1 Samuel - Chapter 21

1 Samuel 21.1 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? 1 Samuel 21.2 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. 1 Samuel 21.3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. 1 Samuel 21.4 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. 1 Samuel 21.5 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. 1 Samuel 21.6 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. 1 Samuel 21.7 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. 1 Samuel 21.8 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. 1 Samuel 21.9 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. 1 Samuel 21.10 And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 1 Samuel 21.11 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? 1 Samuel 21.12 And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 1 Samuel 21.13 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. 1 Samuel 21.14 Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? 1 Samuel 21.15 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?

1 Samuel : Chapter 21

David's Flight: A Lesson in Loyalty and Providence 1 Samuel 21 tells of David's desperate flight from the threat of Saul. In this time of turmoil, how does David survive? This poignant account takes us to David's encounter with the priest Ahimelech at Nob, where he receives the consecrated bread and Goliath's sword. This chapter illustrates the conflict between loyalty and survival, highlighting David's reliance on half-truths to justify his actions. Moreover, the character of Doeg the Edomite, whose presence is mentioned, hints at future tragedies.

We invite you to meditate on five biblical passages that shed light on the moral dilemmas and divine providence present in this crucial chapter.

Matthew 12:3-4

"He answered, 'Have you not read what David did when he and those who were with him were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and those who were with him ate the bread of the Presence, which was not lawful for them, but only for the priests.'"

In this passage, Jesus refers to the event in 1 Samuel 21, emphasizing that human needs can sometimes prevail over ceremonial regulations.

Mark 2:25-26

"He answered them, 'Have you never read what David did when he and those with him were in need and hungry? He entered the house of God when Abiathar was high priest and ate the bread of the Presence, which only priests were allowed to eat, and he gave it to those with him as well.'"

This verse is another reference to the event in 1 Samuel 21, used by Jesus to defend his disciples accused of breaking the Sabbath.

Psalms 34:1

"Of David. When he pretended to be mad before Abimelech, who drove him out, and he went away."

This title of Psalm 34 directly alludes to the events of 1 Samuel 21, where David feigns madness before Achish, also known as Abimelech.

Psalms 56:1

"To the music master. To the tune of 'The Dove in the Oaks Far Off.' By David. Micto. When the Philistines arrested him at Gath."

This title of Psalm 56 also refers to the events of 1 Samuel 21, when David was in Gath.

Hebrews 9:2-4

"A tabernacle was prepared. In its first part, called the Holy Place, were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence. Behind the second curtain was the part called the Holy of Holies, which contained the golden altar for incense and the ark of the covenant, completely overlaid with gold. In this ark were the golden pot containing the manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the tablets of the covenant."

This passage describes the bread of the Presence, which David consumed in 1 Samuel 21, in the context of the tabernacle, emphasizing its ceremonial significance.

Through these verses, we understand that divine providence accompanies David even in his darkest moments, reminding us that, despite trials, we are never alone.