1 Samuel (Written)

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 23:1-15
You Will Reign Upon Israel, Part I

(Typed 9 February 2026) A commonly asked question is, “If God already knows what we will do, then how can we have free will?” The question itself assumes too much from one aspect while failing to assume enough from another.

The first (over-assuming) assumption is that if God knows everything, then He must predetermine everything we do as well. The second (under-assuming) assumption is that we have no capability to redirect what God knows will happen in a particular matter.

The Bible teaches neither of these things. An example of this is found in today’s passage. As we decide what to do, this truth would be more understandable if we could talk to God and get an audible response from Him –

“Oh God, I want to go to Timbuktu and tell the people about Jesus. If I go and do so, will I be killed? Will people get saved?”

The Lord responds, “People will get saved if you go.”

Because the Lord answered the second question only, you ask the first question again –

“Oh God, I want to go to Timbuktu and tell people about Jesus. If I go, will I be killed?”

The Lord responds, “You will be killed.”

A choice now has to be made. If I go to Timbuktu and share the gospel, people will get saved. However, I will be killed while I am in Timbuktu.

The Lord already knows what will happen in any such contingency. He has not directed the outcome, and I have two options set before me. Based on what I choose to do, people will either be saved, or they will not be saved. The choice is mine, even if the Lord knows what I will ultimately do.

Text Verse: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. ¹⁹ Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.” Ezekiel 3:18, 19

Taking our example further, what if the same two options were on the table, but I say –

“I have heard that the volcano in Timbuktu is bound to explode someday soon. If I don’t go, will anyone else go in my place?”

The Lord responds, “Nobody else will go. All the people will die before anyone commits to going.”

So, I will be killed. Maybe it will be by hostile Timbuktuians (Timbuktanese?), even before any volcanic explosion. Or maybe the volcano will blow when I am there and kill me. However, no person there will ever hear the gospel. God knows everything that ever will happen, or that ever could happen, but that does not mean we do not have free will.

In fact, because we have the word of God, such contingencies require us to have free will. We don’t need an audible response from the Lord to know this. The Bible is written, and it tells us what to do. If we do one thing, certain things, known to God, will result. If we take the other option, certain things, known to God, will result.

God already knows what we will do, but we have to do it. The choice is ours. This is a certain truth that is found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. He Scrutinized Him, God (verses 1-8)

Then they told David, saying,

vayagidu l_edavid lemor – “And they caused to declare to David, to say.” The word “then” is a time marker not implied in the Hebrew. The account is stating a fact regardless of time, which may or may not be chronologically placed after the previous passage. David means Beloved.

^{1 (con’t)} “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah,

hineh ph_elishtim nilkhamim biqilah – “Behold! Philistines being fought in Keilah.” Regardless of his location at this time, David is in hiding from Saul. While eluding him, David hears word concerning one of the cities of Israel being attacked by the Philistines.

Philistines means Weakeners. Keilah was noted as a city of Judah in Joshua 15:44. It is located in the Shephelah, the Lowland, which borders the area of the Philistines. It is about three miles south of Adullam on a hill above the Valley of Elah. It is also not far from the last known location of David, the Forest of Hareth.

Despite it being mentioned many times, Abarim doesn’t even list it. Strong, Young, and Jones all agree it is derived from qala’, to sling or carve (as in a circular motion), defining it as Citadel, Enclosed, and Fortress, respectively. Based on the root, it could also mean Sling. Of this city being attacked by the Philistines…

^{1 (con’t)} and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

v_ehemah shosim eth hagoranoth – “and they ‘plundering the threshing floors’.” This is the only time the goren, threshing floor, is seen in 1 Samuel. The chaff of the grain is separated from the kernel. It is a place of separation and, thus, judgment. The threshing floor is referred to by John the Baptist –

“Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶ John answered, saying to all, ‘I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.’” Luke 3:15-17

The threshing floor is typologically used to signify a place of judgment. The reason for plundering the threshing floors is that all of the time-consuming and laborious work is complete. The planting, tending, and harvesting of the grain is over. The sheaves are brought to the threshing floor and are then processed to remove the chaff, leaving only grain.

Any point during this process is when it would be best to plunder the people. Even if the threshing wasn’t complete, everything would still be in easy-to-steal piles.

² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

vayishal David beY_ehovah lemor ha’elekh v_ehiketi bap_elishtim ha’eleh – “And he asked, David, in Yehovah, to say, ‘I will walk, and I will cause to strike in the Philistines, the these?’” David asks for the Lord’s guidance. It is not stated how he inquired. Regardless, he asks, anticipating a response…

^{2 (con’t)} And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

vayomer Y_ehovah el David lekh v_ehikita bap_elishtim vehoshata eth q_eilah – “And He said, Yehovah, unto David, ‘You must walk, and you will cause to strike in the Philistines, and you will cause to save Keilah.’” After inquiring of the Lord, a positive response is given. An imperative verb directs an attack upon the Philistines. Despite the Lord’s word, there is disagreement among his men…

³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah.

vayomeru anshe David elav hineh anakhnu phoh bihudah yereim – “And they said, mortals David, unto him, ‘Behold! We here in Judah – frightened.’” Despite hearing a positive word from the Lord, the men balk. They are in Judah, afraid and hiding. There is nothing to be gained by attacking, and their presence in the forest would be disclosed.

Judah means Praise.

^{3 (con’t)} How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?”

veaph ki nelekh qeilah el maarkoth pelishtim – “And yea, for we will walk – Keilah, unto ‘arrangements, Philistines’?” Not only would their presence be made known, but they would be facing the enemy in battle. If the battle was drawn out, they could, ostensibly, face the Philistines from the front and Saul from the rear.

⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord once again.

vayoseph od David lishol beY_ehovah – “And he caused to add again, David, to inquire in Yehovah.” David was ready to go. The Lord had spoken, and that was sufficient for him. However, to alleviate the misgivings of his men, he again inquired of the Lord…

^{4 (con’t)} And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.”

vayaanehu Y_ehovah vayomer qum red q_eilah ki ani nothen eth p_elisht im b_eyadekha – “And He answered him, Yehovah, and He said, ‘You must arise! You must descend – Keilah. For I – delivering Philistines in your hand.’” Two imperatives are included in the answer. There is no reason to doubt or have misgivings. The Lord assures David that victory lies ahead.

⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah

vayelekh David vainsho q_eilah – “And he walked, David, and his mortal [k.] – Keilah.” The written and oral Hebrew are different. The written says “and his mortal.” The oral changes it to “and his mortals.” Assuming the written is correct, it could be referring to the man with the oracle, or it may be, as occasionally happens, that the singular is placed for the plural. As for David and his man, off they went…

^{5 (con’t)} and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock.

vayilakhem bap_elishtim vayinhag eth miqnehem vayakh bahem makah g_edolah – “And he was fought in the Philistines. And he drove their livestock, and he caused to strike in them – wound whopping.” David engaged the battle with them. Saying the Philistines “led” their livestock probably indicates that the Philistines had already been plundering elsewhere, acquiring plunder along the way.

Despite having success, they were unprepared to face David, and they suffered a great defeat. The word translated as livestock, miqneh, is derived from qanah, to erect. By extension, it signifies to purchase or to possess. This is the only time it is mentioned in 1 Samuel.

^{5 (con’t)} So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

vayosha David eth yosh_eve q_eilah – “And he caused to save, David, ‘sitters, Keilah’.” This is purposefully stated even though it could have been inferred from the previous clause. David is credited with saving the people of the city. Regardless of what happens as the narrative continues, the Lord directed David to go, and he obediently followed through.

⁶ Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

vayhi bivroakh evyathar ben akhimelekh el David q_eilah ephod yarad b_eyado – “(And it was, in bolting, Abiathar son Ahimelech, unto David – Keilah, ephod he descended in his hand.)” I believe this verse is parenthetical. It is a statement of fact. It is an explanatory statement concerning how David consulted the Lord in the previous verses.

