1 Samuel Chapter 21 — David's Flight to Nob and Gath
David seeks supplies and weapons from the priest at Nob while fleeing from Saul, eventually pretending to be insane to escape the Philistine king of Gath.
1Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?”
2David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’
3Now therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”
4The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”
6So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before the LORD, to be replaced with hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
8David said to Ahimelech, “Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I haven’t brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”
9The priest said, “Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it, for there is no other except that here.”
10David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying,
12David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
14Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?
15Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
1 Samuel 21:6
“So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before the LORD, to be replaced with hot bread in the day when it was taken away.”
This verse describes David receiving the consecrated bread, a moment later referenced by Jesus in the New Testament to discuss the Sabbath.
1 Samuel 21:9
“The priest said, 'Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it...'”
David recovers the weapon of the enemy he famously defeated, marking a transition from his former glory to his current status as a fugitive.
Chapter Summary
In 1 Samuel Chapter 21, David continues his flight from King Saul by arriving at Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Claiming to be on a secret mission for the king, David requests food and is given the consecrated showbread, which was normally reserved for priests. During this encounter, Doeg the Edomite, a servant of Saul, is present and observes David. David also retrieves the sword of Goliath from the sanctuary. Fearing for his life, David then flees to the Philistine city of Gath. However, when the servants of King Achish recognize David as a celebrated Israelite warrior, David becomes afraid and feigns insanity. By acting like a madman and scribbling on the gates, he convinces Achish that he is harmless, allowing him to escape the Philistine territory without being arrested or killed.
Frequently Asked Questions
David told Ahimelech he was on a secret mission from King Saul to hide the fact that he was actually fleeing for his life. This was likely an attempt to protect himself and avoid immediately implicating the priest in his desertion.
It was the showbread, also known as the Bread of the Presence, which was placed fresh in the sanctuary every Sabbath. According to the Law, it was typically reserved only for the priests to eat after it was replaced.
After being recognized by the servants of King Achish as the champion who killed many Philistines, David feared for his safety. He feigned madness so that the Philistines would view him as a harmless madman rather than a dangerous threat.
Doeg was King Saul's chief herdsman who was present at the sanctuary in Nob when David arrived. His presence is significant because he later reports David's location and the priest's assistance to King Saul.
Study Note
The city of Nob served as a priestly center during this period, likely housing the Tabernacle's furnishings after the destruction of Shiloh.
Related Chapters
1 Samuel 17
This chapter provides the background for the sword of Goliath that David retrieves in Nob.
Matthew 12
Jesus references the events of David eating the showbread to discuss the purpose of the Law and the Sabbath.
1 Samuel 22
The consequences of David's visit to Nob and Doeg the Edomite's report to Saul are detailed in the following chapter.
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