1 Samuel 22 Study Notes: Saul Kills the Priests of Nob
David gathers a band of about four hundred troubled men at Adullam, shelters his parents in Moab, and moves into Judah at the prophet Gad’s word. Acting on Doeg’s report, Saul has Ahimelech and the priests of Nob killed, and Ahimelech’s son Abiathar escapes to David, who admits his own part in their deaths.
General
What did David promise Abiathar (1 Samuel 22:23)?
Answer: Safety with him, since one enemy sought them both
David told Abiathar to stay with him and not be afraid, because the man hunting Abiathar was hunting David too; with David he would be protected (22:23). Abiathar had escaped carrying the ephod — a priestly garment through which the LORD gave answers (23:6) — and through it David would seek the LORD’s guidance in the days ahead (23:9-12; 30:7-8). The surviving priest found shelter with the LORD’s chosen king, while Saul, who had destroyed the priests, later received no reply when he sought the LORD (28:6).
- 1 Samuel 22:23 (BSB)“Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me.””David promises Abiathar that he will be safe with him.
- 1 Samuel 23:6 (BSB)“(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)”Abiathar brought the ephod with him when he fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (BSB)“Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””David later asks Abiathar for the ephod and receives the LORD’s answer.
- 1 Samuel 28:6 (BSB)“He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.”Saul later receives no answer from the LORD.
Theological
What assurance does David give Abiathar in 1 Samuel 22:23?
Answer: Safety with him, since one enemy sought them both
David binds Abiathar’s safety to his own: the same enemy seeks both their lives, and with David he will be secure (22:23). The survivor brings the ephod (23:6), so that priestly inquiry of the LORD now belongs to David’s camp (23:9-12; 30:7-8). Saul, who had the priests killed, would later inquire of the LORD and receive no answer (28:6).
- 1 Samuel 22:23 (BSB)“Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks your life is seeking mine as well. You will be safe with me.””David promises Abiathar that he will be safe with him.
- 1 Samuel 23:6 (BSB)“(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)”Abiathar brought the ephod with him when he fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 30:7-8 (BSB)“Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD: “Should I pursue these raiders? Will I overtake them?” “Pursue them,” the LORD replied, “for you will surely overtake them and rescue the captives.””David later asks Abiathar for the ephod and receives the LORD’s answer.
- 1 Samuel 28:6 (BSB)“He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.”Saul later receives no answer from the LORD.
General
When Saul accused him of conspiring with David, how did Ahimelech answer (1 Samuel 22:14-15)?
Answer: He praised David’s loyalty and said he knew of no plot
Saul charged Ahimelech with conspiring with David by supplying him with food and a weapon and seeking God for him (22:13). Ahimelech answered honestly. Which of Saul’s servants, he asked, could match David’s faithfulness — Saul’s own son-in-law, captain of his guard, and respected in his household (22:14)? Seeking God for David was nothing new, and he knew nothing at all of any plot (22:15). Ahimelech was innocent; he had been misled by David’s claim to be on the king’s business (21:2), and Jonathan had already told Saul that David had done nothing against him (19:4). Saul condemned him anyway, along with his whole family (22:16).
- 1 Samuel 22:14-16 (BSB)“Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.” But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!””Ahimelech defends David’s loyalty and his own innocence, but Saul condemns him.
- 1 Samuel 21:2 (BSB)““The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.”Ahimelech had been told that David was on the king’s business.
- 1 Samuel 19:4 (BSB)“Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.”Jonathan had already told Saul that David had not sinned against him.
Theological
What defense does Ahimelech offer before Saul in 1 Samuel 22:14-15?
Answer: He praised David’s loyalty and said he knew of no plot
Charged with conspiracy (22:13), Ahimelech answers with a defense of David’s loyalty — no servant was more faithful than David, married into Saul’s family, commander of his guard, honored in his house (22:14) — and a denial of any knowledge of wrongdoing; consulting God for David was customary (22:15). His innocence is plain from the narrative: he had acted on David’s false claim of a royal mission (21:2), and Jonathan had earlier testified to David’s innocence before Saul (19:4). Saul nonetheless pronounces death on him and his father’s house (22:16).
