1 Samuel 22

In this chapter, David finds refuge in the cave of Adullam, and many distressed people gather to him. Saul becomes increasingly paranoid and violent, accusing his servants of disloyalty and seeking to kill David. Saul’s suspicions lead to a tragic massacre of the priests of Nob by Doeg the Edomite. David, in contrast, takes responsibility for the death of these priests, showing his deep sense of moral responsibility, even for the unintended consequences of his actions.

1 Samuel 22:1-5 (NKJV)
1 David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.
3 Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab; and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come here with you, till I know what God will do for me.”
4 So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the time that David was in the stronghold.
5 Now the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.” So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

David escapes from Saul and takes refuge in the cave of Adullam. His family and others who were distressed join him, and he becomes the leader of a group of about 400 men. Concerned for his parents' safety, he seeks refuge for them in Moab, possibly due to his ancestry through Ruth. He then receives guidance from the prophet Gad to leave the stronghold and go to Judah, showing David's reliance on God's direction during this difficult time.

1 Samuel 22:6 (NKJV)
6 When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered—now Saul was staying in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him—

Saul, staying in Gibeah, hears about David’s whereabouts. The image of Saul sitting under a tamarisk tree with a spear in hand reflects his constant state of paranoia and readiness for violence. His servants stand by, awaiting his orders, illustrating the tense atmosphere of Saul’s court as he grows increasingly obsessed with capturing David.

1 Samuel 22:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?
8 All of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse; and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”

Saul accuses his servants of conspiring with David and withholding information. He tries to win their loyalty by comparing what he can offer them with David’s perceived inability to give them wealth and power. His irrationality is clear as he interprets Jonathan’s loyalty to David as betrayal, further isolating himself through distrust and self-pity.

1 Samuel 22:9-10 (NKJV)
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he inquired of the Lord for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

Doeg the Edomite seizes the opportunity to inform Saul of David’s visit to Nob and his interaction with Ahimelech. Doeg’s account of Ahimelech aiding David is factual but omits the crucial detail that Ahimelech was unaware of the conflict between Saul and David. His actions reveal his desire to gain favor with Saul, regardless of the consequences for the innocent priests.

1 Samuel 22:11-13 (NKJV)
11 So the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob. And they all came to the king.
12 And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”

Saul summons Ahimelech and his family, accusing him of conspiring with David. Despite Ahimelech’s innocence, Saul’s paranoid mind frames the priest’s assistance to David as an act of betrayal. Saul’s inability to see reason further shows his descent into irrationality, as he interprets every act of kindness toward David as part of a conspiracy against his rule.

1 Samuel 22:14-15 (NKJV)
14 So Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?
15 Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father. For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”

Ahimelech defends his actions, pointing out that David has always been a loyal servant of Saul. He pleads innocence, explaining that he had no knowledge of any rift between Saul and David, and that his previous help to David was based on David’s standing as a trusted member of Saul’s court. His defense is sincere, yet Saul's mind is too clouded to accept it.

1 Samuel 22:16-17 (NKJV)
16 And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”
17 Then the king said to the guards who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not tell it to me.” But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord.

Saul condemns Ahimelech and his entire family to death, accusing them of siding with David. In a moment of moral clarity, Saul’s servants refuse to carry out this unjust order, recognizing the sacredness of the priests. This refusal underscores the depth of Saul’s moral corruption as he orders the murder of innocent priests out of paranoia and anger.

1 Samuel 22:18-19 (NKJV)
18 And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.
19 Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.

When Saul’s servants refuse to kill the priests, Doeg steps in and massacres eighty-five priests, as well as the inhabitants of Nob. This act of brutality, carried out by a foreigner, highlights Saul’s descent into cruelty. The destruction of Nob is a tragic and senseless loss of life, fueled by Saul’s paranoid wrath, and it marks a turning point in his reign.

1 Samuel 22:20-23 (NKJV)
20 Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests.
22 So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house.
23 Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life, but with me you shall be safe.”

Abiathar, the sole survivor of the massacre, flees to David and informs him of the tragedy. David expresses regret, recognizing that his presence in Nob had indirectly led to the death of the priests. David offers Abiathar protection, acknowledging their shared danger under Saul's rule and providing comfort and security to him in this time of grief.