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Selected Verse: 1 Samuel 21:1 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
1Sa 21:1	Strong Concordance	Then came [0935] David [01732] to Nob [05011] to Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548]: and Ahimelech [0288] was afraid [02729] at the meeting [07125] of David [01732], and said [0559] unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man [0376] with thee?
	King James	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?

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
DAVID, AT NOB, OBTAINS OF AHIMELECH HALLOWED BREAD. (Sa1 21:1-7) Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech--Nob, a city of the priests (Sa1 22:19), was in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives--a little north of the top, and on the northeast of the city. It is computed to have been about five miles distant from Gibeah. Ahimelech, the same as Ahiah, or perhaps his brother, both being sons of Ahitub (compare Sa1 14:3, with Sa1 22:4-11, Sa1 22:20). His object in fleeing to this place was partly for the supply of his necessities, and partly for comfort and counsel, in the prospect of leaving the kingdom. Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David--suspecting some extraordinary occurrence by his appearing so suddenly, and in such a style, for his attendants were left at a little distance.

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

DAVID, AT NOB, OBTAINS OF AHIMELECH HALLOWED BREAD. (Sa1 21:1-7)

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech--Nob, a city of the priests (Sa1 22:19), was in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives--a little north of the top, and on the northeast of the city. It is computed to have been about five miles distant from Gibeah. Ahimelech, the same as Ahiah, or perhaps his brother, both being sons of Ahitub (compare Sa1 14:3, with Sa1 22:4-11, Sa1 22:20). His object in fleeing to this place was partly for the supply of his necessities, and partly for comfort and counsel, in the prospect of leaving the kingdom.

Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David--suspecting some extraordinary occurrence by his appearing so suddenly, and in such a style, for his attendants were left at a little distance.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Nob was a city of the priests, the high priest resided there, and the tabernacle was pitched there Sa1 21:4, Sa1 21:6,Sa1 21:9; Sa1 22:10. It was situated on the road from the north to Jerusalem, near Anathoth, and within sight of the holy city Isa 10:32; Neh 11:32. But the site has not been identified with certainty.

The Scofield Bible Commentary, by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield, [1917]
Ahimelech called Ahiah, also Abiathar. (Sa1 14:3).