Once the battle with the Philistines ended and David moved into Keilah, Abiathar heard he was there and came to him. This would be the sequence of events since David escaped:

He left being with Michal (19:12). He went to Samuel at Ramah (19:18). He met up with Jonathan (20:1). He departed from Jonathan (20:42). He went to Nob and acquired the bread and Goliath’s sword (21:1-9). He fled to Achish in Gath (21:10-15). He departed from Gath and went to Adullam to Mizpah of Moab, and then back to the forest of Hareth (22:1-5). Saul heard of his location, and he was told by Doeg about David’s time in Nob. Because of that, Saul had the priests killed and the city of Nob anathematized (22:6-19). David heard about Keilah during this time, and he went to rescue it. (23:1-5). At this point, the final verses of Chapter 22 (22:20-23), when Abiathar escaped to David, are inserted. Verse 23:6 is given as a statement of fact to complement what is said in those verses.

Abiathar means Father of Superfluity. Ahimelech means My Brother Is King.

⁷ And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah.

vayugad l_eshaul ki va David q_eilah – “And it was caused to declare to Saul that he went, David – Keilah.” This means that after rescuing Keilah, David stayed there. It doesn’t say how Saul heard where Davis was, but he is excited about the fact…

^{7 (con’t)} So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand,

vayomer shaul nikar otho elohim b_eyadi – “And he said, Saul, ‘He scrutinized him, God, in my hand.” As people do, Saul attributed his good fortune to it being God’s will. He used the word nakar, to scrutinize or look at intently, to describe the matter.

In other words, it is Saul’s delusion that God looked over David, found him to be a foe of Saul (as if Saul is in favor with God), and turned David over to him.

Saul means Asked. His name is identical in spelling to Sheol.

Because Saul thinks God is on his side, he thinks David’s fate is sealed…

^{7 (con’t)} for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.”

ki nisgar lavo b_eir d_elatayim uv_eriakh – “For he was shut to enter in city – doors and bars.’” David is holed up in a fortified city. If Saul arrived while David was still in the city, there would be no way for him and his men to get out. Therefore…

⁸ Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah

vayshama shaul eth kal ha’am lamilkhamah laredeth q_eilah – “And he ‘heard’, Saul, all the people to the battle to descend – Keilah.” Saul had the people hear the call to prepare for battle. The strange form of expression, which the context demands as causative, even though the verb itself is not in a causative form, is only found one other time in 1 Samuel 15:4. Upon gathering the troops, the intent was to descend to Keilah…

^{8 (con’t)} to besiege David and his men.

latsur el David v_eel anashav – “to cramp unto David and unto his mortals.” As they were in the city, if it was surrounded by troops, the inhabitants would be unable to go in or out unless they surrendered David to Saul.

Even without attacking, Saul’s men could wait it out and break the city’s resistance. If necessary, they could also attack. Therefore, surrendering David would be the simplest and least painful option.

He did nothing wrong, and yet they pursued Him
He looked out for others, but they were unkind
Such an unhappy situation, dour and grim
To His faithful ways, they remained blind

But to this day, He holds out His hands
To those who have turned away from Him
We were all trapped by sin’s strong bands
And our fate remained dour and grim

He gives us the choice to choose our path
He directs us with His word if we will accept it
Which is the better way? You do the math
Follow Jesus and to His goodness submit

II. They Went Out From Keilah (verses 9-15)

⁹ When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him,

vayeda David ki alav shaul makharish ha’raah – “And he knew, David, that upon him Saul ‘causing to scratch the evilness’.” We aren’t told how David found out about Saul’s machinations, but the cat got out of the bag. Saying “scratch the evilness” is a way of expressing that Saul was devising evil towards David, as if he was scratching out a plan.

One can devise evil just for the sake of it. But Saul is devising evil, particularly toward his goal. The NKJV, though a paraphrase, rightly gets the sense.

^{9 (con’t)} he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

vayomer el evyathar ha’kohen hagishah ha’ephod – “And he said unto Abiathar the priest, ‘You must cause to (surely) near the ephod.’” There is a lot of speculation on these words, but the most likely meaning is that Abiathar would don the garments of the high priest, in which were the Urim and Thummim. He would then consult the Lord on behalf of David.

¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

vayomer David Y_ehovah elohe Yisrael shamoa shama avd_ekha ki m_evaqesh shaul lavo el qeilah l_eshakheth lair baavuri – “And he said, David, ‘Yehovah, ‘God, Israel’, hearing, he heard, your servant, for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to ruin the city in my being traversed.’” The words, if looked at in sections, are very formal and precise.

David first says Yehovah. He is the covenant Lord of Israel. Thus, David is appealing to the covenant life instituted and monitored by Him.

Next, he says ‘God, Israel’. It is understood that Yehovah is God, but Israel had many “gods” throughout their years. By stating this in conjunction with Yehovah, David acknowledges Him as the One true God.

Saying “hearing, he heard” indicates that a matter of importance has come to his ears, which could affect the covenant life of the people. David has been anointed king. He wants to ensure that the Lord’s will is accomplished, so he will inquire about this matter.

David then says, “your servant.” He subordinates himself before the Lord. His anointing came from the Lord. Unlike Saul, who ignored that fact and failed to anathematize the Amalekites, David has no such intentions. He will hear the word as a subject of the Lord.

Lastly, he sets forth what he has heard, looking for answers to the situation. The matter is, “for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to ruin the city in my traversal.” David is concerned first and foremost for the city. With his information set forth in a humble and detailed manner, he next sets forth his questions.

¹¹ Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand?

vayasgiruni vaale q_eilah v_eyado – “They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand?” David’s first question isn’t about Saul at all! He has lived with the people of Keilah since rescuing them. His question deals with their character, not Saul’s. He knows what Saul will do if he comes.

The city and its inhabitants will face Saul’s wrath, just like the priests of Nob. David is evaluating what the best course of action to take is. He then proposes a second question, which would precipitate what will happen concerning the first question…

^{11 (con’t)} Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard?

hayered shaul kaasher shama avd_ekha – “He will descend, Saul, according to which he heard, Your servant?” If the answer to the first question was negative, David’s response to the Lord’s second answer may be different.

^{11 (con’t)} O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”
And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

Yehovah elohe Yisrael haged na l_eavdekha vayomer Y_ehovah yered – “Yehovah ‘God, Israel’, You must cause to declare, I pray, to Your servant.’ And He said, Yehovah, ‘He will descend.’” The Lord only responded to the second question. Thus, David must decide what he will do based on that. However, knowing that the Lord may have purposely left the first question unanswered to test his intentions, he again asks the first question with more detail…

¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

vayomer David hayasgiru baale q_eilah othi v_eeth anashay b_eyad shaul – “And he said, David, ‘They will cause to shut, masters Keilah, me and my mortals in ‘hand, Saul’?’” David now extends the original question –

“They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand?”
“And he said, David, ‘They will cause to shut, masters Keilah, me and my men in hand Saul?”

David was concerned about Keilah. He had to evaluate what would happen if only he was handed over to Saul. He must also evaluate what will happen if he and his men are handed over.

^{12 (con’t)} And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

vayomer Y_ehovah yasgiru – “And He said, Yehovah, ‘They will cause to shut.’” Saul is coming. The masters of Keilah will hand over David to save the city, and they will hand over his men as well. Therefore, there is no suitable option but to depart. David will have to hope that Saul will not destroy the entire city, and he doesn’t even bother asking if he will. The city masters will hand him and his men over regardless.

Of this, the JFB Commentary says, “The alternative conditions here described have often been referred to as illustrating the doctrine of God’s foreknowledge and preordination of events.” The first premise, God’s foreknowledge, is correct. The second, His preordination of events, is not even hinted at in this account. Rather, Adam Clarke rightly states the matter –

“In these verses we find the following questions and answers: – David said, Will Saul come down to Keilah? And the Lord said, He will come down. Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the Lord said, They will deliver thee up. In this short history we find an ample proof that there is such a thing as contingency in human affairs; that is, God has poised many things between a possibility of being and not being, leaving it to the will of the creature to turn the scale. In the above answers of the Lord the following conditions were evidently implied: – If thou continue in Keilah, Saul will certainly come down; and If Saul come down, the men of Keilah will deliver thee into his hands. Now though the text positively asserts that Saul would come to Keilah, yet he did not come; and that the men of Keilah would deliver David into his hand, yet David was not thus delivered to him. And why? Because David left Keilah; but had he stayed, Saul would have come down, and the men of Keilah would have betrayed David. We may observe from this that, however positive a declaration of God may appear that refers to any thing in which man is to be employed, the prediction is not intended to suspend or destroy free agency, but always comprehends in it some particular condition.”