- 1 Samuel 22:14-16 (BSB)“Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, the captain of your bodyguard and honored in your house? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.” But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!””Ahimelech defends David’s loyalty and his own innocence, but Saul condemns him.
- 1 Samuel 21:2 (BSB)““The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.”Ahimelech had been told that David was on the king’s business.
- 1 Samuel 19:4 (BSB)“Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.”Jonathan had already told Saul that David had not sinned against him.
General
Who gathered around David after he hid in a cave at Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1-2)?
Answer: His family and others who were troubled, in debt or bitter
Escaping from Gath, David hid in a cave at Adullam, and his brothers and his wider family came down to join him (22:1). Others gathered too — people in trouble, people who owed money, and people bitter in spirit — and David became leader of a band of some four hundred (22:2). The hunted man became the captain of a band of the troubled. Adullam appears again later, when some of David’s chief warriors came to him there (2 Samuel 23:13), and by the time of Keilah his band had grown to about six hundred (23:13).
- 1 Samuel 22:1-2 (BSB)“So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”David’s family and a band of troubled men gather to him at Adullam.
- 2 Samuel 23:13 (BSB)“At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.”Adullam is later where three of David’s chief men came to him.
- 1 Samuel 23:13 (BSB)“Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.”David’s band soon numbers about six hundred.
Theological
According to 1 Samuel 22:1-2, who rallied to David at Adullam?
Answer: His family and others who were troubled, in debt or bitter
From Gath David retreats to a cave at Adullam, where his family joins him (22:1), along with a company of the distressed, the indebted and the embittered, whom he leads — some four hundred in all (22:2). The anointed fugitive gathers the marginal of Israel around himself. Adullam recurs as the place where David’s leading warriors later came to him (2 Samuel 23:13), and the band soon grows to some six hundred (23:13).
- 1 Samuel 22:1-2 (BSB)“So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. And all who were distressed or indebted or discontented rallied around him, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.”David’s family and a band of troubled men gather to him at Adullam.
- 2 Samuel 23:13 (BSB)“At harvest time, three of the thirty chief men went down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a company of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.”Adullam is later where three of David’s chief men came to him.
- 1 Samuel 23:13 (BSB)“Then David and his men, about six hundred strong, set out and departed from Keilah, moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he declined to go forth.”David’s band soon numbers about six hundred.
General
When Abiathar escaped and told David what Saul had done, what did David say (1 Samuel 22:20-22)?
Answer: That he was to blame for the deaths in Abiathar’s family
One son of Ahimelech, named Abiathar, escaped, reached David, and reported the slaughter of the LORD’s priests (22:20-21). David answered with a confession. He had known that Doeg was at Nob that day and would certainly tell Saul, and he said that he himself was accountable for the deaths of Abiathar’s whole family (22:22). Ahimelech had helped David believing his claim of a mission from the king (21:2), and David did not hide behind Saul’s guilt or Doeg’s. Scripture promises mercy to the one who confesses sin rather than concealing it (Proverbs 28:13), and David elsewhere describes the forgiveness that follows honest confession (Psalm 32:5).
- 1 Samuel 22:20-22 (BSB)“But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house.”Abiathar escapes to David, and David acknowledges his responsibility.
- 1 Samuel 21:2 (BSB)““The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.”David’s deception of Ahimelech lay behind the priest’s help.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Mercy comes to the one who confesses sin rather than concealing it.
- Psalm 32:5 (BSB)“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David describes confessing his sin and receiving forgiveness.
Theological
What does David tell Abiathar after hearing his news of the massacre (1 Samuel 22:20-22)?
Answer: That he was to blame for the deaths in Abiathar’s family
Abiathar, the lone survivor among Ahimelech’s sons, brings David the news (22:20-21). David’s response is a candid acknowledgment: he had recognized Doeg at Nob and anticipated his report, and he takes responsibility for the death of everyone in Abiathar’s father’s house (22:22). Though Saul ordered the killings and Doeg carried them out, David owns his own part; Ahimelech had aided him on the strength of David’s claim of a royal mission (21:2). Such confession, rather than concealment, is the way of mercy (Proverbs 28:13; Psalm 32:5).