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
Sa1 21:1-2 David at Nob. - The town of Nob or Nobeh (unless indeed the form נבה stands for נבה here and in Sa1 22:9, and the ה attached is merely ה local, as the name is always written נב in other places: vid., Sa1 22:11, Sa1 22:19; Sa1 21:1; Isa 10:32; Neh 11:32) was at that time a priests' city (Sa1 22:19), in which, according to the following account, the tabernacle was then standing, and the legal worship carried on. According to Isa 10:30, Isa 10:32, it was between Anathoth (Anata) and Jerusalem, and in all probability it has been preserved in the village of el-Isawiyeh, i.e., probably the village of Esau or Edom, which is midway between Anata and Jerusalem, an hour from the latter, and the same distance to the south-east of Gibeah of Saul (Tell el Phul), and which bears all the marks of an ancient place, partly in its dwellings, the stones of which date from a great antiquity, and partly in many marble columns which are found there (vid., Tobler, Topogr. v. Jerusalem ii. p. 720). Hence v. Raumer (Pal. p. 215, ed. 4) follows Kiepert in the map which he has appended to Robinson's Biblical Researches, and set down this place as the ancient Nob, for which Robinson indeed searched in vain (see Pal. ii. p. 150). Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, most probably the same person as Ahiah (Sa1 14:3), was "the priest," i.e., the high priest (see at Sa1 14:3). When David came to him, the priest "went trembling to meet him" (לקראת יחרד) with the inquiry, "Why art thou alone, and no one is with thee?" The unexpected appearance of David, the son-in-law of the king, without any attendants, alarmed Ahimelech, who probably imagined that he had come with a commission from the king which might involve him in danger. David had left the few servants who accompanied him in his flight somewhere in the neighbourhood, as we may gather from Sa1 21:2, because he wished to converse with the high priest alone. Ahimelech's anxious inquiry led David to resort to the fabrication described in Sa1 21:2 : "The king hath commanded me a business, and said to me, No one is to know anything of this matter, in which (lit. in relation to the matter with regard to which) I send thee, and which I have entrusted to thee (i.e., no one is to know either the occasion or the nature of the commission): and the servants I have directed to such and such a place." יודע, Poel, to cause to know, point, show. Ahimelech had received no information as yet concerning the most recent occurrences between Saul and David; and David would not confess to him that he was fleeing from Saul, because he was evidently afraid that the high priest would not give him any assistance, lest he should draw down the wrath of the king. This falsehood brought he greatest calamities upon Ahimelech and the priests at Nob (Sa1 22:9-19), and David was afterwards obliged to confess that he had occasioned it all (Sa1 22:22). Sa1 21:3 "And now what is under thy hand? give into my hand (i.e., hand me) five loaves, or whatever (else) is to be found." David asked for five loaves, because he had spoken of several attendants, and probably wanted to make provision for two or three days (Thenius). Sa1 21:4 The priest answered that he had no common bread, but only holy bread, viz., according to Sa1 21:6, shew-bread that had been removed, which none but priests were allowed to eat, and that in a sacred place; but that he was willing to give him some of these loaves, as David had said that he was travelling upon an important mission from the king, provided only that "the young men had kept themselves at least from women," i.e., had not been defiled by sexual intercourse (Lev 15:18). If they were clean at any rate in this respect, he would in such a case of necessity depart from the Levitical law concerning the eating of the shew-bread, for the sake of observing the higher commandment of love to a neighbour (Lev 19:18; cf. Mat 12:5-6; Mar 2:25-26). (Note: When Mark (Mar 2:26) assigns this action to the days of Abiathar the high priest, the statement rests upon an error of memory, in which Ahimelech is confounded with Abiathar.) Sa1 21:5 David quieted him concerning this scruple, and said, "Nay, but women have been kept from us since yesterday and the day before." The use of אם כּי may be explained from the fact, that in David's reply he paid more attention to the sense than to the form of the priest's scruple, and expressed himself as concisely as possible. The words, "if the young men have only kept themselves from women," simply meant, if only they are not unclean; and David replied, That is certainly not the case, but women have been kept from us; so that אם כּי has the meaning but in this passage also, as it frequently has after a previous negative, which is implied in the thought here as in Sa2 13:33. "When I came out, the young men's things were holy (Levitically clean); and if it is an unholy way, it becomes even holy through the instrument." David does not say that the young men were clean when he came out (for the rendering given to הנּערים כּלי in the Septuagint, πάντα τὰ παιδάρια, is without any critical value, and is only a mistaken attempt to explain the word כּלי, which was unintelligible to the translator), but simply affirms that קדשׁ הנּערים כּלי, i.e., according to Luther's rendering (der Knaben Zeug war heilig), the young men's things (clothes, etc.) were holy. כּלים does not mean merely vessels, arms, or tools, but also the dress (Deu 22:5), or rather the clothes as well as such things as were most necessary to meet the wants of life. By the coitus, or strictly speaking, by the emissio seminis in connection with the coitus, not only were the persons themselves defiled, but also every article of clothing or leather upon which any of the semen fell (Lev 15:18); so that it was necessary for the purpose of purification that the things which a man had on should all be washed. David explains, with evident allusion to this provision, that the young men's things were holy, i.e., perfectly clean, for the purpose of assuring the priest that there was not the smallest Levitical uncleanness attaching to them. The clause which follows is to be taken as conditional, and as supposing a possible case: "and if it is an unholy way." דּרך, the way that David was going with his young men, i.e., his purpose of enterprise, by which, however, we are not to understand his request of holy bread from Ahimelech, but the performance of the king's commission of which he had spoken. כּי ואף, lit. besides (there is) also that, = moreover there is also the fact, that it becomes holy through the instrument; i.e., as O. v. Gerlach has correctly explained it, "on the supposition of the important royal mission, upon which David pretended to be sent, through me as an ambassador of the anointed of the Lord," in which, at any rate, David's meaning really was, "the way was sanctified before God, when he, as His chosen servant, the preserver of the true kingdom of God in Israel, went to him in his extremity." That פּלי in the sense of instrument is also applied to men, is evident from Isa 13:5 and Jer 50:25. Sa1 21:6-7 The priest then gave him (what was) holy, namely the shew-loaves "that were taken from before Jehovah," i.e., from the holy table, upon which they had lain before Jehovah for seven days (vid., Lev 24:6-9). - In Sa1 21:7 there is a parenthetical remark introduced, which was of great importance in relation to the consequences of this occurrence. There at the sanctuary there was a man of Saul's servants, נעצר, i.e., "kept back (shut off) before Jehovah:" i.e., at the sanctuary of the tabernacle, either for the sake of purification or as a proselyte, who wished to be received into the religious communion of Israel, or because of supposed leprosy, according to Lev 13:4. His name was Doeg the Edomite, הרעים אבּיר, "the strong one (i.e., the overseer) of the herdsmen of Saul." (Note: The Septuagint translators have rendered these words νέμων τὰς ἡμιόνους, "feeding the mules of Saul;" and accordingly in Sa1 22:9 also they have changed Saul's servants into mules, in accordance with which Thenius makes Doeg the upper herdsman of Saul. But it is very evident that the text of the lxx is nothing more than a subjective interpretation of the expression before us, and does not presuppose any other text, from the simple fact that all the other ancient versions are founded upon the Hebrew text both here and in Sa1 22:9, including even the Vulgate (potentissimus pastorum); and the clause contained in some of the MSS of the Vulgate (his pascebat mulas Saul) is nothing more than a gloss that has crept in from the Itala; and this is still more obvious in Sa1 22:9, where נצּב והוּא is applicable enough to עבדי, but is altogether unsuitable in connection with פרדי, since נצּב is no more applied in Hebrew to herdsmen or keepers of animals, than we should think of speaking of presidents of asses, horses, etc. Moreover, it is not till the reign of David that we read of mules being used as riding animals by royal princes (Sa2 13:29; Sa2 18:9); and they are mentioned for the first time as beasts of burden, along with asses, camels, and oxen, in Ch1 12:40, where they are said to have been employed by the northern tribes to carry provisions to Hebron to the festival held at the recognition of David as king. Before David's time the sons of princes rode upon asses (vid., Jdg 10:4; Jdg 12:14).) Sa1 21:8 David also asked Ahimelech whether he had not a sword or a javelin at hand; "for I have neither brought my sword nor my (other) weapons with me, because the affair of the king was pressing," i.e., very urgent, נחוּץ, ἁπ. λεγ., literally, compressed. Sa1 21:9 The priest replied, that there was only the sword of Goliath, whom David slew in the terebinth valley (Sa1 17:2), wrapped up in a cloth hanging behind the ephod (the high priest's shoulder-dress), - a sign of the great worth attached to this dedicatory offering. He could take that. David accepted it, as a weapon of greater value to him than any other, because he had not only taken this sword as booty from the Philistine, but had cut off the head of Goliath with it (see Sa1 17:51). When and how this sword had come into the tabernacle is not known (see the remarks on Sa1 17:54). The form בּזּה for בּזה is only met with here. On the Piska, see at Jos 4:1.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

