1 Samuel 21:1-9 NIV

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:1-9

Here, I. David, in distress, flies in the tabernacle of God, now pitched at Nob, supposed to be a city in the tribe of Benjamin. Since Shiloh was forsaken, the tabernacle was often removed, though the ark still remained at Kirjath-jearim. Hither David came in his flight from Saul's fury (1 Sam. 21:1), and applied to Ahimelech the priest. Samuel the prophet could not protect him, Jonathan the prince could not. He therefore has recourse next to Ahimelech the priest. He foresees he must now be an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:1

Then came David to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest ,.... The high priest, as Abarbinel rightly calls him; he was the brother of Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, who being dead he succeeded him; though some say F1 Hieron. Trad. Heb. in lib. Reg. fol. 76. H. he was the same; see 1 Samuel 14:3 ; who was now at Nob, the tabernacle being there, whither probably it was removed by Saul, and where and at Gibeon, according to the Jews F2 Maimon. & Bartenora in Misn. Zebachim, c. 14. sect. 7. ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:2

And David said unto Ahimelech the priest ,.... In reply to his question, and to account for such an appearance he made without an equipage: the king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, let no man know anything of the business thereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee ; he pretended he was upon a secret expedition, by the order of Saul, which none were to know of, no, not his own servants, and that was the reason why he came to him alone; which was a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:3

Now therefore what is under thine hand ?.... Meaning, what food had he in his house? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand ; to take with him, for him and his servants in such a place: or what there is present ; or to be found F7 הנמצא "quicquid inveneris", V. L, "inventum", Montanus; "quicquid inventum fuerit", Tigurine version. in the tabernacle; if not five loaves, two, or three, or four, or what food soever he had by him. read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:4

And the priest answered David, and said, there is no common bread under mine hand ,.... In the tabernacle, though he might have such in his own house; which was common for any man to eat of, even such as were not priests; but he had none there, and David was in haste to be gone because of Doeg, and could not stay till such was fetched: but there is hallowed bread ; such as was devoted to sacred use. Kimchi's father thinks this was the bread of the thank offering, to which Ben Gersom... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:5

And David answered the priest, and said unto him ,.... In reply to the case of the young men his servants, and of himself too, who also was intended by the priest, though out of reverence to him not mentioned: of a truth women have been kept from us these three days since I came out ; reckoning either from the time he fled from Saul at Naioth, or from the time he left Jonathan, during which time both he and his men could have no converse with women, and receive no pollution by them;... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:6

So the priest gave him hallowed bread ,.... Being satisfied with the account he gave of himself, and his young men, and of the lawfulness of it in case of necessity, acts of mercy being to be preferred to ritual services. Whether he gave him five loaves, as he desired, is not said; but the reason of his giving him such sort of bread is observed: for there was no bread there ; in the tabernacle, whatever might be in the house of the priest: but the shewbread that was taken from... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:7

Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day ,.... When David came to Nob, and asked bread of the priest, and had it, which this man was an eyewitness of, 1 Samuel 22:9 , detained before the Lord ; either because it was sabbath day, and so he might not travel, at least no more than two thousand cubits; or by some vow of his, which he was obliged to stay and perform; or on account of some impurity he had contracted, which he came to be cleansed from; or this detention... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:8

And David said unto Ahimelech ,.... After he had given him some of the loaves of the shewbread: and is there not here under thine hand spear or sword ? any weapon, meaning in the tabernacle, and in his keeping, and at his disposal; he knew the sword of Goliath was there, and perhaps had a principal view to it, and put this question in order to get that in his possession: for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me ; neither his sword, nor any part of his armour, but... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:9

And the priest said, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah ,.... See 1 Samuel 17:2 , behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod ; the garment of the high priest, in which were the Urim and Thummim, and the breastplate, or the linen vestments of the priests; see 1 Samuel 22:18 ; which were laid up in a chamber for their use; and behind them the sword of Goliath was wrapped up in a linen cloth, and reserved as a monument of the... read more

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:1-9

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:1

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:2

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:3

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:4

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:5

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:6

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:7

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:8

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Samuel 21:9

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