1 Samuel 22

Ver. L JljA VID therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Which was a strong hold (1 Chron. xi. 13.) in the tribe of Judah, (Josh. xv. 35.) unto which tribe he belonging, might hope to find some friends there.’ And when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.] Either to comfort him, or to secure themselves from the fury of Saul: who they thought might probably wreak his hatred to David upon them. A COMMENTARY UPON [chat i*. xxir. Having his spear in Ids hand.] By his spear is to be understood his sceptre, according to the phrase of those times.. For so Justin, (lib. xliii. cap. 3.) speaking of the first times of the Romans (which was about the reign of Saul), saith, " Per ea adhuc tempora, reges bastas pro diadematc habebant, quas Graeci sceptra dixere," &c. In those days, kings hitherto had spears as signs of royal authority: which the Greeks call sceptres. For in the beginning of things, the ancients worshipped spears for immortal gods. In memory. of which religion, spears are still added to the images of the gods. And thus the kings of Argos (as Pausanias tells us in his Boeotica) called their sceptres spears. - And all his servants ivere standing about him).’] His usual guards, and the principal officers of his court.

1 Samuel 22:2

And every one that ivas in distress. All needy people, pinched with want, who heard that David was there. And every one that was in debt.] Perhaps David might not know they were such persons: or if he did, intended not to protect them from their creditors, if they had been able to pay them. It was the manner in ancient times, among the Gauls, for those who were in debt or oppressed, to betake themselves to the service of some great men: by whom, as they were maintained, so they devoted themselves to live and die with them. Thus Cccsar tells us, lib. vi. de Bello Gall. cap. 13. " Plerique cum aut cere alieno aut magnitudinc tributorum, aut injuria potentiorum vol. n. premantur, sese in servitutem dicant nobilibus," &c. And these’they called Soldurii: and the men that came to Da- Yid seem to have been such as resolved to live and die with him., •’* And evei-y one that was discontented.] In the Hebrew; bitter of soul; that is, lay under sore afflictions. Gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them.],They listed themselves under him, as their commander: who was forced to take this course in his own defence, that he might not be suddenly surprised. But Grotius observes, (lib. i. de Jure Belli et Pads, cap. 4. sect. 6.) that David did not entertain these men into, his service, till, in the judgment of Jonathan, and by many other certain arguments, his life appeared to tie in imminent danger. And then he neither assaulted any city, nor sought for anyoccasion to fight: but avoided it, by seeking for lurking-places, sometimes in the deserts, some-, times among strange people: always taking care not to hurt his countrymen.,. And there were tvith him about four hundred men^] Among whom, I suppose, his own kindred were the chief.

1 Samuel 22:3

And David went.thence toMizpeh of Moab. For the Moabites were at difference with Saul, (xiv. 47.) And he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with yon.] He the rather hoped for this kindness to be shewn to his aged parents (who were not able to travel up and down, as he was likely to do), because he was descended from a Moabr ite by the mother’s side, especially if “Ruth the Moabitess were of the royal family, as the Jews imagine. Till I know what God will do with me.] Who, he doubted not, would make good his word to him'.

1 Samuel 22:4

And he b?-ought them before the king of Moab; and they dwelt with him all the time that Datiid was in the hold. All the time of his exile: when he wandered here and there, and had no certain place of abode: being haunted by Saul from place to place; seldom suffering him to rest. So Pellicanus expounds the Hebrew wx>rd metzudah: which siguifies also a strong hold. *

1 Samuel 22:5

And the prophet Gad. Who* being bred under Samuel, and knowing he had anointed David to be king/resolved to accompany him in his banishment: which was* a great comfort to him. Said unto David, Abide not in the hold.] This doth not signify any particular strong place, where he now was: but, in general, all those places where he thought himself secure, in the neighbouring countries. Depart, and get tJtee into the land of Judah.] Where he would have him publicly appear;as one that confided in God, and in his own innocence. * Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.] Where there were many secret lurking-places: unto which he might upon occasion resort.