Sa1 21:1-2

David at Nob. - The town of Nob or Nobeh (unless indeed the form נבה stands for נבה here and in Sa1 22:9, and the ה attached is merely ה local, as the name is always written נב in other places: vid., Sa1 22:11, Sa1 22:19; Sa1 21:1; Isa 10:32; Neh 11:32) was at that time a priests' city (Sa1 22:19), in which, according to the following account, the tabernacle was then standing, and the legal worship carried on. According to Isa 10:30, Isa 10:32, it was between Anathoth (Anata) and Jerusalem, and in all probability it has been preserved in the village of el-Isawiyeh, i.e., probably the village of Esau or Edom, which is midway between Anata and Jerusalem, an hour from the latter, and the same distance to the south-east of Gibeah of Saul (Tell el Phul), and which bears all the marks of an ancient place, partly in its dwellings, the stones of which date from a great antiquity, and partly in many marble columns which are found there (vid., Tobler, Topogr. v. Jerusalem ii. p. 720). Hence v. Raumer (Pal. p. 215, ed. 4) follows Kiepert in the map which he has appended to Robinson's Biblical Researches, and set down this place as the ancient Nob, for which Robinson indeed searched in vain (see Pal. ii. p. 150). Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, most probably the same person as Ahiah (Sa1 14:3), was "the priest," i.e., the high priest (see at Sa1 14:3). When David came to him, the priest "went trembling to meet him" (לקראת יחרד) with the inquiry, "Why art thou alone, and no one is with thee?" The unexpected appearance of David, the son-in-law of the king, without any attendants, alarmed Ahimelech, who probably imagined that he had come with a commission from the king which might involve him in danger. David had left the few servants who accompanied him in his flight somewhere in the neighbourhood, as we may gather from Sa1 21:2, because he wished to converse with the high priest alone. Ahimelech's anxious inquiry led David to resort to the fabrication described in Sa1 21:2 : "The king hath commanded me a business, and said to me, No one is to know anything of this matter, in which (lit. in relation to the matter with regard to which) I send thee, and which I have entrusted to thee (i.e., no one is to know either the occasion or the nature of the commission): and the servants I have directed to such and such a place." יודע, Poel, to cause to know, point, show. Ahimelech had received no information as yet concerning the most recent occurrences between Saul and David; and David would not confess to him that he was fleeing from Saul, because he was evidently afraid that the high priest would not give him any assistance, lest he should draw down the wrath of the king. This falsehood brought he greatest calamities upon Ahimelech and the priests at Nob (Sa1 22:9-19), and David was afterwards obliged to confess that he had occasioned it all (Sa1 22:22).

Sa1 21:3

"And now what is under thy hand? give into my hand (i.e., hand me) five loaves, or whatever (else) is to be found." David asked for five loaves, because he had spoken of several attendants, and probably wanted to make provision for two or three days (Thenius).

Sa1 21:4

The priest answered that he had no common bread, but only holy bread, viz., according to Sa1 21:6, shew-bread that had been removed, which none but priests were allowed to eat, and that in a sacred place; but that he was willing to give him some of these loaves, as David had said that he was travelling upon an important mission from the king, provided only that "the young men had kept themselves at least from women," i.e., had not been defiled by sexual intercourse (Lev 15:18). If they were clean at any rate in this respect, he would in such a case of necessity depart from the Levitical law concerning the eating of the shew-bread, for the sake of observing the higher commandment of love to a neighbour (Lev 19:18; cf. Mat 12:5-6; Mar 2:25-26).

(Note: When Mark (Mar 2:26) assigns this action to the days of Abiathar the high priest, the statement rests upon an error of memory, in which Ahimelech is confounded with Abiathar.)

