1 Samuel 22

1Sa 22:1-8.

DAVID'S

KINDRED AND

OTHERS

RESORT TO

HIM AT

ADULLAM.

1. David . . . escaped to the cave Adullam--supposed to be that now

called Deir-Dubban, a number of pits or underground vaults, some nearly

square, and all about fifteen or twenty feet deep, with perpendicular

sides, in the soft limestone or chalky rocks. They are on the borders

of the Philistine plain at the base of the Judea mountains, six miles

southwest from Beth-lehem, and well adapted for concealing a number of

refugees.

his brethren and all his father's house . . . went down--to escape the

effects of Saul's rage, which seems to have extended to all David's

family. From Beth-lehem to Deir-Dubban it is, indeed, a descent all the

way.

2. every one that was in

distress--(See on

Jud 11:3).

3. David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab--"Mizpeh" signifies a

watchtower, and it is evident that it must be taken in this sense here,

for it is called "the hold" or fort

(1Sa 22:4).

The king of Moab was an enemy of Saul

(1Sa 14:47),

and the great-grandson of Ruth, of course, was related to the family of

Jesse. David, therefore, had less anxiety in seeking an asylum within

the dominions of this prince than those of Achish, because the Moabites

had no grounds for entertaining vindictive feelings against him, and

their enmity, to Saul rendered them the more willing to receive so

illustrious a refugee from his court.

5. the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold--This sound

advice, no doubt, came from a higher source than Gad's own sagacity. It

was right to appear publicly among the people of his own tribe, as one

conscious of innocence and trusting in God; and it was expedient that,

on the death of Saul, his friends might be encouraged to support his

interest.

forest of Hareth--southwest of Jerusalem.

6. Saul abode . . . under a tree in Ramah--literally, "under a grove

on a hill." Oriental princes frequently sit with their court under some

shady canopy in the open air. A spear was the early scepter.

7, 8. Hear now, ye Benjamites--This was an appeal to stimulate the

patriotism or jealousy of his own tribe, from which he insinuated it

was the design of David to transfer the kingdom to another. This

address seems to have been made on hearing of David's return with his

four hundred men to Judah. A dark suspicion had risen in the jealous

mind of the king that Jonathan was aware of this movement, which he

dreaded as a conspiracy against the crown.

1Sa 22:9-16.

DOEG

ACCUSES

AHIMELECH.

9. Doeg . . . set over the servants--Septuagint, "the mules of

Saul."

10. he inquired of the Lord for him--Some suppose that this was a

malicious fiction of Doeg to curry favor with the king, but Ahimelech

seems to acknowledge the fact. The poor simple-minded high priest knew

nothing of the existing family feud between Saul and David. The

informer, if he knew it, said nothing of the cunning artifice by which

David obtained the aid of Ahimelech. The facts looked against him,

and the whole priesthood along with him were declared abettors of

conspiracy

[1Sa 22:16, 17].

1Sa 22:17-19.

SAUL

COMMANDS TO

KILL THE

PRIESTS.

17, 18. the footmen that stood about him--his bodyguard, or his

runners

(1Sa 8:11;

2Sa 15:1;

1Ki 1:5;

1Ki 14:28),

who held an important place at court

(2Ch 12:10).

But they chose rather to disobey the king than to offend God by

imbruing their hands in the blood of his ministering servants. A

foreigner alone

(Ps 52:1-3)

could be found willing to be the executioner of this bloody and

sacrilegious sentence. Thus was the doom of the house of Eli fulfilled

[1Sa 2:30-36].

19. Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the

sword--The barbarous atrocities perpetrated against this city seem

to have been designed to terrify all the subjects of Saul from

affording either aid or an asylum to David. But they proved ruinous to

Saul's own interest, as they alienated the priesthood and disgusted all

good men in the kingdom.

1Sa 22:20-23.

ABIATHAR

ESCAPES AND

FLEES AFTER

DAVID.

20-23. one of the sons of Ahimelech . . . escaped--This was Abiathar,

who repaired to David in the forest of Hareth, rescuing, with his own

life, the high priest's vestments

(1Sa 23:6, 9).

On hearing his sad tale, David declared that he had dreaded such a

fatal result from the malice and intriguing ambition of Doeg; and,

accusing himself as having been the occasion of all the disaster to

Abiathar's family, David invited him to remain, because, firmly

trusting himself in the accomplishment of the divine promise, David

could guarantee protection to him.