He is right. At the same time, God knew what David would do. He did not preordain what David chose. Rather, He gave the necessary information to decide, knowing already what he would do, and then allowed it to come about.

The fact that alternate options were available, with a positive response to their outcome by the Lord, verifies it. This is the same as what was seen in our text verse from Ezekiel, and it is what is consistently presented from the first page in the Bible that details man’s interactions with God until the last page –

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; ¹⁷ but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” Genesis 2:16, 17

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred, arose

vayaqam David vaanashav k_eshesh meoth ish – “And he arose, David, and his mortals, according to six hundreds man.” The number of his men has increased from four hundred (22:2) to six hundred. The number six hundred is derived from six and ten.

Bullinger says of ten, “Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, is, therefore, the ever-present signification of the number ten. It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete.”

He defines six, saying, “…it has to do with man; it is the number of imperfection; the human number; the number of MAN as destitute of God, without God, without Christ.” Simply stated, it speaks of fallen man.

^{13 (con’t)} and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go.

vayets_eu miq_elilah vayithhal_ekhu basher yithalakhu – “And they went out from Keilah, and they walked themselves in which they will walk themselves.” The NKJV is correct. The repetition of the reflexive verbs gives the sense of ambling about from one place to another without immediately settling in.

^{13 (con’t)} Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

u-l_eshaul hugad ki nimlat David miq_eilah vayekhdal latseth – “And to Saul, it was caused to declare that he was eluded, David, from Keilah. And he desisted to go.” After hearing of David’s departure, Saul broke off his march to Keilah. Without David there, to destroy the whole city would be pointless, unproductive, and costly.

Although Saul was no longer heading to Keilah, it doesn’t mean David was safe to settle down again. Rather…

¹⁴ And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness,

vayeshev David bamidbar bam_etsadoth – “And he sat, David, in the wilderness, in the strongholds.” Many translations get this verse all jumbled up in thought. There are two main categories. Each is identified by the word vayeshev, “and he sat.”

The sense is that David went wherever he thought he needed to go to elude Saul. The first places were in the wilderness, in the strongholds.

In the Bible, the wilderness is a place of God’s grace and of closeness to Him, but also a place of testing. For some, such as Israel, the testing resulted in disobedience. For others, such as Christ when He was tested, it was a place of fellowship through obedience.

The wilderness and the law are closely connected because testing is accomplished through law. This is seen in the word itself, midbar. It is derived from the verb davar, to speak, and the noun davar, meaning word. The Lord spoke the Ten Commandments (words/d_evarim) in the desert (midbar) of Sinai.

Thinking about these terms, one can see the connection between Jesus, the Word of God, and His testing in the wilderness as well.

The next place mentioned is the metsad, stronghold. It is derived from tsud, to hunt. By implication, it signifies a stronghold or fort. It is the masculine form of the word matsod, stronghold, seen in verse 22:4. Next…

^{14 (con’t)} and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph.

vayeshev bahar b_emidbar ziph – “and he sat in the mount in ‘wilderness, Ziph’.” This is the next category, identified by vayeshev, “and he sat.” In Scripture, a har, mount(ain), is a lot of something gathered. In typology, it is synonymous with a large but centralized group of people.

Ziph is identified by Jones as coming from an unused root, zuph, and calls it Borrowed. Young’s, with no explanation for its source, defines it as Refining Place. However, his source becomes clear when considering what Strong and Abarim say.

They both say it may come from zepheth, pitch. That comes from an unused root meaning to liquify, as asphalt does, softening in the sun. Using that same root, it could just as easily mean Melting or Liquifying. As such, Young’s draws on the idea of melting to determine it means Refining Place.

One final possibility is that it is the masculine form of the feminine word Ziphah, which Young identifies as Lent (the act of lending) and Strong identifies as A Flowing. Regardless, the general idea of is of a sense of outward motion.

^{14 (con’t)} Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.

vayvaqshehu shaul ha’yamim v_elo n_etano elohim b_eyado – “And he sought him, Saul, all the days, and not He gave him, God, in his hand.” So much for Saul’s conclusion from verse 7, “He scrutinized him, God, in my hand.” Rather, God did just the opposite, demonstrating that Saul, not David, had been scrutinized.

¹⁵ So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life.

vayar David ki yatsa shaul l_evaqesh eth naphso – “And he saw, David, for he went out, Saul, to seek his soul.” David was eluded from Saul, but he saw that Saul continued to search for him. This indicates that Saul was completely determined to get David, even at the expense of other matters.

*^{15 (fin)} And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.

The words are somewhat odd: v_edavid b_emidbar ziph bakhor_eshah – “And David in ‘wilderness, Ziph’, in the Horesh-ward.” There is an anomaly. It says bakhor_esha, in the Horesh-word. The prefix b (in) and the suffix h (motion towards) form a grammatical contradiction. How can you be in what you are going towards?

The cantillation mark placed by the Masoretes considers the h a fossilized ending by placing the stress where the h is not considered. But the fact is that in the text, it is either the name of a location, Horesh, or it is the word khoresh, which means forest. Whichever it is, the result is the same for typology.

I kept the h ending, which is ignored by all translations and commentaries, saying Horesh-ward. But that doesn’t mean it is correct. I just want to be reminded it is there. Such information has to be kept somewhere. The Sunday morning sermon is that place.

Speaking of places, this is a great place for the sermon to end because the next paragraph reunites Jonathan and David. The contents of the continued passage will fit better with that introduction than here.

As for the verses today, they contain one of the best lessons for people to learn so that they do not embarrass themselves with unfounded claims. Unfortunately, it is one of the most common things that we as Christians do.

Saul ascribed his situation to the hand of God. But is it right to say, “The Lord led me to this conclusion” or “The Lord showed me this was the thing to do”? Most of us have heard this, but they are words better left unsaid.

I get the sentiment in emails all the time, and more often than not, it is accompanied by an incorrect analysis of whatever is being referred to. As such, it cannot be the Lord who “showed” the person what to do. But once the words are uttered, there is no going back on the claim. The damage is done.

I got one in my inbox on sermon typing day. It came from a person who does this constantly, claiming the Holy Ghost led him to his conclusion. After ten years of reading his claims, not one thing he has asserted has come to pass.

That is ten years of disgracing himself in the name of the Lord, and yet, within a day or two, he will do it again. I have attempted to correct him on this. Then come the accusations and invectives, but never an acknowledgment of wrongdoing.

Attributing something to the workings of the Lord that He did not do diminishes the value of the Lord in others’ eyes. It will also lessen the value of the true word of the Lord in their eyes. Saul certainly did that to the men around him who heard his words. His claim was neither trivial nor insignificant.

Take time to read Jeremiah 25:33-40 to understand how the Lord protects His true word and how He disdains the abuse of it through a false word. If something is truly inspired by the Lord, there is no need to claim anything. The Lord knows, and others will be blessed by the insight. That is sufficient. Remember to have respect and care for the Lord and for His word.

Closing Verse: “Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck and broke it. ¹¹ And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.’” And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.” Jeremiah 28:10, 11

Next Week: 1 Samuel 23:16-29 When he does, it’ll be really swell, it’s true… (You Will Reign Upon Israel, Part II) (50^th 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 23:1-15 (CG)

23 And they caused to declare to David, to say, “Behold! Philistines being fought in Keilah, and they ‘plundering the threshing floors’.”

²And he asked, David, in Yehovah, to say, “I will walk, and I will cause to strike in the Philistines, the these?”

And He said, Yehovah, unto David, “You must walk, and you will cause to strike in the Philistines, and you will cause to save Keilah.”

³And they said, mortals David, unto him, “Behold! We here in Judah – frightened. And yea, for we will walk – Keilah, unto ‘arrangements, Philistines’?” ⁴And he caused to add again, David, to inquire in Yehovah.

