothing of all this
less or more; was entirely
ignorant of this affair; which plain
honest
account of things
one might have
thought
would have been satisfying to Saul; but it seems it was not by what
follows.
1 Samuel 22:16 16 And the king said
“You
shall surely die
Ahimelech
you and all your father’s house!”
YLT
16And the king saith
`Thou
dost surely die
Ahimelech
thou
and all the house of thy father.'
And the king said
thou shalt surely die
Ahimelech
.... He
pronounces the sentence himself
without taking the opinion and advice of
others
or further time; which was an act of arbitrary power
and upon an
innocent person
which was an act of great injustice:
thou
and all thy father's house; more unrighteous still;
but God suffered him to do this to fulfil his will
and execute his
threatenings against the house of Eli
which was this priest's father's house
for former wickedness; but this is no excuse for
nor extenuation of the sin
of
Saul.
1 Samuel 22:17 17 Then the king said to the
guards who stood about him
“Turn and kill the priests of the Lord
because their
hand also is with David
and because they knew when he fled and did not
tell it to me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to
strike the priests of the Lord.
YLT
17And the king saith to
runners
those standing by him
`Turn round
and put to death the priests of
Jehovah
because their hand also [is] with David
and because they have known
that he is fleeing
and have not uncovered mine ear;' and the servants of the
king have not been willing to put forth their hand to come against the priests
of Jehovah.
And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him
.... Or the
"runners"F6לרצים
"cursoribus"
Pagninus
Montanus
Junius & Tremellius
Piscator.
; the running footmen
that used to run before him when he went out from place
to place
and were here waiting on him
ready to set out whenever he should
give the orders to go elsewhere. The tradition of the Jews is
that these were
Abner and AmasaF7Midrash Tillim apud Abarbinel. in loc. ; but
as
Kimchi observes
they were not footmen
but princes
captains in the army
and
the first of them the general of it:
turn and slay the priests of the Lord; he owns them
to be the priests of the Lord
and calls them so
and yet gave orders to put
them to death
though innocent; one would have thought this their character
would have flown in his face
and stung his conscience
and deterred him from
so foul a fact:
because their hand also is with David; as well as
Ahimelech; which did not at all appear
nor that they had so much as seen him
at Nob
only Ahimelech; and still less that they had entered into a conspiracy
with him:
and because they knew when he fled
and did not show it to me; which also
was false; they knew nothing of the flight of David
and therefore could not
discover it to the king:
but the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to
fall upon the priests of the Lord; their consciences would
not suffer them to do it; they refused to obey the king's orders
and chose
rather to expose themselves to his resentment
than to be guilty of such a
crime. Saul's footmen had more sense of honour
justice
and truth
than he
himself had
and were worthy of praise; but they would have been deserving of
more
if they could not have prevailed upon him by entreaties and remonstrances
to have forborne such a bloody execution
instead of being the tame spectators
of it
they had taken him
and bound him as a madman
and so facilitated the
escape of the priests
and prevented this shocking scene of wickedness.
1 Samuel 22:18 18 And the king said to Doeg
“You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the
priests
and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.
YLT
18And the king saith to Doeg
`Turn round thou
and come against the priests;' and Doeg the Edomite turneth
round
and cometh himself against the priests
and putteth to death in that day
eighty and five men bearing a linen ephod
And the king said to Doeg
turn thou and fall upon the priests
.... For
determined he was they should die; if one would not put them to death
another
should
and who so fit for this bloody work as the false accuser of them
and
false witness against them?
and Doeg the Edomite turned; immediately
he at once
obeyed the king's orders
as brutish as they were:
and fell upon the priests; with his sword in hand:
and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a
linen ephod; not the ephod of Urim and Thummim
which was only worn by the
high priest
but a garment wholly linen
worn by common priests; the Targum
is
"who are fit to be clothed with a linen ephod;'not that they were
clothed with it
but were deserving of it; or it designs the great and more honourable
among the servants of the Lord
as Kimchi observes
for such were clothed with
this garment
as Samuel and David; and he thinks it suggests
that more were
slain than these; and the Septuagint version makes them to be eight hundred
five
and JosephusF8Antiqu. l. 6. c. 12. sect. 6. three hundred
eighty five; in the slaying of whom
as the same writer says
Doeg was assisted
by some wicked men like himself; and the slaughter did not end here
as the 1 Samuel 22:19
shows.
1 Samuel 22:19 19 Also Nob
the city of the
priests
he struck with the edge of the sword
both men and women
children and
nursing infants
oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.
YLT
19and Nob
the city of the
priests
he hath smitten by the mouth of the sword
from man even unto woman
from infant even unto suckling
and ox
and ass
and sheep
by the mouth of the
sword.