Sa1 21:5

David quieted him concerning this scruple, and said, "Nay, but women have been kept from us since yesterday and the day before." The use of אם כּי may be explained from the fact, that in David's reply he paid more attention to the sense than to the form of the priest's scruple, and expressed himself as concisely as possible. The words, "if the young men have only kept themselves from women," simply meant, if only they are not unclean; and David replied, That is certainly not the case, but women have been kept from us; so that אם כּי has the meaning but in this passage also, as it frequently has after a previous negative, which is implied in the thought here as in Sa2 13:33. "When I came out, the young men's things were holy (Levitically clean); and if it is an unholy way, it becomes even holy through the instrument." David does not say that the young men were clean when he came out (for the rendering given to הנּערים כּלי in the Septuagint, πάντα τὰ παιδάρια, is without any critical value, and is only a mistaken attempt to explain the word כּלי, which was unintelligible to the translator), but simply affirms that קדשׁ הנּערים כּלי, i.e., according to Luther's rendering (der Knaben Zeug war heilig), the young men's things (clothes, etc.) were holy. כּלים does not mean merely vessels, arms, or tools, but also the dress (Deu 22:5), or rather the clothes as well as such things as were most necessary to meet the wants of life. By the coitus, or strictly speaking, by the emissio seminis in connection with the coitus, not only were the persons themselves defiled, but also every article of clothing or leather upon which any of the semen fell (Lev 15:18); so that it was necessary for the purpose of purification that the things which a man had on should all be washed. David explains, with evident allusion to this provision, that the young men's things were holy, i.e., perfectly clean, for the purpose of assuring the priest that there was not the smallest Levitical uncleanness attaching to them. The clause which follows is to be taken as conditional, and as supposing a possible case: "and if it is an unholy way." דּרך, the way that David was going with his young men, i.e., his purpose of enterprise, by which, however, we are not to understand his request of holy bread from Ahimelech, but the performance of the king's commission of which he had spoken. כּי ואף, lit. besides (there is) also that, = moreover there is also the fact, that it becomes holy through the instrument; i.e., as O. v. Gerlach has correctly explained it, "on the supposition of the important royal mission, upon which David pretended to be sent, through me as an ambassador of the anointed of the Lord," in which, at any rate, David's meaning really was, "the way was sanctified before God, when he, as His chosen servant, the preserver of the true kingdom of God in Israel, went to him in his extremity." That פּלי in the sense of instrument is also applied to men, is evident from Isa 13:5 and Jer 50:25.

Sa1 21:6-7

The priest then gave him (what was) holy, namely the shew-loaves "that were taken from before Jehovah," i.e., from the holy table, upon which they had lain before Jehovah for seven days (vid., Lev 24:6-9). - In Sa1 21:7 there is a parenthetical remark introduced, which was of great importance in relation to the consequences of this occurrence. There at the sanctuary there was a man of Saul's servants, נעצר, i.e., "kept back (shut off) before Jehovah:" i.e., at the sanctuary of the tabernacle, either for the sake of purification or as a proselyte, who wished to be received into the religious communion of Israel, or because of supposed leprosy, according to Lev 13:4. His name was Doeg the Edomite, הרעים אבּיר, "the strong one (i.e., the overseer) of the herdsmen of Saul."

(Note: The Septuagint translators have rendered these words νέμων τὰς ἡμιόνους, "feeding the mules of Saul;" and accordingly in Sa1 22:9 also they have changed Saul's servants into mules, in accordance with which Thenius makes Doeg the upper herdsman of Saul. But it is very evident that the text of the lxx is nothing more than a subjective interpretation of the expression before us, and does not presuppose any other text, from the simple fact that all the other ancient versions are founded upon the Hebrew text both here and in Sa1 22:9, including even the Vulgate (potentissimus pastorum); and the clause contained in some of the MSS of the Vulgate (his pascebat mulas Saul) is nothing more than a gloss that has crept in from the Itala; and this is still more obvious in Sa1 22:9, where נצּב והוּא is applicable enough to עבדי, but is altogether unsuitable in connection with פרדי, since נצּב is no more applied in Hebrew to herdsmen or keepers of animals, than we should think of speaking of presidents of asses, horses, etc. Moreover, it is not till the reign of David that we read of mules being used as riding animals by royal princes (Sa2 13:29; Sa2 18:9); and they are mentioned for the first time as beasts of burden, along with asses, camels, and oxen, in Ch1 12:40, where they are said to have been employed by the northern tribes to carry provisions to Hebron to the festival held at the recognition of David as king. Before David's time the sons of princes rode upon asses (vid., Jdg 10:4; Jdg 12:14).)

Sa1 21:8

David also asked Ahimelech whether he had not a sword or a javelin at hand; "for I have neither brought my sword nor my (other) weapons with me, because the affair of the king was pressing," i.e., very urgent, נחוּץ, ἁπ. λεγ., literally, compressed.

Sa1 21:9

The priest replied, that there was only the sword of Goliath, whom David slew in the terebinth valley (Sa1 17:2), wrapped up in a cloth hanging behind the ephod (the high priest's shoulder-dress), - a sign of the great worth attached to this dedicatory offering. He could take that. David accepted it, as a weapon of greater value to him than any other, because he had not only taken this sword as booty from the Philistine, but had cut off the head of Goliath with it (see Sa1 17:51). When and how this sword had come into the tabernacle is not known (see the remarks on Sa1 17:54). The form בּזּה for בּזה is only met with here. On the Piska, see at Jos 4:1.

Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible, by John Wesley [1754-65]
Nob - A city of priests, where the tabernacle now was. Hither David resorted, 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, he might receive comfort and counsel from the Lord. Ahimelech - The chief priest, brother to that Ahiah, Sa1 14:3, and he being now dead, his successor in the priesthood, for they were both sons of Ahitub. Was afraid - Suspecting some extraordinary cause of his coming in such a manner. Alone - For though David had some servants as is manifest from Sa1 21:4-5, whom Jonathan probably had sent to a place appointed, yet they were left at another place: as David himself affirmeth, Sa1 21:2. And David was now alone, as also he was when he fled to Achish. He who had been suddenly advanced to the highest honour, is as soon reduced to the desolate conditions of an exile. Such changes are there in this world, and so uncertain are its smiles.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Then came David to Nob - There were two places of this name, one on this side, the second on the other side of Jordan; but it is generally supposed that Nob, near Gibeah of Benjamin, is the place here intended; it was about twelve miles from Jerusalem. Why art thou alone - Ahimelech probably knew nothing of the difference between Saul and David; and as he knew him to be the king's son-in-law, he wondered to see him come without any attendants.

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²⁰ And one [0259] of the sons [01121] of Ahimelech [0288] the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285], named [08034] Abiathar [054], escaped [04422], and fled [01272] after [0310] David [01732].

⁴ And he brought [05148] them before [06440] the king [04428] of Moab [04124]: and they dwelt [03427] with him all the while [03117] that David [01732] was in the hold [04686].
⁵ And the prophet [05030] Gad [01410] said [0559] unto David [01732], Abide [03427] not in the hold [04686]; depart [03212], and get [0935] thee into the land [0776] of Judah [03063]. Then David [01732] departed [03212], and came [0935] into the forest [03293] of Hareth [02802].
⁶ When Saul [07586] heard [08085] that David [01732] was discovered [03045], and the men [0582] that were with him, (now Saul [07586] abode [03427] in Gibeah [01390] under a tree [0815] in Ramah [07414], having his spear [02595] in his hand [03027], and all his servants [05650] were standing [05324] about him;)
⁷ Then Saul [07586] said [0559] unto his servants [05650] that stood [05324] about him, Hear now [08085], ye Benjamites [01145]; will the son [01121] of Jesse [03448] give [05414] every one of you fields [07704] and vineyards [03754], and make [07760] you all captains [08269] of thousands [0505], and captains [08269] of hundreds [03967];
⁸ That all of you have conspired [07194] against me, and there is none that sheweth [01540] [0241] me that my son [01121] hath made a league [03772] with the son [01121] of Jesse [03448], and there is none of you that is sorry [02470] for me, or sheweth [01540] [0241] unto me that my son [01121] hath stirred up [06965] my servant [05650] against me, to lie in wait [0693], as at this day [03117]?
⁹ Then answered [06030] Doeg [01673] the Edomite [0130], which was set [05324] over the servants [05650] of Saul [07586], and said [0559], I saw [07200] the son [01121] of Jesse [03448] coming [0935] to Nob [05011], to Ahimelech [0288] the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285].
¹⁰ And he enquired [07592] of the LORD [03068] for him, and gave [05414] him victuals [06720], and gave [05414] him the sword [02719] of Goliath [01555] the Philistine [06430].
¹¹ Then the king [04428] sent [07971] to call [07121] Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548], the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285], and all his father's [01] house [01004], the priests [03548] that were in Nob [05011]: and they came [0935] all of them to the king [04428].

³ And Ahiah [0281], the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285], Ichabod's [0350] brother [0251], the son [01121] of Phinehas [06372], the son [01121] of Eli [05941], the LORD'S [03068] priest [03548] in Shiloh [07887], wearing [05375] an ephod [0646]. And the people [05971] knew [03045] not that Jonathan [03129] was gone [01980].

¹⁹ And Nob [05011], the city [05892] of the priests [03548], smote [05221] he with the edge [06310] of the sword [02719], both men [0376] and women [0802], children [05768] and sucklings [03243], and oxen [07794], and asses [02543], and sheep [07716], with the edge [06310] of the sword [02719].