And He answered him, Yehovah, and He said, “You must arise! You must descend – Keilah. For I – delivering Philistines in your hand.” ⁵And he walked, David, and his mortal [k.] – Keilah. And he was fought in the Philistines. And he drove their livestock, and he caused to strike in them – wound whopping. And he caused to save, David, ‘sitters, Keilah’.

[Note: Chronologically 1 Samuel 22:20-23 logically belong after 1 Samuel 23:5]

(⁶And it was in bolting, Abiathar, son Ahimelech, unto David – Keilah, ephod he descended in his hand.)

⁷And it was caused to declare to Saul that he went, David – Keilah. And he said, Saul, “He scrutinized him, God, in my hand. For he was shut to enter in city – doors and bars.” ⁸And he ‘heard’, Saul, all the people to the battle to descend – Keilah, to cramp unto David and unto his mortals.

⁹And he knew, David, that upon him Saul ‘causing to scratch the evilness’. And he said unto Abiathar the priest, “You must cause to (surely) near the ephod.” ¹⁰And he said, David, “Yehovah, ‘God, Israel’, hearing, he heard, your servant, for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to ruin the city in my traversal. ¹¹They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand? He will descend, Saul, according to which he heard, Your servant? Yehovah ‘God, Israel’, You must cause to declare, pray, to Your servant.”

And He said, Yehovah, “He will descend.”

¹²And he said, David, “They will cause to shut, masters Keilah, me and my mortals in ‘hand, Saul’?”

And He said, Yehovah, “They will cause to shut.”

¹³And he arose, David, and his mortals, according to six hundreds man. And they went out from Keilah, and they walked themselves in which they will walk themselves. And to Saul, it was caused to declare that he was eluded, David, from Keilah. And he desisted to go.

¹⁴And he sat, David, in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and he sat in the mount in ‘wilderness, Ziph’. And he sought him, Saul, all the days, and not He gave him, God, in his hand. ¹⁵And he saw, David, for he went out, Saul, to seek his soul. And David in ‘wilderness, Ziph’, in the Horesh-ward.

 

1 Samuel 23:1-15 (NKJV)

Then they told David, saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

² Therefore David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” ⁴ Then David inquired of the Lord once again.

And the Lord answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶ Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷ And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” ⁸ Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” ¹⁰ Then David said, “O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. ¹¹ Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will come down.”

¹² Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will deliver you.”

¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

¹⁴ And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. ¹⁵ So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. And David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a forest.

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 22:14-23
Doeg the Adomite, Part II

(Typed 2 & 3 February 2026) One of the astonishing things that happens in the minds of all people, and I mean ALL people, is that we shut out things that we don’t agree with. We mentally ignore them, even if they are self-evident truths or clearly expressed.

At the same time, we take our own beliefs and elevate them to a place above others. They appear as truth to us, even while we accept another belief that contradicts the first. This is known as cognitive dissonance.

It results in mental unsettledness, and we work against one belief or the other, trying to resolve what we so desperately want to be true concerning both thoughts. An example that fills churches around the world is the matter of law versus grace.

We say we accept God’s grace, and then we turn around and reinstate the law into our lives in some form or another, believing that it is compatible with trusting in God’s grace.

For example, “I am a saved believer! Saved by God’s grace! But I know it is wrong to eat pork, so I never do.” Who said it was wrong to eat pork? “I know I must tithe, so I faithfully do each week.” Who said you needed to tithe? Our church observes the law. Even Paul says the law is good. In what manner is the law good? For whom is the law good?

Text Verse: “But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully.” 1 Timothy 1:8

Oh well, Paul said it. It’s in black and white. The law is good. Everyone, listen up! Next week, don’t bring any ham or bacon (oh, bacon!) or pork chops to church for lunch. Oh, and be sure to bring a tenth of everything you have. I will take good care of it. And if any of you doesn’t show up with tzitzits on your clothes, you are out of here.

Context! What does Paul say next in 1 Timothy? I mean, the very next words. What do they say?

“…knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, ¹⁰ for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, ¹¹ according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust.” 1 Timothy 1:9-11

Oh. I see. Everyone, listen up! Be sure to bring ham, bacon (oh, bacon!), and pork chops for lunch next week. And no need to wear tzitzits. But I still insist on the tithe. Bring that. I already planned it into the budget.

Context is important. It is a really important part of His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Dying, You Will Die (verses 14-17)

¹⁴ So Ahimelech answered the king

vayaan akhimelekh eth ha’melekh – “And he answered, Ahimelech, the king.” This is based on the last verses evaluated in the previous sermon –

“And he sent, the king, to call Ahimelech, son Ahitub the priest, and all house his father, the priests who in Nob. And they came, they all, unto the king. ¹²And he said, Saul, ‘You must hear, I pray, son Ahitub.’”
And he said, ‘Behold me, my lord.’
¹³And he said unto him [k.], Saul, ‘To why you tied upon me, you and son Jesse, in your giving to him bread and sword, and asking to him in God, to rise unto me to lurk according to the day, the this?’” 1 Samuel 22:11-13 (CG)

Saul’s mind is set on destroying David. Anyone who gets between him and that goal is a perceived enemy, including the high priest of Israel. He has laid a charge of conspiracy at the feet of Ahimelech. Ahimelech means My Brother Is King. He is set to give his defense…

^{14 (con’t)} and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David,

vayomar u-mi b_ekhal avadekha k_edavid neeman – “And he said, ‘And who in all your servants according to David ‘being established’.’’’ To be established means he is a fixed, faithful, and firm pillar within the house of Saul. Out of all the established people under Saul, Ahimelech knows that there is none more firmly established than David.

As such, there would be no reason for Ahimelech to suspect David of any hint of conspiring against his king. Unless he had been told in advance of such a matter, he could not be blamed for helping, rather than harming, Saul’s authority to govern. And more…

^{14 (con’t)} who is the king’s son-in-law, who goes at your bidding, and is honorable in your house?

va’khathan ha’melekh v_esar el mishmartekha venikhbad b_evetekha – “and affinity the king, and veering unto your ‘what hearing’, and ‘being enweighed’ in your house?” Ahimelech provides three additional reasons why helping David was logical and appropriate.

The first is that David is a son in law of the king. Unless that had changed and the priests had not yet been notified, there was no way they could question David’s right to conduct both civil and family matters for Saul.

The second is that David aligned himself (veered unto) the what-hearing of Saul. This is a new word, mishmaath, the feminine form of mishma found in Isaiah 11:3. The prefix mi signifies who, what, why, etc. The word shama means “to hear.”

That is converted to the noun form, a hearing. Thus, this word is translated as a “what hearing,” as in being obedient to the spoken word. One might say, “David is the epitome of doing the what-hearing of the king.” It refers to an obedient audience of one or more subjects who report to the king.

The third reason is that David is “being enweighed” in Saul’s house. The participle indicates ongoing action. The weight of David’s authority was set in place and, unless it has changed, it continued unabated in the eyes of the priests.

They could not be held responsible for any change that took place of which they were uninformed. Everything about David made it right and appropriate for them to assist him. To not do so would be an act of rebellion against the king himself.

Notice the structure and similarity of thought from Saul in verse 13 –

Verse 13 – “To why you tied upon me, you and son Jesse, in your

giving to him bread,
and sword,
and asking to him in God,
to rise unto me to lurk according to the day, the this?”

Verse 14 – “And who in all your servants according to David

‘being established’,
and affinity, the king,
and veering unto your ‘what hearing’,
and being enweighed in your house?”

Ahimelech brilliantly responds to each confused accusation with a corresponding point of clarity. And yet, there is more…

¹⁵ Did I then begin to inquire of God for him?

ha’yom hakhilothi l_eshaol lo belohim – “The day, I caused to begin to ‘Saul’ [k.] to him in God!” The written and the spoken Hebrew differ. The written says the seemingly nonsensical, “…to ‘Saul’ to him.” The oral amends it to say, “…to ask to him.” But nothing in God’s word is nonsensical.

The words “I caused to begin” signify to inquire or seek. The word khalal means to bore. When something bores into something else, what is inside is exposed. As such, the word is translated as “begin.” Ahimelech is “boring” into the unknown, seeking from God concerning a matter. Saul’s name means Asked. Thus, he is making a pun by saying he asked of the Lord in the name of Saul because David is Saul’s representative.

