David Gets Bread and a Sword from Ahimelech
Study note
David went to the priestly town of Nob, where Ahimelech the priest was surprised and nervous to see David alone. David lied, saying he was on a secret mission from the king. He asked for bread, and the priest gave him the holy bread of the Presence, which was normally reserved only for priests. Jesus later used this event to teach about the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law. David also asked for a weapon, and the only one available was Goliath's sword, which had been kept behind the priestly garment. A man named Doeg the Edomite, one of Saul's chief herdsmen, was there and saw everything.
1 David traveled to the town of Nob and went to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came out to meet David, trembling nervously. He asked, "Why are you all by yourself? Why is nobody traveling with you?" 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?
2 David told the priest, "The king sent me on a secret assignment. He specifically ordered me, 'Nobody can know anything about this mission.' I have arranged for my men to meet me at a certain location." 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.
3 "Now, do you have anything to eat? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you have available." Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.
4 The priest told David, "I do not have any regular bread on hand. The only bread here is the holy bread, but I can give it to you as long as your men have kept themselves pure." 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.
5 David assured him, "We have definitely kept away from women. Whenever I lead a mission, my men always keep themselves clean. That is certainly the case today." 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.
6 So the priest handed over the holy bread, since it was the only bread available. This was the bread that had been displayed before the Lord and had just been replaced with fresh loaves. 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.
7 Now it happened that one of Saul's servants was present that day. His name was Doeg, an Edomite, and he served as Saul's chief shepherd. He had been detained there before the Lord for some reason. 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.
8 David asked Ahimelech, "Do you happen to have a spear or a sword here? I left in such a rush for the king's mission that I did not bring any weapons with me." 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.
9 And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you slew in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if you will take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it to me. 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.
David Pretends to Be Insane in Gath
Study note
David fled to Achish, king of the Philistine city of Gath, Goliath's hometown. But the servants of Achish recognized David as the hero the Israelite women sang about. David was terrified and pretended to be insane, scratching marks on the gates and letting spit run down his beard. King Achish was disgusted and told his servants he had enough madmen already. This clever trick saved David's life and allowed him to escape.
10 That same day, David fled from Saul and escaped to Achish, the king of Gath. And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11 But Achish's servants recognized him and said, "Is this not David, the king of their land? Is he not the one the women sing about, 'Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" 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?
12 Those words made David very nervous. He became genuinely afraid of Achish, the king of Gath. And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13 So David pretended to be crazy before them. He scratched marks on the doors of the city gate and let drool run down his beard. 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.
14 Achish said to his servants, "Look at this man. He is clearly out of his mind. Why did you bring him to me?" Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?
15 "Do I not have enough crazy people around here already? Why would you bring this man to act insane in my presence? Keep him out of my house!" 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?