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…

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 Josh.

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…

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,…

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,…

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, ; abide not in the hold, depart, and get thee into the land of Judah; this seems to confirm it that the hold…

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…

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…

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…

Then answered Doeg the Edomite Josephus [[3]] calls him a Syrian, and so the Septuagint version; see ; 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…

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, (Ps. 52:3, Ps. 52:4) (Ps. 120:2, Ps.

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…

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…

And Saul said unto him, why have ye conspired against me, thou, and the son of Jesse? &c.] 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, , and so had…

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…

Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? &c.] 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,…

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…

And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him Or the “runners” [[5]]; 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.

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…

And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword Either Doeg or Saul; who, as Josephus [[8]] 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…

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,…

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.

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…

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…