Therefore, his pun means, “Today, I asked of God under Saul’s authority for David!” Some translations make it a question as with the NKJV. As such, it would beg a negative response. “Is this the first time I inquired of God for David?”

This is possible with the oral rendering, but the written is correct as it stands. The exclamation point at the end is my way of making the statement emphatic, as Ahimelech’s use of “to Saul” implies.

David asked for a divine word, and Ahimelech readily gave it. Why should he not do so? Without a word directly from the king, it would be wholly inappropriate to withhold such assistance. Therefore…

^{15 (con’t)} Far be it from me! Let not the king impute anything to his servant, or to any in the house of my father.

khalilah li al yasem ha’melekh b_eavdo davar b_ekhal beith avi – “(Surely) Profane to me! Not may you put, the king, in your servant – word in all ‘house, my father’.” The high priest’s words could be paraphrased as, “Absolutely not! You have completely misunderstood the situation, and it is wholly inappropriate that you should malign the name of my father’s house.”

Ahimelech has taken Saul’s malignant address to him and responded at the same level as his accusation –

Verse 12 – “You must hear, I pray, son Ahitub.”
Verse 15 – “Not may you put, the king, in your servant word in all house my father.”

^{15 (con’t)} For your servant knew nothing of all this, little or much.”

ki lo yada avd_ekha b_ekhal zoth davar qaton o gadol – “For not he knew, your servant, in all this word, diminutive or great.” Ahimelech has provided abundant evidence that what he did was proper and honoring of the king. Any matter which may have removed David from the king’s favor was never disclosed to him. As such, he could not be imputed any charge of wrongdoing. However…

¹⁶ And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”

vayomer ha’melekh moth tamuth akhimelekh atah v_ekhal beith avikha – “And he said, the king, ‘Dying, you will die, Ahimelech. You and all ‘house, your father’.’” The emphatic repetition is not good news for Ahimelech. Saul’s mind is made up that he is a co-conspirator with David and is worthy of death.

Adding in “all house your father” is an undeserved sentence. Despite that, it is Saul’s edict. He sees this as a just sentence because of the severity of the matter. His initial accusation was against “son Ahitub.” Ahimelech reiterated “all house my father.” This may have been what put Saul over the edge and caused the sentence.

Despite Saul summoning all of the priests, it may have been that an admission by Ahimelech alone saved the others, but with the adamant refusal, any chance of that was gone.

¹⁷ Then the king said to the guards who stood about him,

vayomer ha’melekh laratsim hanitsavim alav – “And he said, the king, to the runners, the ‘being stationed upon him’.” The meaning of “runners” is not certain. Some think it refers to those who carry messages for the king. More likely, it refers to those who ran before Saul bearing weapons, meaning his personal bodyguards. They are to…

^{17 (con’t)} “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.”

sobu v_ehamithu kohane Y_ehovah ki gam yadam im David v_ekhi yad_eu ki voreakh hu v_elo galu eth az_eno – “You must revolve, and you must cause to kill ‘priests, Yehovah’, for also their hand, with David, and that they knew that bolted, he, and not they denuded his ear [k.].” The written text reads, “his ear,” while the oral reads, “my ear.”

As clunky as it sounds, the written is acceptable. In Saul’s haste to accuse the priests to his men, he skips parts of his own sentence. This is something we all do when hurrying through our words. “Kill them! Kill all the priests! They are all in it with David. They knew he was running, but they didn’t denude his (the king’s) ear.”

Such a confused rant goes well with his confused, erratic thinking. David means Beloved.

^{17 (con’t)} But the servants of the king would not lift their hands to strike the priests of the Lord.

v_elo avu avde ha’melekh lishloakh eth yadam liphgoa b_ekohane Y_ehovah – “And not they acquiesced, ‘servants, the king’, to send their hand to impinge in ‘priests, Yehovah’.” Despite the command, the king’s servants knew that what Saul was saying was unreasonable and ungodly.

Saul had made his judgment based on personal bias without any evidence to support his accusations. Therefore, they would not participate in the murder of the priests of Israel. Undeterred, Saul knows someone who will comply…

Doeg, I’ve got a job for you
You’re just the guy to get it done
You never question what you’re told to do
You take my orders and run

See these priests! Here’s what you are to do
I know you are the guy to get it done
Pull out your sword and run them through
Get on with it! Take my orders and run

You’re a brutal one, Doeg, this is true
But when a job needs doin’, you get it done
You followed through with what I told you
You’re the man, Doeg, a real son of a gun

II. Abiathar (verses 18-23)

¹⁸ And the king said to Doeg, “You turn and kill the priests!”

vayomer ha’melekh l_edoyeg sov atah uph_ega bakohanim – “And he said, the king, to Doyeg [k.], ‘You must revolve, you, and you must impinge in the priests.’” The written and oral disagree on the spelling of his name. The written says Doeg. The oral says Doyeg.

He is mentioned six times in Scripture. The first two times his name is spelled d-a-g. After that, all four instances include the additional letter vav. However, in this chapter, all three change the aleph to a yod: d-v-y-g. In Psalm 51, it reads d-v-a-g.

The addition of the vav, the sixth letter of the aleph-beth, is given to indicate his fallen nature, six being the number of man, especially fallen man. The change of the aleph to a yod is likely to indicate the thing he agreed to that the others refused, “to send their hand (yad) to impinge.” The meaning and ancient pictograph of yod is “hand.” The instances are as follows:

21:8 & 22:9 – דאג
22:18 (x2) & 22:22 – דויג
Psalm 52:1 – דואג

The Hebrew is telling more than a surface story. It is conveying information that clarifies what is on God’s mind as the story unfolds. The name, regardless of spelling, means Fearful or Anxious.

^{18 (con’t)} So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests,

The words are emphatic: vayisov doyeg ha’adomi vayiphga hu ba’kohanim – “And he revolved, Doyeg [k.] the Adomite, and he impinged, he, in the priests.” The wording is set in parallel with Saul’s bonkers order –

You must revolve, you, and you must impinge in the priests.
And he revolved, Doyeg the Adomite, and he impinged, he, in the priests.

In a scene that makes Inigo Montoya seem like child’s play, Doyeg rushed into the killing with the same maniacal delight as Saul had in giving the order. Adomi means red or ruddy. He is the Red One.

^{18 (con’t)} and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.

vayameth bayom ha’hu sh_emonim va’khamishah ish nose ephod bad – “and he caused to kill in the day, the it, eighties and five man lifting ‘ephod, linen’.” Despite the killing, eighty-five is a cool number. It is the product of five (grace) and seventeen, a number Bullinger was excited about. It is the seventh of the prime numbers. He says –

“…it partakes of and intensifies the significance of the number seven. Indeed, it is the combination or sum of two perfect numbers—seven and ten—seven being the number of spiritual perfection, and ten of ordinal perfection. Contrasted together the significance of these two numbers is clear; and when united in the number seventeen we have a union of their respective meanings, viz., spiritual perfection, plus ordinal perfection, or the perfection of spiritual order.”

These men have been highlighted as “priests, Yehovah,” and “lifting ‘ephod, linen’.” There was a total disregard on the part of Saul and Doeg for the sanctity of the priestly office and the duties they performed. As for the terminology used, this does not necessarily mean that the priests were wearing their linen ephods at the time. Being a participle, it indicates that as priests, this was their regular habit.

¹⁹ Also Nob, the city of the priests, he struck with the edge of the sword,

v_eeth nov ir ha’kohanim hikah l_ephi kherev – “And Nob, ‘city, the priests’, he caused to strike to ‘mouth, sword’.” Saul didn’t stop at killing the priests at his location in Gibeah. Instead, he had Doeg march to Nob and strike the city where they dwelt.

