1st SAMUEL CHAPTER 22 - PRIEST SLAIN AT NOB

Bill Fritz

Adult Education

Fellowship Bible Church

Chapter Summary

David, on the run from Saul’s insanity, begins to gather a formable force of those who were discontented, owed debts, and those who were distressed gather.  David becomes their leader (verses 1, 2).  David finds a safe place for his family, who were with him (verses 3, 4).  Saul, hearing of those who helped David with weapons and their silence, takes his vengeance them and also the city of Nob and its inhabitants (Verses 5-23).

David on the run

1  So David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down there to him.

2  Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now there were about four hundred men with him.

“the cave of Adullam;”

The cave of Abdullam (now called Deir-Dubban) is about half way between Gath and Bethlehem.

“his father’s household”

 1^st Samuel 16:1 tells us Jessie (David’s father) was a Bethlemite, meaning he was from Bethlehem, which was David’s place of birth.  David was born in Bethlehem, which was later named the city of David.  Luke 2:4  tells us Jesus, of the line of David, was also born in Bethlehem.

We see how perfect God’s plan is and how wonderfully the Old and New Testaments are woven together each supported by the other.

In those days people who owed debts found themselves without a home, and often sought refuge in caves.  We do not know whether they knew David was in the cave of Abdullam or just stumbled upon him there.

David Gathers an Army and Safe Guards his Family

3  And David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”

4 Then he left them with the king of Moab; and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.

“David went from there to Mizpah of Moab;”

David wanted to safeguard his parents from the wrath of Saul.  David’s lineage had its beginnings in Moab with Ruth – his grandmother - a Moabite (Ruth 4:17).  David felt safe in going to the king of Moab because of his lineage, and because he knew the king of Moab hated Saul (1^st Samuel 14:47).

“David was in the stronghold”

This stronghold may be referring to the cave of Adullam.  This cave had many very large chambers; enough room for him and those who now followed him (1^st Samuel 22:1, 2) [4].   This cave afforded them safety.  The cave had one opening, and a small band of defenders could stave off the attacks of a much larger force.

As Christians, we have a refuge in Jesus.  Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.”

Saul Seeks Vengeance against Those Who Helped David

5  The prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go into the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

6 Then Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him

“Do not stay in the stronghold;”

David fled to this stronghold and must have felt secure in it.  David may have thought it strange for the prophet to tell him to leave this safe place; however, as we will see he was obedient to the word of the Lord.

“Into the forest of Hreth”.

“The Septuagint has "city" instead of a forest; see also Josephus, Ant, VI, xii, 4. The village Kharas, on an ancient high road, 3 miles Southeast of Aid el ma, probably David's stronghold ADULLAM (which see), may answer to the place (PEF, III, 305, Sh XXI). "Horesh" has been suggested as an alternative reading.”

“Now Saul was sitting in Gebeah” -

Saul was having paranoid thoughts, believing David had many followers, trusted very few (ref verse 7).  We find Saul with only a few of his trusted servants, which may have included some soldiers as well as body servants.  We see Saul with his spear continually in his hand.  It is possible this spear was his scepter as well as a weapon.

7  Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, O Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse also give to all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
8 “For all of you have conspired against me so that there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me to lie in ambush, as it is this day.”

Saul was saying; only he has the power to reward the faithful with wealth and positions of authority.  Saul was admonishing his servants for not telling him about David.  At the same time, Saul was attempting to bolster their sense of loyalty to him.

We can see how dangerous the sin of jealousy can be.  If left un-repented, jealousy, will consume the soul with hatred, leading to other deadly sins.

Doeg the Edomite Informs on David

9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing by the servants of Saul, said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

10 “He inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

“He inquired of the Lord for him”-

If you recall from chapter 21, David told Ahimelech that he was on a mission for the king.   Doeg (the head herdsman for the king) seems to conveniently leave this important fact out.  Ahimelech did not know of Saul’s intention towards David, nor did he fear to answer Saul’s summons.

We can only surmise the reasons for Deog becoming Saul’s informant.  It would appear Doeg wanted to enhance his status with the king and would be willing to do anything to achieve this end.

