1 DAVID therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
6 When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)
7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye 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;
8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou be in safeguard.

1Dauid therefore departed thence, and escaped to the caue Adullam: and when his brethren, and all his fathers house heard it, they went downe thither to him.

2And euery one that was in distresse, and euery one that was in debt, and euery one that was discontented, gathered themselues vnto him, and he became a captaine ouer them: and there were with him about foure hundred men.

3 And Dauid went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said vnto the king of Moab, Let my father, and my mother, I pray thee, come foorth, and be with you, till I know what God will doe for me.

4And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that Dauid was in the hold.

5 And the Prophet Gad said vnto Dauid, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Iudah. Then Dauid departed, and came into the forrest of Hareth.

6 When Saul heard that Dauid was discouered, and the men that were with him: (now Saul abode in Gibeah vnder a tree in Ramah, hauing his speare in his hand, and all his seruants were standing about him.)

7Then Saul saide vnto his seruants that stood about him, Heare now, ye Beniamites: Will the sonne of Iesse giue euery one of you fields, and Uineyards, and make you all captaines of thousands, and captaines of hundreds:

8That all of you haue conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth mee, that my sonne hath made a league with the sonne of Iesse, and there is none of you that is sory for me, or sheweth vnto me that my sonne hath stirred vp my seruant against me, to lye in wait, as at this day?

9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, (which was set ouer the seruants of Saul) and saide, I saw the sonne of Iesse comming to Nob, to Ahimelech the sonne of Ahitub.

10And hee enquired of the Lord for him, and gaue him victuals, and gaue him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.

11Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the Priest, the sonne of Ahitub, and all his fathers house, the Priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

12And Saul said, Heare now thou sonne of Ahitub: and hee answered, Here I am, my lord.

13And Saul saide vnto him, Why haue ye conspired against me, thou and the sonne of Iesse, in that thou hast giuen him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against mee, to lye in waite, as at this day?

14Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithfull among all thy seruants, as Dauid, which is the kings sonne in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

15Did I then beginne to enquire of God for him? be it farre from mee: let not the king impute any thing vnto his seruant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy seruant knew nothing of all this, lesse or more.

16And the king saide, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy fathers house.

17 And the king said vnto the footmen that stood about him, Turne and slay the Priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with Dauid, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to mee. But the seruants of the king would not put foorth their hand to fall vpon the Priestes of the Lord.

18And the king said to Doeg, Turne thou and fall vpon the Priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and hee fell vpon the Priests, and slew on that day foure score and fiue persons that did weare a linnen Ephod.

19And Nob the citie of the Priests smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses, and sheepe, with the edge of the sword.

20 And one of the sonnes of Ahimelech, the sonne of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after Dauid:

21And Abiathar shewed Dauid that Saul had slaine the Lords Priests.

22And Dauid said vnto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I haue occasioned the death of all the persons of thy fathers house.

23Abide thou with me, feare not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt bee in safegard.

I == 2nd Sam 23:13

 

II == Judg 11:3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V == 2nd Sam 24:11 ; 1st Chr 21:9 ; 2nd Chr 29:25

 

 

 

 

 

VII == 1st Sam 8:14

 

 

 

VIII == 1st Sam 18:3 ; 20:2 , 30

 

 

 

 

IX == 1st Sam 14:3 ; 21:1 , 7 ; 22:1-3

 

X == Num 27:21 ; 1st Sam 21:6 , 9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XVII == Ex 1:17

 

 

 

 

 

XVIII == 1st Sam 2:31

 

 

XIX == 1st Sam 12:9 , 11

 

 

XX == 1st Sam 2:33 ; 23:6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

XXIII == 1st Kings 2:26

 

1 David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his family heard about it, they came down to him there.

2 He was joined by all those who were in difficulties or in debt, or who were embittered, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

3 From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Let my father and mother stay with you, until I learn what God will do for me."

4 He left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David remained in the refuge.

5 But the prophet Gad said to David: "Do not remain in the refuge. Leave, and go to the land of Judah." And so David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

6 Now Saul heard that David and his men had been located. At the time he was sitting in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree on the high place, holding his spear, while all his servants were standing by.

7 So he said to them: "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make each of you an officer over a thousand or a hundred men,

8 that you have all conspired against me and no one tells me that my son has made an agreement with the son of Jesse? None of you shows sympathy for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant to be an enemy against me, as is the case today."