1 Samuel 22:6

And when Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him. He was not so well beloved, as to have early intelligence of David’s listing men: which made him reproach those that attended him, in the following verse. ( Now Saul abode in Gibeah tinder a tree in RamaL] Or, in a high place, as Ramah signifies. Otherwise the first words must be interpreted netir Gibeah, or in the territories ofGibeah; ■ t t.,.: t 2 P

1 Samuel 22:7

Tlien Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye.Benjamites. Yo men of my own tribe: of whom he seems to speak with disdain. Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds?] Bestow preferment upon them all, more or less; if not lands of inheritance. For so the words are to be translated, give you fields, &c. or make you captains, &c.

1 Samuel 22:8

Tfiat all of you have conspired against me. To conceal David’s designs from him, if not to assist him in them. The spirit of jealousy always possesses those who are engaged in such bloody designs as he had against David: which all good men abhorred. And there is none of yon that sheweth me my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse; and there is none of you that is sorry for me.] He suspected Jonathan had made a league with David; but did not certainly know it, much less what it was: and was very much vexed, that none were solicitous enough for him (so the word signifies, as De Dieu observes, which we translate sorry for him), to make a discovery of it to him. Or sheweth me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait as at this day.] His jealousy carried him so far as to make him suspect Jonathan not only sided with David, but had encouraged him to take up arms, and to appear openly, as haying many friends and partakers: for since he threw the javelin at Jonathan, it is likely he absented himself from court, or did not appear so frequently, or looked discontented when he came into his presence. ••

1 Samuel 22:9

Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was over the servants of Saul. The rest being silent, he undertook to inform the king who were false to him: or being a forward man, and hating David, prevented all the rest of his fellowservants. And said, I saw the son of Jesse.] He speaks as contemptibly of him, as his master had lately been wont to do, not vouchsafing to call him by his name, (xx. 27. 30.) Coming to Nob’, to Ahimclech the son ofAhitub.] He represents him, as if he came to tako advice of Ahimclech, and lay his designs accordingly.

1 Samuel 22:10

And he inquired of the Lord for him. Some think Doeg in this slandered Ahimelcch, because -we read nothing of it; and David speaks of his false tongue: but this may as well be true as that which follows is. And Doeg’s wickedness consisted in representing things wrong: concealing the truth, and saying nothing of David’s pretences to Ahimclech; but insinuating as if he were in* a plot with David against the king. Whereas, the good man was made to believe that David was going about the king’s business, and upon that account assisted him. And gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.] And very innocently, as he very well knew: but represented these as acts whereby he abetted David in his conspiracy: which are the lies of which David accuses him, nothing being farther from the truth.

1 Samuel 22:11

And the king sent to call Ahimelech, the son ofAhitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. By his fathers house is meant all the house of Eli, whom God had threatened to cut off.

1 Samuel 22:12

And Saul said, Hear now, thou son ofAhitub. He shews not the least respect to him, but rather the utmost contempt: calling him in his rage the son ofAhitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.] But he did not forget his respect to the king.

1 Samuel 22:13

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 tvait, as at this day?] A very rash charge, unless there had been proof that he did these things with an evil intent, which there was not.

1 Samuel 22:14

Tlien Ahimelech answered 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 thy house?. The oracle was consulted only upon public occasions, not for any private business. And therefore the sense of Ahimelech’s apology for himself is this: Since David was held by all to be a most loyal subject, as well as a person of great honour, and in high favour with the king, having married his daughter; what could he think* but that David was sent by the king (as he said he was) upon some business of public concern; to command his forces, suppose (as he had often done), in some expedition against his enemies? And, doubting what course to take, came to advise with God, as he had done heretofore. For this was not the first time (as he saith in the next verse) that he had consulted the Divine Majesty for him, in difficult cases, concerning the good of the kingdom.