Nob means Fruit. The sword is emblematic of the law, being the same spelling as Horeb, the mountain of the law. The killing wasn’t isolated to just a few people. Rather…

^{19 (con’t)} both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and donkeys and sheep—with the edge of the sword.

m_eish v_ead ishah meolel v_ead yoneq v_eshor va’khamor va’seh l_epi kharev – “from man and until woman, from suckling and until being suckled, and jack, and sheep to ‘mouth, sword’.” What was done here, at the direction of Saul, was a complete anathematization of the city. Think of it! Notice the contrast –

“Now, you must walk, and you caused to strike Amalek, and you caused to anathematize them, all which to him. And not you will commiserate upon him. And you caused to die, from man until woman, from suckling and until being suckled, from ox and until sheep, from camel and until jack. … ⁸And he manipulated Agag, king Amalek, alive. And all the people, he caused to anathematize to mouth sword. ⁹And he commiserated, Saul, and the people, upon Agag, and upon best the flock, and the cattle, and the doubles, and upon the lambs, and upon all the good, and not they acquiesced – caused to anathematize them. And all the deputyship – disesteemed and being wasted, it they caused to anathematize.” 1 Samuel 15:3 & 8, 9 (CG)

“And he revolved, Doyeg, the Adomite, and he impinged, he, in the priests, and he caused to kill in the day, the it, eighties and five man lifting ephod linen. ¹⁹And Nob, city the priests, he caused to strike to mouth sword, from man and until woman, from suckling and until being suckled, and jack, and sheep to mouth sword.” 1 Samuel 22:18, 19 (CG)

Despite the word of the Lord, Saul was unwilling to kill Agag. And yet, for his own vengeful purposes, he killed eighty-five priests, including the high priest. He was also unwilling to kill the best of the animals of Amalek, but he sought out and killed everything belonging to the priestly city, a city of the Lord.

²⁰ Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.

vayimalet ben ekhad la’akhimelekh ben akhituv u-sh_emo evyathar vayivrakh akhare David – “And he was eluded, ‘son, one’ to Ahimelech, ‘son, Ahitub’. And his name, Abiathar. And he bolted after David.” During the carnage and destruction of Nob, Abiathar was able to get away.

In Chapter 23, it says that he bolted to David in Keilah. It doesn’t say how he knew where David was. But it would be easy enough for him to find out, because when he went there, he descended with an ephod. Thus, he could inquire of the Lord.

Abiathar will be seen with David throughout much of his life. However, he aligned himself against Solomon, David’s chosen successor, when David was old. Therefore, when Solomon ascended to the throne, he removed Abiathar from serving as priest to the Lord.

Ahitub means My Brother Is Goodness or Brother of Goodness. Abiathar comes from av, father, and yathar, to jut over or exceed. It is that which remains, is abundant, is left over, etc. Therefore, the name means Father of a Remnant, Father of Preeminence, Father of Plenty, The Great One Is Father, Father of Superfluity, or something along those lines.

²¹ And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the Lord’s priests.

vayaged evyarthar l_edavid ki harag shaul eth kohane Y_ehovah – “And he caused to declare, Abiathar, to David, that he slayed, Saul, ‘priests, Yehovah’.” When Abiathar found David, he relayed the details of the massacre. It would have been a tragic blow to David, and we can speculate that David wrote, or at least got the inspiration to write, Psalm 52 at this time.

²² So David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul.

vayomer David l_eevyathar yadati bayom ha’hu ki sham doyeg ha’admoni ki haged yagid l_eshaul – “And he said, David, to Abiathar, ‘I knew in the day, the it, for there Doyeg [k.] the Adomite, for causing to declare, he will cause to declare to Saul.” The emphatic repetition of the verb highlights David’s remorse.

Unless you’re Saul, you can’t just kill someone based on a sneaking suspicion, but the memory of that sneaking suspicion will grow in one’s mind when it proves to be correct. This is what happened with David. He took the calamity personally, acknowledging that his actions brought about the tragic events…

^{22 (con’t)} I have caused the death of all the persons of your father’s house.

Again, the words are emphatic, highlighting David’s remorse: anokhi sabothi b_ekhal nephesh beith avikha – “I myself, I revolved in all soul ‘house, your father’.’” The word savav signifies to revolve or surround. In this case, David is saying that his actions caused the events to revolve around, coming back to the place where they started.

David took every one of their deaths personally. However, he has a way of easing the distress…

²³ Stay with me; do not fear. For he who seeks my life seeks your life,

sh_evah iti al tira ki asher y_evaqesh eth napshi y_evaqesh eth napshekha – “You must (surely) sit with me. Not you will fear. For whom he will seek my soul, he will seek your soul.” What David says is logical. Saul will search for both of them. If he discovered Doeg missed someone when he anathematized the city, he would feel obligated to pursue that person as much as he desired to eliminate David.

Despite this, there would be safety if the two remained together, as is seen in the final words of the chapter…

*^{23 (fin)} but with me you shall be safe.”

Rather: ki mishmereth atah imadi – “For guarding, you, with me.” Almost every translation reads as the NKJV, that being with David would ensure Abiathar’s safety. Only Young’s correctly identifies the meaning, “for a charge art thou with me.” The noun mishmereth means a sentry, a guarding, or a watch (the act). David says “guarding, you, with me.”

Together, they will be a guarding, a sentry. David is the military man with men under his command to physically watch for threats. Abiathar is the priest with an ephod who will spiritually monitor the threats that cannot be seen –

“And he knew, David, for upon him Saul causing to scratch the evilness. And he said unto Abiathar the priest, ‘You must cause to (surely) near the ephod.’ ¹⁰And he said, David, ‘Yehovah God Israel, hearing, he heard, your servant, for seeking, Saul, to come unto Keilah to decay the city in my crossing. ¹¹They will cause to shut me, masters Keilah, in his hand? He will descend, Saul, according to which he heard, Your servant? Yehovah God Israel, You must cause to declare, I pray, to Your servant.’
And He said, Yehovah, ‘He will descend.’” 1 Samuel 23:9-11 (CG)

Together, trusting in the direction of the Lord while watching and performing against the earthly forces, they would form a sentry ready for any challenge. David saw the hand of the Lord in what occurred and employed what was provided accordingly.

The law is good, it is true
But in what way shall we call it good?
Is it good for me and you?
Clearly not! That should be understood

The law is good innately because it is from God
But it is definitely harmful to you and me
Under the law, we must toil and plod
But in the grace of Christ, we are set free

The law is good in how it instructs as well
Showing us how we need Jesus Christ
Trying to earn eternity through law will only earn hell
Heaven is given through grace. Thus, your soul is priced

III. Salvation in Christ, Death from the Law

Verses 1-5 may or may not be chronological, but they are intended to be a categorical note. In verse 1, it said that David, picturing accepting the doctrines of Christ, walked “from there.”

If that is chronological, it means from Gath. He escaped to Cave Adullam, Until Vanishment, meaning until what is being referred to ceases. If it is something that never ceases, it is eternal. A cave signifies that which is exposed. Thus, this is the place where eternity is exposed.

While at the cave, it said that his brothers and all his father’s house went down there to him. Along with them (verse 2), many discontented souls also joined him. It didn’t say why they were discontented, just that they were men of scrunch, indebted, and bitter of soul.

Saul, Asked, represents Sheol calling out for the souls of men. Being their king, one would assume their state is based on that. There is the pressure of dying, there is the issue of having a debt, and they are bitter about their situation. Each of these would apply to those who need redemption from the call of the pit.

David, accepting the doctrines of Christ, is said to become captain over a cohort. They are in line with David, and they number four hundred, (4x10x10), or (5 x 8 x 10). Either way, the result is found in the way one calculates forty –

“It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8). This is certainly the case where forty relates to a period of evident probation. But where it relates to enlarged dominion, or to renewed or extended rule, then it does so in virtue of its factors 4 and 10, and in harmony with their signification.” Bullinger

As such, this refers to a period of grace (5) leading to revival and renewal (8) where nothing is wanting and the whole cycle is complete (10).

In verse 3, David went to Mizpah Moab, Watchtower of From Father. It signifies that the process of salvation, which is from God the Father, is watched over.

While there, David petitioned the king of Moab to tend to his parents until God gave him direction. The king agreed to this all the time David remained in the stronghold, a structure intended for defense. The parents of accepting the doctrines of Christ must picture something. My speculation is based on Romans 10:9 –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

In Greek, the mouth is neuter. Hebrew does not have a neuter person, but in Hebrew mouth is masculine. The doctrine of accepting Christ is watched over by God as the only acceptable means of becoming a believer.

