1 Samuel 21

THen came David to Nob A City of Priests, as it is called, Chap. 22. 19. Either, 1. Because it was assigned to the Priests. For though it be not expressed by this Name among their Cities, Ios. 21. yet it might be one of those Cities there named by some other name, which name might be changed; or another new name added to the old for some reason now unknown, as was very usual among the Hebrews: compare 1 Chron. 6. Or, 2. Because it was now inhabited by the Priests for the service of the Tabernacle, which now was here; as appears from v. 7, 9. For as the Kings of Israel were to Consult with God's Oracle in all their weighty Affairs; so they endeavoured to have it in, or near their own Habitations. Hence it was first carried by Ioshua to Shiloh in his Tribe of Ephraim; and afterwards by David into his Tribe and City; and now, as it seems, had been by Saul carried to Nob, a City in the Tribe of Benjamin, Ne.... 11. 32. near to Anathoth, 1 King. 2. 26. Hither David resorted, partly for a supply of his necessities, which he supposed he might receive here, without danger of being betrayed into Saul's hands: and principally, that in this great distress, and his resolution of going out of the Kingdom, he might seek and receive comfort and counsel from the Lord. to Ahimelech the priest To wit, the chief Priest, brother to that Ahiah, Chap. 14. 3. and he being now dead, his successor in the Priest-hood, for they were both sons of Ahitub, 1 Sam. 14. 3. and 22. 11., and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David Suspecting some extraordinary cause of his coming in such a manner, and fearing the worst, as men usually do in such cases., and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee For though David had some servants and companions, as is manifest from v. 4, 5. and from Matt. 12. 3, 4. whom Ionathan probably had sent to a place appointed to serve and guard him; yet they were left at another place: as David himself affirmeth, v. 2. And David was now alone, as also he was when he fled to Achish, v. 10.?

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The King has commanded me a business This seems to be a plain lye extorted from him, by fear and necessity. But as it was officious for himself, so it was pernicious to all the Priests there. Whence David afterwards declares his Repenta... ce for this sin of Lying, Psal. 119. 29., and has said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants † to such and such a place To a certain place which it is not material no...... onvenient now to mention; because the whole business concealment..

Now therefore what is under thine hand To wit, in thy power, and ready for thee to give, and for me to take, and eat.? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand To wit, here in the Tabernacle: though doubtless he had enough of that, and of other Provisions in his House; but David was in great haste, and in fear of Doeg whom he saw, and knew there, Chap. 22. 2.... and therefore would not stay till any thing could be fetched thence., but there is hallowed bread The Shewbread, which was appropriated to the Priests; of which see Exod. 25. 30. Levit. 24. 5. if the young men have kept themselves at least from women Either from by Women, which might be divers ways contracted: or from Conjugal converse with their Wives; which though it did not defile them, yet he thought might debar them from the participation of such very Sacred things; which he gathered by the Analogy of that Precept, Exod. 19. 15. There was a double impediment to the giving of this Bread to them; 1. Its Sacredness in its self; which the Priest implies, and David answers v. 5. and the Priest was satisfied therein by Davids extraordinary Occasions, and great necessities. 2. The Purity and Abstinence from all Women, which he supposeth should be in those that use it; concerning which he now enquires. And though he mention this only concerning David's young men, and out of Modesty and Reverence to David, forbears to name him; yet he is also included in the number, as Davids answer shows..

And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have h... en kept from us about these three days As long as the Law required, Exod. 19. 15. And so long David and his men had, it seems, hid themselves for fear of Saul in some of those Caves, whereof there were many in those parts; whereby they were kept both from all Converse with any other persons besides themselves, and consequently from Women: and withal, from Food convenient for them., since I came out From the place where Ionathan and David met., and the vessels i. e. Either, 1. their Garments, or other Utensils for their Journey. Or, 2. Their Bodies, for of them the Question was, v. 4. and having now said, that Women had been kept from them, he infers, that therefore their Bodies were Holy; their Members were Undefiled. Thus the word vessel is used, 1 Thess. 4. 4. and in other Authors, both Greek and Latine. of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common Heb. and this (to wit, the Bread; which is easily supplied out of the former Verse, because that was the thing about which the present discourse was, and against the giving whereof the Priest started an Objection, v. 4. to which, David here giveth an Answer) is in a manner, or, after a sort common: i. e. Considering the time, and our necessity: this may be asked in a manner, like common Bread, and so is used by others. For though for a season whilest it is to stand before the Lord, it be so Holy, that the Priest himself might not eat it; yet afterwards it is eaten by the Priest, and by his whole Family, as their common Food; and so it may be by us, in our circumstances.: yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel If it were but newly put into the Vessel, it must give place to the great Law of Necessity, and Charity; because God will have Mercy preferred before Sacrifice. Or thus, Especially when, or, The rather because this day there is other (i. e. new Bread) Sanctified in the vessel, i. e. put into the Vessel which was made to receive this Bread; Exod. 25. 29. and thereby Sanctified, or Consecrated to God: and therefore the former Show-bread is now to be removed, and employed for the common use of the Priest and his Family..

