1 Samuel 22:1–23

22:2 Others too hear of where David is to be found, and a motley group gathers around him. The “distress” they are in is not necessarily caused by Saul’s regime. For example, debtors were liable to be sold into slavery if they were unable to pay what they owed. Those “bitter in soul” harbored a grievance of some sort and were “discontented” (ESV mg.) with their lot. “About four hundred men” voluntarily throw in their lot with David in unpromising circumstances and, while David forges them into a fighting force, it is not with a view to overthrowing Saul’s regime.

22:3 David perhaps moves to Moab because his location has become too well known, or possibly to arrange for his elderly parents. This involves considerable travel around the southern tip of the Dead Sea.¹ The exact location of “Mizpeh [“watchtower”] of Moab” is unknown, but David and his men seem to stay there for a while.

Although the Moabites were inveterate foes of Israel (Deut. 23:3–6; Judg. 11:17), at this point they are natural allies for David in that they have been attacked by Saul (1 Sam. 14:47) and also because David is descended from Ruth the Moabitess (Ruth 1:22; 4:13–22). Moreover, David has apparently been uninvolved in any fighting with Moab. He openly makes contact with the king and requests asylum for his parents. “Till I know what God will do for me” grants genuine insight into David’s confidence that the Lord is working through the events of his life to secure for him the destiny he has announced, and he is not ashamed to confess his faith before the pagan king.

22:4 It is not clear how long David’s parents are in Moab, because the “stronghold” is not clearly identified. If it refers to the cave of Adullam, then David’s parents would have been in Moab throughout his wanderings. In view of the following verse, the stronghold is probably near the border with Judah.

22:5 “The prophet Gad,” who later is called “David’s seer” (2 Sam. 24:11), abruptly appears with a divine message not to remain in the stronghold but to “go into the land of Judah,” implying that David is outside of it at this point. Twice David has sought to secure his position by moving outside the Land of Promise, but on neither occasion is he allowed to remain there. David, acting with faith as a covenant king should, accepts prophetic counsel even though it means leaving a secure position for a more exposed one. He goes to the “forest of Hereth,” a location not mentioned elsewhere but one that is obviously in Judah.

22:6 Meanwhile, Saul is informed of David’s whereabouts—presumably in the forest of Hereth—and David’s return to Judah triggers Saul’s fears of an imminent uprising.

The description of Saul’s court as held in the open, with his advisers “standing about him,” does not necessarily indicate a rustic lack of sophistication. Such a scenario suits the climate of the east and is attested elsewhere in Scripture (cf. 1 Kings 22:10). “On the height” suggests this takes place at the threshing floor of Gibeah, where a tamarisk tree—a relatively rare sight in the hill country—would provide the king with shade from the sun. Saul’s spear in his hand is a symbol of his royal authority (cf. comment on 1 Sam. 18:10), but in Saul’s case it is also a menacing reminder of his propensity to violence.

22:7 Saul’s tirade to the “people [lit., “sons”] of Benjamin” makes it obvious that most of his entourage is drawn from his own tribe. He continues his practice of referring to David disparagingly as “the son of Jesse” (cf. 20:27) and challenges his courtiers as to what they would gain by supporting David, because a king from another tribe would not treat them as favorably. From Saul’s description of what David will not do, it is clear what Saul himself has done: he has attempted to buy loyalty, just as Samuel had predicted (8:12, 14–15).

22:8 Saul then levels a general accusation of conspiracy against all of his officials. Apparently he has just found out about Jonathan’s covenant with David (that of 18:3 rather than the private one of 20:12–17), presumably long after the rest of the court had been aware of it. Wallowing in self-pity, Saul feels himself neglected because no one has “disclosed” the covenant to him (lit., “uncovered his ear” concerning it; cf. comment on 9:15). He cannot bring himself to utter the name of Jonathan or David. Unjustifiably, Saul has convinced himself that Jonathan has incited “my servant” (= “my subject”) to rebel—and that a plot to ambush and assassinate him is already in place.

22:9 The Israelite officials are aghast at the accusations and remain silent—except for Doeg the Edomite, whose foreign origin is repeatedly emphasized (also in vv. 18, 22). “Stood by the servants of Saul” may suggest he is not part of the inner circle of royal advisers. To gain the king’s favor, he reports that he had seen “the son of Jesse”—adopting Saul’s denigrating designation—“coming to Nob” some time earlier (cf. 21:7).

22:10 Doeg lodges a three-part indictment against Ahimelech: (1) “He inquired of the Lord for him” (cf. 10:22). This was not stated in chapter 21, but Ahimelech does not dispute it in 22:15. But, given David’s reticence on the occasion, it is difficult to see what meaningful questions he could have posed through the priest. On balance it would seem that Doeg has misrepresented something Ahimelech had actually done in a way that made him appear to be an active supporter of David. (2) Ahimelech “gave him provisions,” perhaps literally “food for a journey,” and so helped him to escape. (3) He also armed David in that he “gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” He had made David militarily ready. The superscription of Psalm 52 indicates that it contains David’s reaction to Doeg’s conduct.

