1 Samuel 22:1

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-5

Here, I. David shelters himself in the cave of Adullam, 1 Sam. 22:1. Whether it was a natural or artificial fastness does not appear; it is probable that the access to it was so difficult that David thought himself able, with Goliath's sword, to keep it against all the forces of Saul, and therefore buried himself alive in it, while he was waiting to see (and he says here, 1 Sam. 22:3) what God would do with him. The promise of the kingdom implied a promise of preservation to it, and yet David... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1

David therefore departed from thence ,.... From Gath, being driven by Achish from his court, and let go by his servants, and glad he was of the deliverance: and escaped to the cave Adullam ; which was no doubt near to a city of the same name in the tribe of Judah, of which See Gill on Joshua 15:35 ; this being a strong place, and in his own tribe, he might hope to be in greater safety; here he penned his hundred forty second psalm, see Psalm 142:1 , and when his brethren and all... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 1 Samuel 22:1

The cave Adullam - This was in the tribe of Judah, and, according to Eusebius and Jerome, ten miles eastward of what they call Eleutheropolis. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1

EXPOSITION COMMENCEMENT OF DAVID 'S LIFE AS AN OUTLAW . The cave Adullam. According to Josephus this was situated near a city of the same name ('Ant.,' 1 Samuel 6:12 , 1 Samuel 6:3 ), which formed one of a group of fifteen in the Shephelah (see on 1 Samuel 17:1 ), and its site has now been recovered by Mr. Conder (see 'Tent Work,' 2:156-160). "The great valley," he says, "of Elah, which forms the highway from Philistia to Hebron, runs down northwards past Keilah... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-2

The cave of Adullam. David knew well that he could nevermore live in safety at the court of Saul. He would not raise a hand against his king and father-in-law, but he would not place himself again within his reach. Better a free life even in deserts and caves of the earth than a life in constant peril in ceiled houses. Behold him then in the cave of Adullam. I. THE CAPTAIN OF THE REFUGEES . No question arises here respecting the right of revolt against a perverse, tyrannical... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-5

Difficult circumstances. The facts are— 1 . David, escaping from Garb, takes refuge in the cave of Adullam. 2 . Here he is joined by his kindred and a miscellaneous band of men, over whom he exercises authority as captain. 3 . Anxious for the comfort of his father and mother, he desires and obtains of the king of Moab permission for them to dwell at Mizpeh. 4 . On being advised by the prophet Gad, he returns to Judah. This section covers the conduct of David up to the point... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 1 Samuel 22:1

To the cave Adullam - Or rather “of Adullam.” Adullam was the name of a town of Judah in the “Shephelah,” not far from Bethlehem, and below it. Innumerable caverns, one nearly 100 feet long, are excavated in the soft limestone hills in the neighborhood of Beit-Jibrin. (The cave is placed by Ganneau and Conder on the hill (500 feet high) over ‘Aid el Ma or Miyeh.) David’s brethren and kinsmen joined him partly from sympathy with him, and partly because their own lives were in jeopardy front... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - 1 Samuel 22:1

1 Samuel 22:1. To the cave of Adullam Which was a strong hold in the tribe of Judah, 1 Chronicles 11:15; Joshua 15:35. This place, fortified by nature, is so fitted for the security of persons in distress, according to Dr. Delaney, that it hath frequently given a refuge from the Turks to the Christians, who fled thither with their families, flocks, and herds. As it was in the tribe of Judah, and David belonged to that tribe, he might, perhaps, flee to it in hopes of finding some friends in... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 22:1-23

A fighting unit (22:1-23)David found a hiding place in the barren regions of Adullam. Here he was joined by his family, who had fled to escape the hate and revenge of Saul (22:1; see Psalms 57:0; Psalms 63:0; Psalms 142:0). Knowing this hard life would be too much for his aged parents, he left them in the care of the king of Moab, and returned to his home territory of Judah. By now a crowd of four hundred, mainly outlaws and discontented people, had joined David, and he soon built these into a... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - 1 Samuel 22:1

Adullam. See Psalms 57:1 read more

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