1 Samuel 21

In this chapter, David flees from Saul and seeks refuge with Ahimelech the priest, pretending to be on a mission from the king. He is given holy bread and Goliath’s sword. Later, he flees to Gath but must feign madness to escape danger. This chapter highlights David's resourcefulness and the growing desperation as he navigates Saul’s relentless pursuit.

1 Samuel 21:1 (NKVJ)
Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

David arrives at Nob, where the tabernacle is located, and meets Ahimelech, the priest. Ahimelech is immediately suspicious and fearful because David, a high-ranking officer in Saul’s army, arrives alone without any retinue. Normally, a man of David’s stature would not travel alone, so Ahimelech’s unease reflects the unusual nature of David's visit.

1 Samuel 21:2 (NKVJ)
So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you. And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.’”

David fabricates a story to explain his presence, claiming that he is on a secret mission from King Saul. This deception shows the difficult position David is in, needing to evade Saul while still maintaining appearances. He also pretends that his men are waiting elsewhere, giving him a plausible reason for being alone.

1 Samuel 21:3-5 (NKVJ)
3 “Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”
4 And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread on hand; but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”
5 Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was sanctified in the vessel this day.”

David asks for food, and Ahimelech offers only the holy bread, which was meant for the priests. He gives it with a condition—that David and his men must have been ritually pure. David assures him that they are. This event underscores the urgency of David’s situation and foreshadows Jesus' later reference to this episode to show that human need sometimes takes precedence over ceremonial law.

1 Samuel 21:6 (NKVJ)
So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which had been taken from before the Lord, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day when it was taken away.

Ahimelech gives David the consecrated bread, which was usually reserved for the priests. The priest’s willingness to give the bread indicates the flexibility in the law when human survival is at stake. This moment highlights the tension between religious rules and practical needs.

1 Samuel 21:7 (NKVJ)
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 chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

Doeg, an Edomite and a servant of Saul, happens to be at Nob. His presence is significant because it introduces a future antagonist who will later betray David and Ahimelech. The mention of Doeg foreshadows the tragic events that will follow, as his loyalty to Saul contrasts with David’s righteousness.

1 Samuel 21:8-9 (NKVJ)
8 And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”
9 So the priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, there it is, wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you will take that, take it. For there is no other except that one here.” And David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.”

David asks for a weapon, and Ahimelech offers him the sword of Goliath, which David had taken as a trophy after defeating the giant. This sword symbolizes David’s past victory over the Philistines and reminds the reader of God’s past deliverance. David’s taking of Goliath’s sword hints at his resourcefulness but also the precariousness of his current situation.

1 Samuel 21:10 (NKVJ)
Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

David, in his desperation, flees to Gath, a Philistine city, and seeks refuge with Achish, the king. Gath was the hometown of Goliath, making David’s decision to go there especially dangerous. This move illustrates how dire David’s situation had become, as he was forced to seek safety among Israel’s enemies.

1 Samuel 21:11-12 (NKVJ)
11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”
12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

The servants of Achish recognize David and remember his reputation as a warrior. They recall the songs sung about David’s victories over the Philistines, causing David to fear for his life. He realizes that he is not safe in Gath, as his fame has made him a target. This situation forces David to think quickly to escape danger.

1 Samuel 21:13 (NKVJ)
So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard.

David feigns insanity to avoid being seen as a threat by Achish and his men. By acting like a madman, David hopes to convince them that he is no longer the great warrior they fear. This act of desperation reflects David’s quick thinking and ability to adapt to extreme circumstances.

1 Samuel 21:14-15 (NKVJ)
14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?
15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Achish dismisses David as a harmless madman, seeing no reason to keep him around. He chastises his servants for bringing someone who appears mentally unstable into his presence, implying that David poses no threat. This response allows David to escape the dangerous situation unscathed.