1 Samuel 22:15

Did I then begin to inquire of God for him?. He desired that might not be an argument against him; for he had theretofore done the same thing without any imputation of guilt. Be it far from me.] That which he was charged withal - x conspiracy against the king, (ver. 13.) L#t not the king impute any thing to his servant, or to his fathers house; for thy servant knew nothing of all this, more or less.] If there was any bad design, he pleads perfect ignorance of it. Ver.lG. And the king said unto him, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and thy father’s house.] A mad resolution: for what had the rest of the priests done to deserve such a bloody execution?

1 Samuel 22:17

And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him. In the Hebrew it is, to the runners; that is, to those who used to go before bim, and to follow him when he went abroad…. Turn, and stay the priests of the Lord; because their hand WM ^f^^JM I CHAP. XXII.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. is also tvith David, and because they knew tchen he fled, and did not shew it me.] Such was the power their kings exercised (as Samuel told them they would), that, without a formal process against a man accused of a crime, they commanded him to be. cut off at their pleasure. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.] Such was their reverence to God and religion in ancient times: which kept them in their wars from doing any hurt to the priests of their enemies, as Grotius observes, lib. iii. de Jure Belli et Pads, cap. 11. sect. 10. And therefore Theodoret here justly praises the guards of Saul, that they chose rather to expose themselves to the enraged fury of Saul, than execute it upon the priests of God.

1 Samuel 22:18

And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fair upon the pi’iests. He who was the informer, he made also his executioner. -And Doeg the Edomite turned, and fell upon the priests, and slew that day eighty-five persons.] Kings never want/ some to execute their commands, though never so bloody. Saul was little better than a madman; and yet had those at his beck who would do as he bade them, because he was their king. It was excellently, therefore, said by Justin Martyr,‘Ev^wfitOa rove j3a<riXetc * <& ap)(OVTac, fitTa r?)c j3a<n- Aikt/c Svva/mwg, koi adxppova rbv Xoyia/ibv ixovrag £vpc3>jvai, Let us pray that kings and rulers, together with a royal power, may be found having a sober mind., Tliat did wear a linen ephod.~\ i. e. Ministered unto God: but we are not to understand by the ephod such a garment as the high-priest wore, for this is distinguished from that by the matter of it, which was merely linen: and nothing else but a linen robe, which was an honourable kind of garment, which others who were not priests were permitted to wear; as I observed before upon chap. ii. ver. 18, and sec Braunius, lib. ii. de Vestitu Hebr. Sacerd. cap. 6.

1 Samuel 22:19

And Nob, the city of the priests, smote lie with the edge of the sword, both man and ivoman, and suckling, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword. His fury transported him to deal worse with them than he did with the Amalekitcs; some of which he spared, though God commanded him to destroy them all. But he did this to terrify all the Israelites from giving the least assistance to David: and make them forward to come and tell him, if they knew where he was. In all this was fulfilled the word of the Lord against the house of Eli by the prophet, in the second chapter of this book; and by Samuel, when he was a child, in the third chapter. Abarbinel thinks, that, at this time, the Gibeonites were slain; upon which account there was a sore famine in the days of David. For Josephus saith,(lib. vi. cap. 14.) that Doeg slew in all three hundred eighty-five persons; taking some men, as wicked as himself, into his assistance.

1 Samuel 22:20

And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.*. For he could be safe no where else.

1 Samuel 22:21

And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests. Which confirmed David in his belief of the hatred he bare him, and his resolution to destroy him.

1 Samuel 22:22

And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day K when Doeg the Edomite was there t that he would surely tell Said. For he knew he was none of his friend, and a man that loved mischief.

1 Samuel 22:23

Abide thou with me; fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life. He comforts him with the assurance, that he would take as much care of him, as of himself. But with me thou shalt be in safeguard.] For he was sure God would make good his promise of protecting him, till he was made king of Israel.