- 1 Samuel 22:20-22 (BSB)“But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that Doeg the Edomite was there that day, and that he was sure to tell Saul. I myself am responsible for the lives of everyone in your father’s house.”Abiathar escapes to David, and David acknowledges his responsibility.
- 1 Samuel 21:2 (BSB)““The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.”David’s deception of Ahimelech lay behind the priest’s help.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Mercy comes to the one who confesses sin rather than concealing it.
- Psalm 32:5 (BSB)“Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David describes confessing his sin and receiving forgiveness.
General
What did Doeg the Edomite tell Saul (1 Samuel 22:9-10)?
Answer: That Ahimelech sought God for David and fed and armed him
Doeg, who had been at Nob when David came (21:7), spoke up among Saul’s servants. He said he had seen Jesse’s son come to Ahimelech, and that Ahimelech had asked the LORD on David’s behalf, given him food, and handed him Goliath’s sword (22:9-10). Doeg’s report left out that David had told the priest he was on the king’s business (21:2). Psalm 52, headed as written after Doeg went to Saul about David’s visit, describes a tongue that plots ruin and loves lies more than truth (Psalm 52:1-3). God’s word lists a lying tongue and the shedding of innocent blood among the things the LORD hates (Proverbs 6:16-17).
- 1 Samuel 22:9-10 (BSB)“But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.””Doeg tells Saul what Ahimelech did for David at Nob.
- 1 Samuel 21:2 (BSB)““The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.”David had told Ahimelech he was on a mission from the king.
- Psalm 52:1-3 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long. Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah”The psalm headed with Doeg’s report condemns a tongue that loves falsehood.
- Proverbs 6:16-17 (BSB)“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,”The LORD hates a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood.
Theological
What report does Doeg the Edomite give Saul in 1 Samuel 22:9-10?
Answer: That Ahimelech sought God for David and fed and armed him
Doeg, the witness planted in 21:7, informs Saul that Ahimelech consulted the LORD for David and supplied him with food and Goliath’s sword (22:9-10). His account omits the decisive fact that David had presented himself as on royal business (21:2), turning a deceived priest into a conspirator. The superscription of Psalm 52 links that psalm to Doeg’s report, and its indictment of a tongue that devises destruction and prefers falsehood to truth fits the deed (Psalm 52:1-3). Among the things the LORD hates are a lying tongue and the shedding of innocent blood (Proverbs 6:16-17).
- 1 Samuel 22:9-10 (BSB)“But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.””Doeg tells Saul what Ahimelech did for David at Nob.
- 1 Samuel 21:2 (BSB)““The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission on which I am sending you. And I have directed my young men to meet me at a certain place.”David had told Ahimelech he was on a mission from the king.
- Psalm 52:1-3 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long. Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit. You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth. Selah”The psalm headed with Doeg’s report condemns a tongue that loves falsehood.
- Proverbs 6:16-17 (BSB)“There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,”The LORD hates a lying tongue and hands that shed innocent blood.
General
What did the prophet Gad tell David to do (1 Samuel 22:5)?
Answer: Leave the stronghold and return to Judah’s territory
Gad the prophet — a prophet being someone who brings God’s word to people — told David not to remain in his stronghold but to go into Judah, and David obeyed, moving to the woods of Hereth (22:5). This is the first time Gad appears, and he is still serving David late in his reign. Later he is called David’s seer, the one through whom the LORD spoke to David (2 Samuel 24:11). David later followed Gad’s instruction to build an altar, obeying the LORD’s command (2 Samuel 24:18-19), and Gad’s own records are listed among those that recorded David’s acts (1 Chronicles 29:29). Though a fugitive, David had God’s word to guide him.
- 1 Samuel 22:5 (BSB)“Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.”Gad tells David to leave the stronghold for Judah, and David goes to Hereth.
- 2 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:”Gad is later called David’s seer, and the LORD’s word comes to him.
- 2 Samuel 24:18-19 (BSB)“And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.”David obeys Gad’s word as the LORD’s command.
- 1 Chronicles 29:29 (BSB)“Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,”The records of Gad the seer are among those that tell David’s acts.
