David Runs from Saul
A story of questionable decisions.
1 Samuel 21 NLT
David Runs from Saul
21 David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”
2 “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later. 3 Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.”
4 “We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”
5 “Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!”
6 Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.
7 Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord.
8 David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”
9 “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”
“There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”
10 So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath. 11 But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
12 David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. 13 So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.
14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? 15 We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”
Examine the Scriptures
1 Samuel 21 NLT
David Runs from Saul
21 David went to the town of Nob
David was close to the age of 20 at this point in time. He will be on the run from Saul for about 10 years.
Nob was known as “The city of Priests”. (The religious center at this point in time.)
- Nob was known as “The city of the priests”.
Nob was located halfway between Jerusalem and Gibeah, (Gibeah of Saul). (refer to map)
The tabernacle was presumed to be at Nob. The ark would have been in Kiriath-jearim.
1 Samuel 7:1-2 NLT
7:1 So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the Lord. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. 2 The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all.
to see Ahimelech (Ahijah?) the priest.
Ahimelech was a great grandson of Eli.
This is not a good thing.
1 Samuel 2 NLT
A man of God speaking to Eli
31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.
- Ahimelech was a descendant of the condemned family of El.
Note: Eli’s family will no longer serve as priests.
Saul has been rejected as king.
1 Samuel 15:23 NLT (Samuel talking to Saul)
23 … because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”
Ahimelech trembled.
He would not want to be accused of supporting an enemy of the king. Doing this could result in death.
Or
He may have wondered why someone who ate at the king’s table (not knowing the whole story) would be coming to see him.
David is alone at this point. He will be joined by his family at the cave of Adullam. (chapter 22)
1 Samuel 22:1 NLT
David at the Cave of Adullam
22 So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.
- Ahimelech trembled when he saw David.
2 “The king has sent me on a private matter,” David said. “He told me not to tell anyone why I am here. I have told my men where to meet me later.
At this point, David was most likely traveling very light, without a weapon and food.
David lied, both to conceal his “outlaw” status and to dispel Ahimelech’s worries.
David’s actions appeared to lead to the deaths of the priests.
Looking ahead:
1 Samuel 22:16-17 NLT
16 “You will surely die, Ahimelech, along with your entire family!” the king shouted. 17 And he ordered his bodyguards, “Kill these priests of the Lord, for they are allies and conspirators with David! They knew he was running away from me, but they didn’t tell me!”
Looking back:
1 Samuel 2:31 NLT
31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.
- David told a “costly” lie.
3 Now, what is there to eat? Give me five loaves of bread or anything else you have.”
4 “We don’t have any regular bread,” the priest replied. “But there is the holy bread, which you can have if your young men have not slept with any women recently.”
5 “Don’t worry,” David replied. “I never allow my men to be with women when we are on a campaign. And since they stay clean even on ordinary trips, how much more on this one!”
6 Since there was no other food available, the priest gave him the holy bread—the Bread of the Presence that was placed before the Lord in the Tabernacle. It had just been replaced that day with fresh bread.
We might say that Ahimelech was “bending the rules.”
The bread in question had been replaced with “fresh bread”.
1 Samuel 22:10 NLT (the meaning of this verse is vague.)
10 Ahimelech consulted the Lord for him. Then he gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
It was O.K. for Ahimelech to give David some of this bread.
In Mark 2:26 Jesus talks about David “breaking the law” by eating sacred loaves of bread, but does not appear to be condemning David for doing so. The spirit of the Law in respect to human need took priority over the letter of the law. People’s physical needs take precedence over the letter of the law. Mercy takes precedence over the law.
- Later, in the New Testament, Jesus did not appear to condemn David for eating the holy bread.
7 Now Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, was there that day, having been detained before the Lord.
Doeg may have been detained, since it was unlawful to travel on the Sabbath.
While David was at Nob he was spotted by Doeg, Saul’s chief herdsman.
Doeg witnessed the transaction between David and Ahimelech and would later report David’s meeting with Ahimelech to Saul.
- While David was at Nob he was spotted by Doeg, Saul’s chief herdsman, who witnessed the interaction between David and Ahimelech.
8 David asked Ahimelech, “Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!”
Another lie.
David was traveling without a weapon.
9 “I only have the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah,” the priest replied. “It is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.
Ephod – garment worn by the priests.
Stored in the place for the sacred vestments.
Goliath’s sword was a memorial to the divine goodness in the deliverance of Israel.
Take that if you want it, for there is nothing else here.”
“There is nothing like it!” David replied. “Give it to me!”
- David continues his flight from Saul, leaving Nob and going to Gath.
10 So David escaped from Saul and went to King Achish of Gath.
David was desperate.
This seems to be a dangerous place to go.
Gath was one of the five great Philistine cities.
Achish would have been an enemy of Saul.
David was the Philistines greatest enemy.
David carried Goliath’s sword into Goliath’s hometown.
David apparently thought that he would not be recognized.
- Some of David’s decisions appear to be questionable.
11 But the officers of Achish were unhappy about his being there. “Isn’t this David, the king of the land?” they asked. “Isn’t he the one the people honor with dances, singing,
‘Saul has killed his thousands,
and David his ten thousands’?”
The officers of King Achish recognized David.
It is interesting that they called him “the king of the land”.
12 David heard these comments and was very afraid of what King Achish of Gath might do to him. 13 So he pretended to be insane, scratching on doors and drooling down his beard.
David fearing for his life pretended to be insane. In the East drooling in one’s beard was considered an intolerable indignity.
David was hoping that his behavior would convince Achish to send him away.
14 Finally, King Achish said to his men, “Must you bring me a madman? 15 We already have enough of them around here! Why should I let someone like this be my guest?”
- King Achish was extremely uncomfortable with David’s behavior and was ready for David to move on.
