Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
Nob Nob appears to have been a sacerdotal city of Benjamin or Ephraim. Jerome says, that in his time the ruins of it might be seen not far from Diospolis or Lydda. But the Rabbins assert that Jerusalem might be seen from this town. The tabernacle resided some time at Nob; and after it was destroyed, it was removed to Gibeon; `and the day of Nob and Gibeon were fifty-seven years.' Maimonides in Bethhabbechirah, c.1
1 Samuel 22:19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, …
Nehemiah 11:32 And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
Isaiah 10:32 As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against …
to Ahimelech
1 Samuel 14:3 And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, …
called Ahiah
1 Samuel 22:9-19 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of …
called also Abiathar
Mark 2:26 How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high …
afraid
1 Samuel 16:4 And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. …
And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath 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.
The king The whole of this is a gross falsehood; and which was attended with the most fatal consequences. It is well known that from all antiquity it was held no crime to tell a lie in order to save life. Thus Diphilon () `I hold it right to tell a lie for safety: nothing should be avoided to save life.' A heathen may say or sing thus: but no Christian can act thus and save his soul, though he may save his life.
1 Samuel 19:17 And Saul said to Michal, Why have you deceived me so, and sent away …
1 Samuel 22:22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite …
Genesis 27:20,24 And Isaac said to his son, How is it that you have found it so quickly, …
1 Kings 13:18 He said to him, I am a prophet also as you are; and an angel spoke …
Psalm 119:29 Remove from me the way of lying: and grant me your law graciously.
Galatians 2:12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: …
Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that you have put off the old man …
Now therefore what is under thine hand? 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, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.
And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.
the vessels
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to him, Go your way: for he is a chosen vessel …
1 Thessalonians 4:3,4 For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should …
2 Timothy 2:20,21 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, …
1 Peter 3:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that you suffer for well …
in a manner
Leviticus 24:9 And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the …
yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel. or, especially when this day there is other sanctified in the vessel.
Leviticus 8:26 And out of the basket of unleavened bread, that was before the LORD, …
So the priest gave him hallowed bread: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.
detained
Jeremiah 7:9-11 Will you steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and …
Ezekiel 33:31 And they come to you as the people comes, and they sit before you …
Amos 8:5 Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and …
Matthew 15:8 This people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors me with …
Acts 21:26,27 Then Paul took the men, and the next day purifying himself with them …
doeg
1 Samuel 22:9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of …
Psalm 52:1 Why boast you yourself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of …
herdmen
1 Samuel 11:5 And, behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul …
Genesis 13:7,8 And there was a strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and …
Genesis 26:20 And the herdsmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, …
1 Chronicles 27:29 And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite…
2 Chronicles 26:10 Also he built towers in the desert, and dig many wells: for he had …
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, because the king's business required haste.
And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.
And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
fled
1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul…
1 Kings 19:3 And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to …
Jeremiah 26:21 And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the …
Achish. or, Abimelech.
1 Samuel 27:2 And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men that …
Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Gath Jerome says there was a large town called Gath, in the way from Eleutheropolis, towards Lydda (and consequently different from that mentioned by Jerome;) and also of another Gath, between Jamnia and Antipatris. It appears to have been the extreme boundary of the Philistine territory in one direction, as Ekron was on the other, (ch.
1 Samuel 7:14 And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored …
1 Samuel 17:52 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued …
2 Chronicles 11:8 And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,
2 Chronicles 1:14 And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen: and he had a thousand …
And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
laid up
Psalm 119:11 Your word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Luke 2:19,51 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart…
sore
1 Samuel 21:10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish …
Genesis 12:11-13 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that …
Genesis 26:7 And the men of the place asked him of his wife; and he said, She …
Psalm 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 56:3 What time I am afraid, I will trust in you.
And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, 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: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?