Theological
What instruction does Gad the prophet give David in 1 Samuel 22:5?
Answer: Leave the stronghold and return to Judah’s territory
Gad’s first appearance brings a prophetic directive: leave the stronghold and go into Judah, which David promptly obeys, relocating to the woods of Hereth (22:5). Gad reappears late in David’s reign, called David’s seer and the recipient of the LORD’s word for him (2 Samuel 24:11), whose instruction David obeyed as the LORD’s command (2 Samuel 24:18-19), and whose records are cited among the sources for David’s reign (1 Chronicles 29:29). The anointed fugitive is guided by the prophetic word.
- 1 Samuel 22:5 (BSB)“Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Depart and go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.”Gad tells David to leave the stronghold for Judah, and David goes to Hereth.
- 2 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“When David got up in the morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:”Gad is later called David’s seer, and the LORD’s word comes to him.
- 2 Samuel 24:18-19 (BSB)“And that day Gad came to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” So David went up at the word of Gad, just as the LORD had commanded.”David obeys Gad’s word as the LORD’s command.
- 1 Chronicles 29:29 (BSB)“Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are indeed written in the Chronicles of Samuel the Seer, the Chronicles of Nathan the Prophet, and the Chronicles of Gad the Seer,”The records of Gad the seer are among those that tell David’s acts.
General
When David asked Moab’s king to shelter his father and mother, how long did he say they should stay (1 Samuel 22:3)?
Answer: Until he learned what God would do for him
From Adullam David traveled to Mizpeh in Moab and asked its king to shelter his parents until he found out what God would do for him (22:3). They remained in Moab for as long as David stayed in his stronghold (22:4). In his own danger David looked after his parents, in keeping with God’s command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12), and he left his future in God’s hands. In a psalm from his flight from Saul, David calls on the Most High God to accomplish His purpose for him (Psalm 57:1-2).
- 1 Samuel 22:3-4 (BSB)“From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.” So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.”David entrusts his parents to the king of Moab until he learns what God will do.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”God commands His people to honor their father and mother.
- Psalm 57:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul into the cave. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.”In a psalm from his flight from Saul, David trusts God to fulfill His purpose for him.
Theological
What time limit does David set when he asks Moab’s king to shelter his parents (1 Samuel 22:3)?
Answer: Until he learned what God would do for him
David places his parents under the protection of Moab’s king at Mizpeh until he learns God’s plan for him (22:3), and they remain there throughout David’s time in his stronghold (22:4). The arrangement combines filial duty (Exodus 20:12) with a confession of dependence: David’s future rests not in his own plans but in God’s intentions for him. The psalm headed as from his flight from Saul voices the same trust in the Most High, who accomplishes His purpose for His servant (Psalm 57:1-2).
- 1 Samuel 22:3-4 (BSB)“From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God will do for me.” So he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and they stayed with him the whole time David was in the stronghold.”David entrusts his parents to the king of Moab until he learns what God will do.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”God commands His people to honor their father and mother.
- Psalm 57:1-2 (BSB)“For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David, when he fled from Saul into the cave. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy, for in You my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of Your wings I will take shelter until the danger has passed. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.”In a psalm from his flight from Saul, David trusts God to fulfill His purpose for him.
General
Seated beneath the tamarisk at Gibeah, spear in hand, what did Saul accuse his servants of (1 Samuel 22:7-8)?
Answer: Plotting against him and hiding Jonathan’s pact with David
When Saul heard that David’s band had been located, he sat beneath the tamarisk at Gibeah, spear in hand, with his servants around him (22:6). He appealed to them as men of Benjamin, his own tribe (9:21), asking whether Jesse’s son would give them land and make them officers (22:7). Then he accused them all of plotting against him: none had told him about Jonathan’s covenant with David, none cared about him, and none had warned him that his son had turned David into an enemy waiting to ambush him (22:8). The claim that David was lying in wait was false; David later told Saul he had done him no wrong though Saul was hunting him (24:11). Saul’s question about fields and vineyards echoes Samuel’s warning that a king would take the best farmland and hand it to his own officials (8:14).
- 1 Samuel 22:7-8 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.””Saul accuses his servants of conspiring with David and hiding Jonathan’s covenant.