In verse 5, the prophet Gad, Fortune, told David not to stay in the stronghold, but to walk to the land of Judah, Praise. David complied and walked to the Forest of Hareth, Engraved. Typologically, a forest is a place where the fruits of the Spirit are available.

Thus, the meaning of the Forest of Hareth is explained by Paul in 2 Corinthians 3, where he uses the word eggraphó, to engrave, to explain what is being conveyed –

“You are our epistle written [eggraphó] in our hearts, known and read by all men; ³ clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written [eggraphó] not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.” 2 Corinthians 3:2, 3

With this necessary inclusion concerning salvation and how it is procured completed, the narrative proceeded to the continued account of Saul pursuing David.

In verse 6, Saul, Asked, was sitting in the Gibeah, a word etymologically connected to Gabbatha, under the tamarisk in Ramah, the Height.

The tamarisk is a symbol of permanence and reliability. Being preceded by the definite article, it signifies the state of those things. It said that while there, he had his spear, khanith, in his hand. This is the same as the feminine word for grace.

Verse 6 does not logically fit with the rest of the account. Everything about it signifies the hope-filled aspect of a person who possesses eternal salvation. And that is purposeful. Saul was a picture of a saved person in the past. That has not changed.

However, he has also taken on another typology, Sheol, asking for the souls of men. He is the king of that realm. Including this typological picture of Saul being saved helps to contrast the rest of the typology.

What was the purpose of the law? What was the nature of the law? What validity, if any, does the law have today? These are concepts that are explained in verses 7-23.

Verse 7 noted that Saul was surrounded by his servants, whom he called “sons Right.” He asked his servants if the son of Jesse, Yehovah Exists, would give them fields and vineyards and appoint them to high positions.

The “sons Right” picture those seeking the truth, whether they are saved or not. Though only mentioned indirectly after this, that is seen when they did not do as directed.

In verse 8, Saul continued to moan about how his servants were unwilling to stand by him. They didn’t even tell him about David and Jonathan cutting a covenant. He also moaned that nobody felt sorry for him. Sheol is miffed about the prospect of being emptied of believers someday.

In verse 9, however, Doeg the Edomite, Fearful the Red One, spoke up. He told Saul that he saw the son of Jesse going Nob-ward, Fruit, to Ahimelech, My Brother Is King (the law anticipating Christ), son of Ahitub, Brother of Goodness. Ahitub represents the nature of the law –

“Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. ¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.” Romans 7:13-20

Ahitub pictures the good nature of the law, and Ahimelech, the law anticipating Christ. Both look to Christ as the end of the law. Doeg said (verse 10) that at that time, Ahimelech, the law anticipating Christ, inquired of the Lord for David, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword (symbolizing law) of Goliath (Exposer/Exiler).

In Chapter 21, this was explained with Paul’s words from Galatians –

“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.” Galatians 3:19, 20

Despite being good, law is what got man into the mess he is in. The law of Moses only added to transgressions before God. Because of what he was told by Doeg (verse 11), Saul summoned Ahimelech and the other priests to him, claiming that they were in league (verses 12 & 13) with the son of Jesse. Ahimelech, however, responded in an exacting manner to each accusation, as noted earlier –

Verse 13 – “To why you tied upon me, you and son Jesse, in your

giving to him bread,
and sword,
and asking to him in God,
to rise unto me to lurk according to the day, the this?”

Verse 14 – “And who in all your servants according to David

‘being established’,
and affinity, the king,
and veering unto your ‘what hearing’,
and being enweighed in your house?”

In verse 15, Ahimelech went further and told Saul that he had “caused to  begin to ‘Saul’ to him in God.” The very thing that Saul thought was treasonous was done in his name to God. Therefore, how could Saul assume Ahimelech was conspiring against him?

To get this, think of the law anticipating Christ asking God about Sheol for those who accept the doctrines of Christ. How could Sheol be miffed if he is the subject of the question?

Because of this, Ahimelech’s refutation met Saul’s accusation –

Verse 12 – “You must hear, I pray, son Ahitub.”
Verse 15 – “Not may you put, the king, in your servant word in all house my father.”

Saul called Ahimelech son of Brother of Goodness, the good law. Ahimelech, the law anticipating Christ, said that Saul was incorrectly placing blame on the house of his father. Both he and his father were of the same purpose, which is that they lead to Christ.

Despite his defense, Saul condemned Ahimelech to death, instructing his men to kill the priests. When Saul’s servants would not, he turned to Doyeg, Fearful, spelled with the additional vav to indicate his fallen state, separate from Christ, who used his yad, his hand, the symbol of power and authority, to strike the priests of the Lord.

Fallen man, without understanding the purpose of the law, is intent on destroying it. And this is exactly what mankind did in crucifying Christ without even realizing that crucifying Him would end the law because He embodies it!

In other words, Doyeg striking Ahimelech (the law anticipating Christ) along with the priests with him, is a picture of Christ dying in fulfillment of the law. That is made clear in the number of priests destroyed, eighty-five.

The death of the eighty-five priests of the law symbolizes grace combined with spiritual and ordinal perfection, and thus, the perfection of spiritual order. The death of law on Christ’s cross came through God’s grace and is exactingly described by the perfection of spiritual order.

Doyeg also struck Nob, Fruit, and everything in the city. Everything about the law that bore fruit in anticipating Christ finds its end in Christ. It was only a shadow of what He actually provides. Despite that, and even though the law is dead, it still serves a purpose, even today. That is seen in the escape of Abiathar.

Verse 20 noted that Abiathar, Father of Superfluity, fled to David, accepting the doctrines of Christ. His name signifies excess, but not as unwanted or without a purpose. It is that which goes beyond the needs of the original thing. The law, despite being dead, still serves a purpose, even to this day.

Its purpose is to instruct us on its original purpose. For example, we have been using the law at the Superior Word for over a dozen years, page by page, line by line, and word by word, to show how it points to Christ. Even though it is no longer what God is doing, it still has a purpose beyond its main objective.

Abiathar told David what occurred in verse 21. In verse 22, David acknowledged that he knew Doyeg would tell Saul about his visit to Ahimelech and, therefore, he revolved in “all soul house your father.” David’s actions led to the death of Ahimelech’s house.

It is a true statement in Christ as well. Accepting the doctrines of Christ revolves and comes back to destroy the very thing that necessitated Christ’s coming, meaning law.

Verse 23 finished the chapter, with David’s words to Abiathar that Saul would seek after him just as he sought David, but that together they would be a sentinel. The last thing Sheol wants is to be filled with people who will be snatched out of it someday.

But by accepting the doctrines of Christ and understanding how law can instruct us based on our faith in Christ, we have an unstoppable tag team. When people are uninformed about the law, it can entrap them all over again, just as it did with those in Galatia, and just as it does in churches all over the world today.

People who were saved but later get caught up in law observance will have nothing to show for their lives after that time. The rest of their lives will be wasted and without reward. And the people they instruct who were not saved will fill Sheol with souls that will stay put when the rapture takes place. Death’s victory will remain complete in them.

It is not surprising that the account about Doyeg killing Ahimelech, the priests, and the inhabitants of Nob came after a very short review of the process and nature of salvation in a set of verses that otherwise seem to have no proper place in the ongoing narrative.

The contents of the Doyeg narrative clearly show that the law is good. That is agreed to in Paul’s writings, but it does not mean that law is good for us. It is innately good, but it also brought about man’s fall. And more, it highlighted and multiplied sin when the Law of Moses was introduced.

Thus, God placed a short explanation concerning salvation in this chapter to ensure that we don’t misunderstand what Paul says concerning the law.

And even though what Paul writes is perfectly understandable when taken in context, law observers still claim that when Paul says the law is “good,” it means that we must observe the law. People cannot simply let go of themselves and the pride that wells up in them.