22:11 Saul exercises his royal authority to summon Ahimelech and all of his relatives. Given that Doeg’s evidence has implicated only Ahimelech, Saul’s requirement that they all appear suggests that he has already decided on a show trial—and its verdict. Since Nob is close to Gibeah (cf. comment on 21:1), there is no great delay before the priests appear before the king.

22:12 Although Saul’s introductory “Hear now” is couched in polite terms, “son of Ahitub” is a contemptuous way to address the high priest—it is a danger signal if the king cannot bring himself to use the priest’s name! Even so, Ahimelech responds respectfully.

22:13 Saul charges Ahimelech with seditiously supporting David. While the plural verb “have you conspired” includes Ahimelech’s father’s house, the following specification “you [singular] and the son of Jesse” makes it clear that the others are not in view at this point. To substantiate his charge, Saul repeats Doeg’s evidence (v. 10), except that he suppresses mention of Goliath’s name. Saul does not wish to remind anyone of David’s great achievement. Saul also sums up Ahimelech’s actions in terms similar to his earlier allegations against Jonathan (v. 8).

22:14 Ahimelech firmly protests his innocence, doing so adroitly by means of a question that avoids directly contradicting the king. He does not dispute the facts Doeg has brought forward but rather sets them in a different light. He did not act contrary to royal policy or example, since he had no reason to suspect treachery in David, who was known to be “faithful” and was, moreover, “the king’s son-in-law,” “captain over your bodyguard,” and “honored in your house.” All this evidence of Saul’s own trust in David probably infuriates the king even more.

22:15 Furthermore, Ahimelech’s actions have not been without precedent. Apparently on a number of occasions David has visited the priest in order to ascertain God’s direction for his life.

“No!” is also translated “Far be it from me!” (cf. 2 Sam. 20:20) and serves to dismiss any suggestion of disloyalty. Using “your servant” to refer to himself, Ahimelech stoutly but respectfully rejects the allegations made against him and his fellow priests. He has no knowledge of any sort of conspiracy.

22:16 Ahimelech’s defense inevitably sets David in a very favorable light. Saul, who, like so many tyrants, is incapable of tolerating any other reading of events than his own, summarily passes a death sentence on Ahimelech and “all your father’s house.” “You shall surely die” echoes his earlier unjust verdict on Jonathan (14:44).

22:17 However, it proves easier for Saul to pronounce sentence than to execute it. He commands “the guard who stood about him,” that is, the “runners” who escort the royal chariot and provide security for the king, to slaughter the priests on the grounds that “their hand also is with David.” They are complicit in his treacherous plotting and have not informed the king of his escape.

Here “servants of the king” refers to military personnel, both those in his bodyguard and any others present. It says much for the caliber of these members of Israel’s army that they refuse (cf. 14:45). They are conscious that the verdict is unwarranted and unjust, and this intensifies their reluctance to slaughter priests of the Lord.

22:18 Saul, however, has the measure of Doeg—after all, he is the only one who has done anything to assist the king. So Saul commands him to “turn and strike the priests.” Doeg “the Edomite” has no scruples, and he complies with the royal command. He “struck down the priests” and “killed . . . eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod,” the distinctive priestly garb at that time (cf. comment on 2:28).

22:19 The bloodbath is not confined to Gibeah. There is no explicit subject for the repeated expression “He put to the sword,” but the grammatical antecedent is Doeg, acting as Saul’s agent. He proceeds to Nob, where he slaughters the remaining inhabitants and their livestock. So the king who would not fully comply with Samuel’s instructions regarding the Amalekites (15:3) is now in his madness acting through his emissary to impose the ban on a city of his own people.

22:20 However, in God’s providence, there is one escapee, Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech. He is the sole surviving representative of Eli’s house (as foretold in 2:33) and becomes high priest upon his father’s death. Perhaps he had been left at Nob that day to maintain the rituals of the sanctuary and was informed of the massacre with sufficient time to escape and take the priestly vestments with him. He “escaped and fled after David,” where “fled after” is a compressed expression equivalent to “fled to David with a view to following after him” (cf. 23:6).

22:21 Abiathar informs David of what has happened, clearly laying the blame for the atrocity on Saul: the king had “killed the priests of the Lord,” where “killed” is a different term from “kill” in verses 17, 18 and possesses overtones of violent slaughter.

22:22 David is aware that his actions have contributed to this outcome (cf. 2 Sam. 24:17). Even at the time (“that day”) he had been uncomfortable when he became aware Doeg was at Nob (cf. 1 Sam. 21:1–9). No doubt in his life at court David had had ample opportunity to assess Doeg’s character, and he realized that he would inform Saul. Hence David concludes, “I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house.” Although Saul is guilty of perpetrating the atrocity, David accepts responsibility for his own part in the scenario that has led to mass murder.

22:23 David extends security and protection to Abiathar and is thus presented, in contrast to Saul, as a guardian of the priesthood. “He who seeks my life seeks your life” specifically has Saul in mind, and David pledges that before Saul could harm Abiathar, he would have to dispose of David. He knows he enjoys the protection of the Lord, and so he can assure Abiathar, “With me you shall be in safekeeping,” which stands in direct contrast to the sentence of Saul: “You shall surely die” (v. 16).