So the priest gave him hallowed bread, for there was no bread there To wit, in the Tabernacle, where David and the Priest now were. but the show-bread that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away Which was done upon the Sabbath-day, Levit. 24. 8. For though they might not then kindle a Fire to heat the Bread in, yet they might, and did keep it hot i... an Oven that had been heated before the Sabbath..

(Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day detained Not by force from others, but by his own choice; he fixed his abode there for that day; either because it was the Sabbath-day; on which he might not proceed in his Journey, or other business: or for the discharge of some Vow: or to beg direction, and help from God in some great business. before the LORD i. e. At the Tabernacle., and his name was Doeg an Edomite Either, 1. by his Habitation, and Conversation among those People for some considerable time, as, for the same reason Uriah is called the Hittite; and Obed-Edom the Gittite: Or rather, 2. By his Birth, and Nation: but he was Proselyted to the Iewish Religion: or took it up for Sinister Ends, being advanced, as here we read, to a place of Trust and Preferment, possibly upon this occasion. the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.)

¶ And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword, nor my weapons with me These he left behind him, that he might with less suspition remove from place to place, and hide himself from Saul and his Spies., because the kings business required haste The Message came to me, when I was unarmed, and the business required so great expedition that I could not go home to fetch my Weapons..

And the Priest said, The sword of Goliah the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapt in a cloth behind the Ephod i. e. Behind that Holy place allotted for the keeping of the Sacred, or Priestly Garments; all which are here comprehended under the Ephod; which, as the chief of the kind, is put for all the rest. Here it was laid up as a Sacred Monument of God's Power and Goodness, and that famous Victory, related Chap. 17.: if thou wilt take that, take it, for there is no other save that, here. And David said, There is none like that Because it not only served him for his use, for he was a Strong and Tall Man, and one that could wield that Sword, as we saw, Chap. 17. but was also a Pledge of God's Favour to him, and a great encouragement to his Faith., give it me.

¶ And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath A strange Action: but it must be considered, 1. That Saul's Rage was so great and implacable: his Power also, and diligence in hunting after him so great, that he despaired of escaping him other way: and it is not strange if a desperate Disease, produceth a desperate Remedy. 2. David might reasonably think, that being Persecuted, and Banished by Saul, and the Israelites under his Command, he should be welcome to the Philistines; who would be glad, not only to be freed from all those Evils which he had from time to time done, and was likely further to do to them, but also to make him their Friend, and oblige him by their kindness; and to make him the more odious and irreconcilable to Saul and the Israelites. Qu. But why did he go to these, and not rather to some other neighbour Nation? Ans. Because they were all at Peace with Saul; and therefore would certainly have delivered him up, upon Saul's Demands.:

And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land Or, of this land; i. e. Of the Land of Canaan. They call him King, either more generally for the Governour, as that Word is used, Deut. 33. 5. for the most eminent Captain and Commander, and, as it were the King of the Israelitish Armies: or, rather more specially, the king; to wit, The King Elect, the Person designed to be King: for by this time, the Fame of Saul's Rejection, and David's Destination to the Kingdom, was got abroad among the Israelites, and from them, probably to the Philistines ears.? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands And therefore consider what to do; and now thine, and our great Enemy is in thy hand, be sure thou never let him go alive..

And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid Lest either their Revenge or Policy should prompt them to kill him. of Achish the king of Gath:

And he changed his behaviour His Speech and Gesture; and, it may be, his Habit also. before them, and feigned himself mad Which they might the more easily believe; partly, became of the disappointment of his great hopes, and his extream danger and trouble from Saul, which might well make him mad: and partly, because he had put himself into their hands; which they supposed, none but a Fool, or a Mad-man would have done. And David counterfeited this Madness, that he might procure, both their Pity, and their Contempt; that they being freed from jealousies and fears of future Mischief from David, and from his wise Conduct, of which they had sad Experience, might be secure of him, and so spare him. in their hands i. e. Whilest he was in their Power, and before them., and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad And so were Achish and his Men too, to be so soon Cheated. But this must be ascribed to the Wise and Powerfut Providence of God; who, in answer to Davids Prayer now made, which is Recorded Psal. 34. and 56. did Infatuate them, as he has done many others in like cases.: wherefore then have ye brought him to me What Service can I expect from him? Or, What cause have I to fear him??

Have I need of mad men I need Wise men, not such Fools, or Mad-men, as this is:, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into mine house I will not have my Court disgraced with entertaining such Fellows.?