¹ Then came [0935] David [01732] to Nob [05011] to Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548]: and Ahimelech [0288] was afraid [02729] at the meeting [07125] of David [01732], and said [0559] unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man [0376] with thee?
² And David [01732] said [0559] unto Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548], The king [04428] hath commanded [06680] me a business [01697], and hath said [0559] unto me, Let no man [0376] know [03045] any thing [03972] of the business [01697] whereabout I send [07971] thee, and what I have commanded [06680] thee: and I have appointed [03045] my servants [05288] to such [06423] and such [0492] a place [04725].
³ Now therefore what is [03426] under thine hand [03027]? give [05414] me five [02568] loaves of bread [03899] in mine hand [03027], or what there is present [04672].
⁴ And the priest [03548] answered [06030] David [01732], and said [0559], There is no common [02455] bread [03899] under mine hand [03027], but there is [03426] hallowed [06944] bread [03899]; if the young men [05288] have kept [08104] themselves at least [0389] from women [0802].
⁵ And David [01732] answered [06030] the priest [03548], and said [0559] unto him, Of a truth [0518] women [0802] have been kept [06113] from us about these three [08032] days [08543], since I came out [03318], and the vessels [03627] of the young men [05288] are holy [06944], and the bread is in a manner [01870] common [02455], yea, though it were sanctified [06942] this day [03117] in the vessel [03627].
⁶ So the priest [03548] gave [05414] him hallowed [06944] bread: for there was no bread [03899] there but the shewbread [03899] [06440], that was taken [05493] from before [06440] the LORD [03068], to put [07760] hot [02527] bread [03899] in the day [03117] when it was taken away [03947].
⁷ Now a certain man [0376] of the servants [05650] of Saul [07586] was there that day [03117], detained [06113] before [06440] the LORD [03068]; and his name [08034] was Doeg [01673], an Edomite [0130], the chiefest [047] of the herdmen [07462] that belonged to Saul [07586].

³² And at Anathoth [06068], Nob [05011], Ananiah [06055],

³² As yet shall he remain [05975] at Nob [05011] that day [03117]: he shall shake [05130] his hand [03027] against the mount [02022] of the daughter [01323] [01004] of Zion [06726], the hill [01389] of Jerusalem [03389].

¹⁰ And he enquired [07592] of the LORD [03068] for him, and gave [05414] him victuals [06720], and gave [05414] him the sword [02719] of Goliath [01555] the Philistine [06430].

⁹ And the priest [03548] said [0559], The sword [02719] of Goliath [01555] the Philistine [06430], whom thou slewest [05221] in the valley [06010] of Elah [0425], behold, it is here wrapped [03874] in a cloth [08071] behind [0310] the ephod [0646]: if thou wilt take [03947] that, take [03947] it: for there is no other [0312] save [02108] that here [02088]. And David [01732] said [0559], There is none like that; give [05414] it me.

¹ And it came to pass, when all the people [01471] were clean [08552] passed over [05674] Jordan [03383], that the LORD [03068] spake [0559] unto Joshua [03091], saying [0559],

⁵⁴ And David [01732] took [03947] the head [07218] of the Philistine [06430], and brought [0935] it to Jerusalem [03389]; but he put [07760] his armour [03627] in his tent [0168].

⁵¹ Therefore David [01732] ran [07323], and stood [05975] upon the Philistine [06430], and took [03947] his sword [02719], and drew [08025] it out of the sheath [08593] thereof, and slew [04191] him, and cut off [03772] his head [07218] therewith. And when the Philistines [06430] saw [07200] their champion [01368] was dead [04191], they fled [05127].

² And Saul [07586] and the men [0376] of Israel [03478] were gathered together [0622], and pitched [02583] by the valley [06010] of Elah [0425], and set the battle [04421] in array [06186] against [07125] the Philistines [06430].

⁸ And David [01732] said [0559] unto Ahimelech [0288], And is there [03426] not [0371] here under thine hand [03027] spear [02595] or sword [02719]? for I have neither brought [03947] my sword [02719] nor my weapons [03627] with me [03027], because the king's [04428] business [01697] required [01961] haste [05169].

¹⁴ And he had forty [0705] sons [01121] and thirty [07970] nephews [01121] [01121], that rode [07392] on threescore and ten [07657] ass colts [05895]: and he judged [08199] Israel [03478] eight [08083] years [08141].

⁴ And he had thirty [07970] sons [01121] that rode [07392] on thirty [07970] ass colts [05895], and they had thirty [07970] cities [05892], which are called [07121] Havothjair [02334] unto this day [03117], which are in the land [0776] of Gilead [01568].

⁴⁰ Moreover they that were nigh [07138] them, even unto Issachar [03485] and Zebulun [02074] and Naphtali [05321], brought [0935] bread [03899] on asses [02543], and on camels [01581], and on mules [06505], and on oxen [01241], and meat [03978], meal [07058], cakes [01690] of figs, and bunches of raisins [06778], and wine [03196], and oil [08081], and oxen [01241], and sheep [06629] abundantly [07230]: for there was joy [08057] in Israel [03478].

⁹ And Absalom [053] met [07122] the servants [06440] [05650] of David [01732]. And Absalom [053] rode [07392] upon a mule [06505], and the mule [06505] went [0935] under the thick boughs [07730] of a great [01419] oak [0424], and his head [07218] caught hold [02388] of the oak [0424], and he was taken up [05414] between the heaven [08064] and the earth [0776]; and the mule [06505] that was under him went away [05674].

²⁹ And the servants [05288] of Absalom [053] did [06213] unto Amnon [0550] as Absalom [053] had commanded [06680]. Then all the king's [04428] sons [01121] arose [06965], and every man [0376] gat him up [07392] upon his mule [06505], and fled [05127].