And Nob
the city of the priests
smote he with the edge of the
sword
.... Either Doeg or Saul; who
as JosephusF9Antiqu. l.
6. c. 12. sect. 6. says
sent men thither to slay all the inhabitants of it:
both men and women
children and sucklings; not sparing
sex nor age:
and oxen
and asses
and sheep
with the edge of the sword; Saul
who was
so tender hearted and merciful in the case of the Amalekites
when his orders
from the Lord were utterly to destroy them
1 Samuel 15:2
that
he spared their king
and the best of their cattle
1 Samuel 15:7; yet
now so cruel to a city of the priests
as to destroy all the inhabitants of it
and cattle in it; and yet this bloody affair of Saul's is not taken notice of
afterwards
only his slaughter of the Gibeonites
2 Samuel 21:1; and
Abarbinel is of opinion
that the inhabitants of this place were Gibeonites
who were hewers of wood
and drawers of water
to the house of the Lord here
Joshua 9:23. Now
Saul was the more severe this city
to deter others from joining with David
who
if they did
must expect the same treatment.
1 Samuel 22:20 20 Now one of the sons of
Ahimelech the son of Ahitub
named Abiathar
escaped and fled after David.
YLT
20And there escapeth one son
of Ahimelech
son of Ahitub
and his name [is] Abiathar
and he fleeth after
David
And one of the sons of Ahimelech
the son of Ahitub
named
Abiathar
escaped
.... Who very probably was left by his father to take care of the
sanctuary
and the holy things in it
when he and the rest of the priests were
summoned to appear before Saul; who having heard of his bloody execution of
them
before his messengers could get to Nob
took
the ephod
with the Urim
and Thummim
and made his escape
as appears from 1 Samuel 23:6; this
man succeeded his father in the high priesthood
and continued in it until the
times of Solomon:
and fled after David; who was now removed
or
removing from the forest of Hareth to Keilah
whither Abiathar followed him
and came to him there
1 Samuel 23:6
and
with whom only he could be safe
and therefore it was right to flee unto him.
1 Samuel 22:21 21 And Abiathar told David
that Saul had killed the Lord’s
priests.
YLT
21and Abiathar declareth to
David that Saul hath slain the priests of Jehovah.
And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the Lord's priests. Of which
perhaps he had not as yet heard; though tidings of such a nature generally fly
swiftly; and a sorrowful shocking account he had to give
and which was so to
David.
1 Samuel 22:22 22 So David said to Abiathar
“I knew that day
when Doeg the Edomite was there
that he would surely
tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s
house.
YLT
22And David saith to
Abiathar
`I have known on that day when Doeg the Edomite [is] there
that he
doth certainly declare [it] to Saul; I have brought [it] round to every person
of the house of thy father;
And David said unto Abiathar
I knew it that day
.... That is
he thought in his mind at that time:
when Doeg the Edomite was there; at Nob; in
the tabernacle
at the same time that David was there:
that he would surely tell Saul; that he saw David there
and what passed between him and Ahimelech; he knew he was a spiteful
mischievous man; that he was a true Edomite
though a proselyte
and bore
hatred and enmity in his mind against an Israelite
and especially an Israelite
indeed
as David was:
I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy
father's house: or have been the cause of all the evils that befell them
and
the death they were put unto
not with design
but by accident; and it grieved
him that he should be any ways an accessory thereunto
though without
intention.
1 Samuel 22:23 23 Stay with me; do not fear.
For he who seeks my life seeks your life
but with me you shall be
safe.”
YLT
23dwell with me; fear not;
for he who seeketh my life seeketh thy life; for a charge [art] thou with me.'
Abide thou with me
fear not
.... He appeared to be in
a fright; which is not to be wondered at
as not knowing what to do
and where
to go and provide for his safety; when
to allay his fears
and make him easy
David invites and encourages him to stay with him
and not be afraid of Saul
nor any other:
for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life; or
as Kimchi
observes
it may be interpreted
"my life he seeks who seeks thy
life"; we are in the same circumstances
and have the same common enemy
and therefore it is best and safest to be together; as the Targum
"he that
seeks to kill me seeks to kill thee;'and as Jarchi adds
he that loves me will
love thee
and he that keeps my life will keep thine:
but with me thou shalt be in safeguard; intimating
that he would be as careful of him as of himself; and that for this reason
as
Ben Gersom suggests
because he brought the ephod with the Urim and Thummim
with him
by which he could inquire of God for him; but this was the thing
David was confident of
that God would preserve him
and raise him to the
kingdom
and therefore Abiathar might be sure of safety with him: at this time
he penned the fifty second psalm
which shows the frame of spirit he was now
in; see Psalm 52:1.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》