We have seen Jealousy develop into anger and suspicion, and now we see ambition rearing its ugly head.  You might say none of these events would have happened if Saul would have only sought out and welcomed the will of God, and you would not be wrong.  However, this was not God’s plan.  God removed His Spirit from Saul (1^st Samuel 16:14) allowing evil to enter him; setting in motion God’s design for the lineage of Jesus (Ruth 4:16-22).

I believe God has a master plan, formed before creation.  We, as believers are members of the family of God (John 1:12,13), and as such play a role in God’s creation plan.  God allows things to happen not by accident but rather for the completion of His master plan.

The Priest is slain

11 Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nob; and all of them came to the king.

12  Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

13  Saul then said to him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day?”

Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me

Doeg did not tell Saul of how David deceived the priest Ahimelech.  Not hearing the story in its entity Saul sought vengeance, not answers from the priests.  Saul’s paranoia has now progressed beyond reason.  There seems to be no limit on how far Saul will go to appease his thirst for David’s blood. 

14 Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s son-in-law, who is captain over your guard, and is honored in your house?
15 “Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father, for your servant knows nothing at all of this whole affair.”

Ahimelech tried reasoning with the King.  Ahimelech points to the fact that David was married to his daughter Michal (1^st Samuel 18:20).  The priest will soon find out that there was no reason left in Saul.

All reason vanishes in the face of persistent anger.

16 But the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!”
17  And the king said to the guards who were attending him, “Turn around and put the priests of the Lord to death, because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal it to me.” But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the Lord.

“And the king said to the guards who were attending him”

The word guard is translated from the Greek root word “ruwts”, and in this context means footman or bodyguard.  These personal servants (not soldiers) of Saul are presumed to be Israelites drafted into the kings service (1^st Samuel 8:16), who were devout in their faith, seeing killing a priest as a sin against God.

18  Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn around and attack the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests, and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

Doeg was an Edomite who did not worship the God of Israel.  Therefore, the lives of these priests meant no more than any other human life.

The king wanted Ahimelech, and his entire family killed (refer to verse 16).   Doeg did not stop with killing the priestly family, but as we will see in the next verse; Doeg continued his killing spree into the city of Nob - home of the priests.

19 And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also oxen, donkeys, and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword.
20 But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.

Saul has now severed all ties with God. 

The nagging question remains why God would permit the slaughter of His priests, saving only Abiathar?

We know God removed Himself from Saul (1st Samuel 16:14) and now we see God removing the last vestige of contact with Him.

Abiathar carried his priestly ephod with him and joined David as his priest (1^st Samuel 23:6). 

Our Bodies are of this earth (Genesis 3:19) and as such are tethered to the earth, while the spirit of the believer is bound to Jesus eternally.  We mourn the physical loss of the person, because we will miss them.   However, Like the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15: 11-32) Jesus rejoices when we come home.  Therefore, when grief for the loss of a friend or loved one has subsided; we should rejoice, as God does; because our loss is His gain.

22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have brought about the death of every person in your father’s household.
23 “Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life, for you are safe with me.”

“…,I knew on that day,…”

David’s feelings of guilt over the deaths of the priests is understandable.  He saw Doeg while he was speaking with Ahimelech, and knew there was a possibility he would report back to Saul.  However, he persisted in asking for Ahimelech’s help (1^st Samuel 21: 1-6).

Class Discussion

What applications have we learned?

Our refuge is in the Lord for He is our tower of strength in times of fear (Proverbs 18:10).

Keep a watchful eye on any sin because sin begets only sin. 

Jealousy falls into the general category of coveting your neighbor.  This sin is a powerful weapon of Satan.  If you are jealous of your neighbor because he seems to be doing better than you, you are coveting his success.  As we have seen with Saul, he was jealous of David because the people favored David over Saul. Therefore, Saul coveted David’s acclaim, which led to anger, leading to hate, ending in murder.

“We, as believers are members of the family of God (John 1:12,13) and as such play a role in God’s creation plan.”  In this chapter, we have seen God’s plan for the lineage of Jesus form.  We are not privy to God’s master plan, but we are privileged to see a small part from time to time.

CITATIONS AND REFERENCES

[1] All italicized text are taken from the Holy Bible New American Standard from published by cross wire http://www.crosswire.org/study/passagestudy.jsp?Cross-references=Off#cv (1995), used by permission.