⁴ If the bright spot [0934] be white [03836] in the skin [05785] of his flesh [01320], and in sight [04758] be not deeper [06013] than the skin [05785], and the hair [08181] thereof be not turned [02015] white [03836]; then the priest [03548] shall shut [05462] up him that hath the plague [05061] seven [07651] days [03117]:

⁷ Now a certain man [0376] of the servants [05650] of Saul [07586] was there that day [03117], detained [06113] before [06440] the LORD [03068]; and his name [08034] was Doeg [01673], an Edomite [0130], the chiefest [047] of the herdmen [07462] that belonged to Saul [07586].

⁶ And thou shalt set [07760] them in two [08147] rows [04634], six [08337] on a row [04635], upon the pure [02889] table [07979] before [06440] the LORD [03068].
⁷ And thou shalt put [05414] pure [02134] frankincense [03828] upon each row [04635], that it may be on the bread [03899] for a memorial [0234], even an offering made by fire [0801] unto the LORD [03068].
⁸ Every sabbath [07676] he shall set it [03117] in order [06186] before [06440] the LORD [03068] continually [08548], being taken from the children [01121] of Israel [03478] by an everlasting [05769] covenant [01285].
⁹ And it shall be Aaron's [0175] and his sons [01121]'; and they shall eat [0398] it in the holy [06918] place [04725]: for it is most [06944] holy [06944] unto him of the offerings [0801] of the LORD [03068] made by fire [0801] by a perpetual [05769] statute [02706].

⁶ So the priest [03548] gave [05414] him hallowed [06944] bread: for there was no bread [03899] there but the shewbread [03899] [06440], that was taken [05493] from before [06440] the LORD [03068], to put [07760] hot [02527] bread [03899] in the day [03117] when it was taken away [03947].
⁷ Now a certain man [0376] of the servants [05650] of Saul [07586] was there that day [03117], detained [06113] before [06440] the LORD [03068]; and his name [08034] was Doeg [01673], an Edomite [0130], the chiefest [047] of the herdmen [07462] that belonged to Saul [07586].

²⁵ The LORD [03068] hath opened [06605] his armoury [0214], and hath brought forth [03318] the weapons [03627] of his indignation [02195]: for this is the work [04399] of the Lord [0136] GOD [03069] of hosts [06635] in the land [0776] of the Chaldeans [03778].

⁵ They come [0935] from a far [04801] country [0776], from the end [07097] of heaven [08064], even the LORD [03068], and the weapons [03627] of his indignation [02195], to destroy [02254] the whole land [0776].

¹⁸ The woman [0802] also with whom man [0376] shall lie [07901] with seed [02233] of copulation [07902], they shall both bathe [07364] themselves in water [04325], and be unclean [02930] until the even [06153].

⁵ The woman [0802] shall not wear that which pertaineth [03627] unto a man [01397], neither shall a man [01397] put [03847] on a woman's [0802] garment [08071]: for all that do [06213] so [0428] are abomination [08441] unto the LORD [03068] thy God [0430].

³³ Now therefore let not my lord [0113] the king [04428] take [07760] the thing [01697] to his heart [03820], to think [0559] that all the king's [04428] sons [01121] are dead [04191]: for Amnon [0550] only is dead [04191].

⁵ And David [01732] answered [06030] the priest [03548], and said [0559] unto him, Of a truth [0518] women [0802] have been kept [06113] from us about these three [08032] days [08543], since I came out [03318], and the vessels [03627] of the young men [05288] are holy [06944], and the bread is in a manner [01870] common [02455], yea, though it were sanctified [06942] this day [03117] in the vessel [03627].

²⁶ How [4459] he went [1525] into [1519] the house [3624] of God [2316] in the days [1909] of Abiathar [8] the high priest [749], and [2532] did eat [5315] the shewbread [740] [4286], which [3739] is [1832] not [3756] lawful [1832] to eat [5315] but for [1508] the priests [2409], and [2532] gave [1325] also [2532] to them which were [5607] with [4862] him [846]?

²⁵ And [2532] he [846] said [3004] unto them [846], Have ye never [3763] read [314] what [5101] David [1138] did [4160], when [3753] he had [2192] need [5532], and [2532] was an hungred [3983], he [846], and [2532] they that were with [3326] him [846]?
²⁶ How [4459] he went [1525] into [1519] the house [3624] of God [2316] in the days [1909] of Abiathar [8] the high priest [749], and [2532] did eat [5315] the shewbread [740] [4286], which [3739] is [1832] not [3756] lawful [1832] to eat [5315] but for [1508] the priests [2409], and [2532] gave [1325] also [2532] to them which were [5607] with [4862] him [846]?

⁵ Or [2228] have ye [314] not [3756] read [314] in [1722] the law [3551], how that [3754] on the sabbath days [4521] the priests [2409] in [1722] the temple [2411] profane [953] the sabbath [4521], and [2532] are [1526] blameless [338]?
⁶ But [1161] I say [3004] unto you [5213], That [3754] in this place [5602] is one [2076] greater than [3187] the temple [2411].

¹⁸ Thou shalt not avenge [05358], nor bear any grudge [05201] against the children [01121] of thy people [05971], but thou shalt love [0157] thy neighbour [07453] as thyself [03644]: I am the LORD [03068].