9 Then 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.

10 He consulted the LORD for him and gave him supplies, and the sword of Goliath the Philistine as well."

11 At this the king sent a summons to Ahimelech the priest, son of Ahitub, and to all his family who were priests in Nob; and they all came to the king.

12 Then Saul said, "Listen, son of Ahitub!" He replied, "Yes, my lord."

13 Saul asked him, "Why did you conspire against me with the son of Jesse by giving him food and a sword and by consulting God for him, that he might rebel against me and become my enemy, as is the case today?"

14 Ahimelech answered the king: "And who among all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and honored in your own house?

15 Is this the first time I have consulted God for him? No indeed! Let not the king accuse his servant or anyone in my family of such a thing. Your servant knows nothing at all, great or small, about the whole matter."

16 But the king said, "You shall die, Ahimelech, with all your family."

17 The king then commanded his henchmen standing by: "Make the rounds and kill the priests of the LORD, for they assisted David. They knew he was a fugitive and yet failed to inform me." But the king's servants refused to lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.

18 The king therefore commanded Doeg, "You make the rounds and kill the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite went from one to the next and killed the priests himself, slaying on that day eighty-five who wore the linen ephod.

19 Saul also put the priestly city of Nob to the sword, including men and women, children and infants, and oxen, asses and sheep.

20 One son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.

21 When Abiathar told David that Saul had slain the priests of the LORD,

22 David said to him: "I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of all your family.

23 Stay with me. Fear nothing; he that seeks your life must seek my life also. You are under my protection."

 

v 1,2. David left Gath and went mostly east to the cave near Adullam, which is about half way between Jerusalem and Lachish. David’s disfavor with the king put his fathers family in jeopardy, so when they heard where David was, they fled to him. So did all who were Depraved: Distressed, Debtors and Discontented. Through David, God was able to give them Deliverance. He maybe had 400 men with him at this time.

v 3,4. The others may have gone with David when he took his father and mother to security in Moab, where they stayed through the crises. Jesse was old, 17:12, and not able to handle the rigors and rapid movement of an exile.

v 5. The prophet Gad was with David throughout most of his ordeal, and he gave word from God that he should move from the security of Moab back to Judah where a forest became his place of concealment. Even under trial, David was not to leave the place of blessing. 

v 6-8. When it was known where David was, Saul lied several times to turn people against him. That David would make them all prosperous and military leaders, that everyone conspired against Saul, that the covenant between Jonathan and David was not of friendship, but of aggression, that Jonathan had stirred up David, and that David was lying in wait for Saul.

v 9,10. Doeg was not a reputable character, but he might not have disclosed the meeting of David with Ahimelech if Saul had not been pressuring them. He either lied or assumed that Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for David. Ahimelech denied it,

v 15. If he had, God would surely have told David what to do, not go to Gath, 21:10.

v 11-16. Saul summoned Ahimelech and all the other priests at Nob and accused them of conspiring against him. Ahimelech explained their lack of knowledge and  their innocence regarding the matter, but Saul had become so crazed in his anger against David, he still sentenced Ahimelech and all the priesthood to death.

v 17-19. Saul’s servants had too much respect for the priesthood to obey Saul’s order. This was not justice, but unbridled wrath of Saul. Unscrupulous and cruel Doeg killed not only eighty five priests, but he killed all the men, women, children and babies of Nob. along with all the oxen, asses and sheep, just as the Israelites were to do with the corrupt Canaanites. This was no doubt in obedience to Saul’s orders. God could have protected these priests, but He allowed the wickedness of Saul to partially fulfill His word to Eli that the priesthood would depart from him, 12:27-36. 20-23. One of Ahimelech’s sons, Abiathar, escaped and told David what had happened. David must have had some knowledge of the kind of man Doeg was, because he was sure he would report the visit, but no way could he have expected the extreme reaction of Saul. David felt responsible for the death of Abiathar’s relatives and assured him of security with him. This was because David felt secure in God’s promise that he would one day be king. It would seem from 23:6 that Abiathar did not come to David until he was in Keilah.
Saul would not be without the form of Godliness, and made priest a different Ahitub than the father of Ahimelech. This one was the son of Amariah, of the family of Eleazar, and father of Zadok.  Duplication of names is confusing.