- 1 Samuel 9:21 (BSB)“Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?””Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, the men he now appeals to.
- 1 Samuel 8:14 (BSB)“He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.”Samuel had warned that a king would give fields and vineyards to his servants.
- 1 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.”David later insists he has not sinned against Saul though Saul hunts him.
Theological
What charge does Saul bring against his Benjamite servants in 1 Samuel 22:7-8?
Answer: Plotting against him and hiding Jonathan’s pact with David
Seated under the tamarisk at Gibeah, spear in hand (22:6), Saul appeals to tribal loyalty — he is a Benjamite (9:21) — and to patronage: would Jesse’s son reward them with land and commands (22:7)? He then accuses his entire court of conspiracy for concealing Jonathan’s covenant and for failing to report that his son had incited David to ambush him (22:8). The claim that David lay in ambush is groundless; David would later protest that he had not sinned against Saul though Saul hunted him (24:11). Saul’s talk of fields and vineyards echoes Samuel’s warning that a king would take the best land and give it to his servants (8:14).
- 1 Samuel 22:7-8 (BSB)“Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds? Is that why all of you have conspired against me? Not one of you told me that my own son had made a covenant with the son of Jesse. Not one of you has shown concern for me or revealed to me that my son has stirred up my own servant to lie in wait against me, as is the case today.””Saul accuses his servants of conspiring with David and hiding Jonathan’s covenant.
- 1 Samuel 9:21 (BSB)“Saul replied, “Am I not a Benjamite from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of Benjamin? So why would you say such a thing to me?””Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin, the men he now appeals to.
- 1 Samuel 8:14 (BSB)“He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his servants.”Samuel had warned that a king would give fields and vineyards to his servants.
- 1 Samuel 24:11 (BSB)“See, my father, look at the corner of your robe in my hand. For I cut it off, but I did not kill you. Know and see that there is no evil or rebellion in my hands. I have not sinned against you, even though you are hunting me down to take my life.”David later insists he has not sinned against Saul though Saul hunts him.
General
When Saul ordered his guards to put the LORD’s priests to death, how did they respond (1 Samuel 22:17)?
Answer: They refused to raise a hand against the priests
Saul ordered the guards beside him to kill the priests, claiming they had sided with David and kept his flight secret (22:17). But the king’s own servants would not touch the LORD’s priests. Saul then turned to Doeg, who killed eighty-five priests that day and then attacked Nob, the priests’ town, killing its people of every age along with its livestock (22:18-19). The surviving priest Abiathar reported the killings to David as Saul’s deed (22:21). Psalm 52, linked by its heading to Doeg, declares that God would uproot such a man and bring him to lasting ruin (Psalm 52:5).
- 1 Samuel 22:17-18 (BSB)“Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.”Saul’s guards refuse to strike the priests, and Doeg kills them.
- 1 Samuel 22:21 (BSB)“And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.”Abiathar tells David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
- Psalm 52:5 (BSB)“Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah”The psalm linked to Doeg declares that God will bring him to ruin.
Theological
How did Saul’s guards respond to his command to execute the LORD’s priests (1 Samuel 22:17)?
Answer: They refused to raise a hand against the priests
Saul commands his guards to execute the priests for siding with David (22:17), but they refuse to touch the LORD’s priests. Doeg the Edomite carries out the order, killing eighty-five priests and then destroying Nob — people of every age and the animals with them (22:18-19). Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech who escaped, reports the slaughter to David as the act of Saul, who gave the order (22:21). Psalm 52, connected by its heading to Doeg, announces God’s judgment on such a man (Psalm 52:5).
- 1 Samuel 22:17-18 (BSB)“Then the king ordered the guards at his side, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too sided with David. For they knew he was fleeing, but they did not tell me.” But the king’s servants would not lift a hand to strike the priests of the LORD. So the king ordered Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests himself. On that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.”Saul’s guards refuse to strike the priests, and Doeg kills them.
- 1 Samuel 22:21 (BSB)“And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.”Abiathar tells David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.
- Psalm 52:5 (BSB)“Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah”The psalm linked to Doeg declares that God will bring him to ruin.