³ Now therefore what is [03426] under thine hand [03027]? give [05414] me five [02568] loaves of bread [03899] in mine hand [03027], or what there is present [04672].

²² And David [01732] said [0559] unto Abiathar [054], I knew [03045] it that day [03117], when Doeg [01673] the Edomite [0130] was there, that he would surely [05046] tell [05046] Saul [07586]: I have occasioned [05437] the death of all the persons [05315] of thy father's [01] house [01004].

⁹ Then answered [06030] Doeg [01673] the Edomite [0130], which was set [05324] over the servants [05650] of Saul [07586], and said [0559], I saw [07200] the son [01121] of Jesse [03448] coming [0935] to Nob [05011], to Ahimelech [0288] the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285].
¹⁰ And he enquired [07592] of the LORD [03068] for him, and gave [05414] him victuals [06720], and gave [05414] him the sword [02719] of Goliath [01555] the Philistine [06430].
¹¹ Then the king [04428] sent [07971] to call [07121] Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548], the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285], and all his father's [01] house [01004], the priests [03548] that were in Nob [05011]: and they came [0935] all of them to the king [04428].
¹² And Saul [07586] said [0559], Hear [08085] now, thou son [01121] of Ahitub [0285]. And he answered [0559], Here I am, my lord [0113].
¹³ And Saul [07586] said [0559] unto him, Why have ye conspired [07194] against me, thou and the son [01121] of Jesse [03448], in that thou hast given [05414] him bread [03899], and a sword [02719], and hast enquired [07592] of God [0430] for him, that he should rise [06965] against me, to lie in wait [0693], as at this day [03117]?
¹⁴ Then Ahimelech [0288] answered [06030] the king [04428], and said [0559], And who is so faithful [0539] among all thy servants [05650] as David [01732], which is the king's [04428] son in law [02860], and goeth [05493] at thy bidding [04928], and is honourable [03513] in thine house [01004]?
¹⁵ Did I then [03117] begin [02490] to enquire [07592] of God [0430] for him? be it far from me [02486]: let not the king [04428] impute [07760] any thing [01697] unto his servant [05650], nor to all the house [01004] of my father [01]: for thy servant [05650] knew [03045] nothing [01697] of all this, less [06996] or more [01419].
¹⁶ And the king [04428] said [0559], Thou shalt surely [04191] die [04191], Ahimelech [0288], thou, and all thy father's [01] house [01004].
¹⁷ And the king [04428] said [0559] unto the footmen [07323] that stood [05324] about him, Turn [05437], and slay [04191] the priests [03548] of the LORD [03068]; because their hand [03027] also is with David [01732], and because they knew [03045] when he fled [01272], and did not shew [01540] [0241] it to me. But the servants [05650] of the king [04428] would [014] not put forth [07971] their hand [03027] to fall [06293] upon the priests [03548] of the LORD [03068].
¹⁸ And the king [04428] said [0559] to Doeg [01673], Turn [05437] thou, and fall [06293] upon the priests [03548]. And Doeg [01673] the Edomite [0130] turned [05437], and he fell [06293] upon the priests [03548], and slew [04191] on that day [03117] fourscore [08084] and five [02568] persons [0376] that did wear [05375] a linen [0906] ephod [0646].
¹⁹ And Nob [05011], the city [05892] of the priests [03548], smote [05221] he with the edge [06310] of the sword [02719], both men [0376] and women [0802], children [05768] and sucklings [03243], and oxen [07794], and asses [02543], and sheep [07716], with the edge [06310] of the sword [02719].

² And David [01732] said [0559] unto Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548], The king [04428] hath commanded [06680] me a business [01697], and hath said [0559] unto me, Let no man [0376] know [03045] any thing [03972] of the business [01697] whereabout I send [07971] thee, and what I have commanded [06680] thee: and I have appointed [03045] my servants [05288] to such [06423] and such [0492] a place [04725].

³⁰ Lift up [06670] thy voice [06963], O daughter [01323] of [01530] Gallim [01554]: cause it to be heard [07181] unto Laish [03919], O poor [06041] Anathoth [06068].

³² And at Anathoth [06068], Nob [05011], Ananiah [06055],

¹¹ Then the king [04428] sent [07971] to call [07121] Ahimelech [0288] the priest [03548], the son [01121] of Ahitub [0285], and all his father's [01] house [01004], the priests [03548] that were in Nob [05011]: and they came [0935] all of them to the king [04428].

⁴ And the priest [03548] answered [06030] David [01732], and said [0559], There is no common [02455] bread [03899] under mine hand [03027], but there is [03426] hallowed [06944] bread [03899]; if the young men [05288] have kept [08104] themselves at least [0389] from women [0802].
⁵ And David [01732] answered [06030] the priest [03548], and said [0559] unto him, Of a truth [0518] women [0802] have been kept [06113] from us about these three [08032] days [08543], since I came out [03318], and the vessels [03627] of the young men [05288] are holy [06944], and the bread is in a manner [01870] common [02455], yea, though it were sanctified [06942] this day [03117] in the vessel [03627].