Instead, they follow the “me” path to salvation, and they completely miss the grace of God in the process. Don’t let this be your sad state. Instead, hold fast to the goodness of God that was poured out in the cross of Christ. That is the sweet spot for the human soul – total dependence on what God has done means total freedom from our own labors. Thank God for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Closing Verse: “I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:21-25

Next Week: 1 Samuel 23:1-15 We’re talking about David, can’t you tell? Yes, he’s the one… (You Will Reign Upon Israel, Part I) (49^th 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 22:14-23 (CG)

¹⁴And he answered, Ahimelech, the king. And he said, “And who in all your servants according to David ‘being established’, and affinity the king, and veering unto your ‘what hearing’, and ‘being enweighed’ in your house? ¹⁵The day, I caused to begin to ‘Saul’ [k.]* to him in God! (Surely) Profane to me! Not may you put, the king, in your servant –

word in all ‘house, my father’. For not he knew, your servant, in all this word, diminutive or great.”

¹⁶And he said, the king, “Dying, you will die, Ahimelech. You and all ‘house, your father’.” ¹⁷And he said, the king, to the runners, the ‘being stationed upon him’, “You must revolve, and you must cause to kill ‘priests, Yehovah’, for also their hand, with David, and for they knew, for bolted, he, and not they denuded his ear [k.].” And not they acquiesced, ‘servants, the king’, to send their hand to impinge in ‘priests, Yehovah’. ¹⁸And he said, the king, to Doyeg [k.], “You must revolve, you, and you must impinge in the priests.” And he revolved, Doyeg [k.] the Adomite, and he impinged, he, in the priests, and he caused to kill in the day, the it, eighties and five man lifting ‘ephod, linen’. ¹⁹And Nob, ‘city, the priests’, he caused to strike to ‘mouth, sword’, from man and until woman, from suckling and until being suckled, and jack, and sheep to ‘mouth, sword’.

[Note: It appears that chronologically:20-23 logically belong after 1 Samuel 23:5]

²⁰And he was eluded, ‘son, one’ to Ahimelech, ‘son, Ahitub’. And his name, Abiathar. And he bolted after David. ²¹And he caused to declare, Abiathar, to David, that he slayed, Saul, ‘priests, Yehovah’. ²²And he said, David, to Abiathar, “I knew in the day, the it, for there Doyeg [k.] the Adomite, for causing to declare, he will cause to declare to Saul. I myself, I revolved in all soul ‘house, your father’. ²³You must (surely) sit with me. Not you will fear. For whom he will seek my soul, he will seek your soul. For guarding, you, with me.”

Verse 15 – Qeri: “to ask.”
*Verse 15: A pun is made. Saul means “Ask.” Thus, Ahimelech “asks of God under Saul’s authority for David.”
Verse 17 – Qeri: “my ear.”
Verse 18 – Qeri: “Doeg.”
Verse 18 – Qeri: “Doeg.”
Verse 22 – Qeri: “Doeg.”

 

1 Samuel 22:14-23 (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.”

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. 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.

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.”

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 22:1-13
Doeg the Adomite, Part I

(Typed 26 January 2026) Gerry Rafferty was a Scottish musician born in 1947. He played with the Humblebums and Stealers Wheel before going solo. The song “Stuck in the Middle with You” was one of the more popular songs from Stealers Wheel. However, his real fame came when he released his solo album City to City.

Anyone who listened to the radio in the late seventies would have heard his songs playing. The song “Baker Street” continues to be played, and the video has tens of millions of views on YouTube.

Unfortunately, like Saul, he didn’t handle his exalted position very well. Although the Bible doesn’t give many specific details on Saul’s condition, one can imagine the parallels between the two. Rafferty descended into alcoholism, depression, and erratic, self-destructive behavior.

It is said he struggled with the pressures of fame and carried around personal demons. He would disappear from public view and hide in various locations. He drank himself to death in 2011. Studying the details of the life of Saul, one can see he, too, was filled with a host of mental problems, resulting in erratic behavior.

Text Verse: “To the ‘orchestrating.” Enlightening, to David, in going, Doeg the Adomite, and he caused to declare to Saul, and he said to him, ‘He went, David, unto ‘house, Ahimelech’.’” Introduction to Psalm 52 (CG)

Saul was already on edge before Doeg reported to Saul. His slide into mental instability made his attitude and actions afterward seem inevitable. Samuel warned the people about their desire for a king. Israel chose to have fallen men lead them rather than the Lord. Even after being presented with what they could expect from a king, they still shouted, “No! For lo! King, he will be upon us!” (1 Samuel 8:19) (CG).

From that time forward, kings came and went, but the majority of them were not great kings. And Saul was not the measure of what a great king would be. Rather, time and again in Kings and Chronicles, David is used as the standard for whether a king was a good one or not when their rule is described.

The kings were evaluated based on how they honored or failed to honor the Lord. Each of us will be evaluated in the same way. When we stand before Him, that one premise will be the deciding factor for every reward or loss we experience.

As we haven’t seen or personally interacted with the Lord, everything we are judged on will be based on our faith in Him. One doesn’t need faith when he has sight. But we are to live by faith that He is there, and He is a Rewarder of all who come to Him. Specifically, this means the things we do in this life, by faith.

This is a fixed and firm truth that is to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. In the Stronghold (verses 1-5)

David therefore departed from there

vayelekh David misham – “And he walked, David, from there.” Chapter 21 ended with the words of Achish, king of Gath, saying, “Behold! You will see man raving himself! To why you will cause to bring him unto me? Lacking being raved, I, that you caused to bring this to rave himself upon me? The this you will bring unto my house?”

These opening words of Chapter 22, unless they are not chronological but categorical, are referring to Gath. David means Beloved. David walked from there…

^{1 (con’t)} and escaped to the cave of Adullam.

vayimalet el m_earat adulam – “And he was eluded unto ‘Cave, Adullam’.” Adullam is in the Judean foothills, about 16-20 miles southwest of Jerusalem, near the Valley of Elah, where David slew Goliath. It is eastward and a bit south of Gath.

The meaning of Adullam is debated. Jones sees it as coming from the Arabic ‘dl, just and am, people. As such, he says, Justice of the People. The NOBSE and BDB identify is coming from the root ‘mum, a word leading to the thought of turning aside, and thus, Hiding or Seeking Refuge. Young’s says Resting Place.

However, Charlie takes another path. Adullam is mentioned in Micah 1, where the prophet uses puns to identify the names of many locations, such as –

“Therefore you shall give presents [shillukhim] to Moresheth [moresheth] Gath;
The houses of Achzib [akhziv] shall be a lie [akhsav] to the kings of Israel.
¹⁵ I will yet bring an heir [yarash] to you, O inhabitant of Mareshah [mareshah];
The glory of Israel shall come to [עַד] Adullam [עֲדֻלָּם].” Micah 1:14, 15

In these words, he says ad adulam, “unto Adullam.” If the name is a contraction of ad and olam (vanishment), a phrase common in Scripture, it would mean Unto Vanishment or Forever. That would fit with the idea of God’s glory noted in Micah. Sergio agreed with this assessment 🥳.

As for the mearah, cave, it is from ur to make naked. Thus, it signifies what is exposed or bare. In Joshua 10, it was used to signify the Torah, the five books of Moses.

^{1 (con’t)} So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.

vayishm_eu ekhav v_ekhal beith aviv vayer_edu elav shamah – “And they heard, his brothers and all ‘house, his father’, and they descended unto him there-ward.” If David’s family heard he was there, it means they were informed he was there.

In other words, David probably sent messengers to tell them that Saul was after him and, thus, would probably be coming after them.  Along with them…

² And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him.

vayithqab_etsu elav kal ish matsoq v_ekhal ish asher lo noshe v_ekhal ish mar nephesh – “And they amassed themselves unto him, all ‘man, scrunch’, and all man who ‘to him, indebted’, and all ‘man, bitter soul’.” Along with his family, a hodge-podge collection of disaffected people joined up with David.

Maybe these people felt the brunt of Israel’s decision to call for a king. They realized that the little they had was being taken for Saul’s use, exactly as Samuel warned in Chapter 8 when the request was made.

A new word is used here, matsoq, a narrow place. It gives the sense of being pressed. A fun word to describe such a situation is the noun scrunch, the act or sound of scrunching. That is the result of being scrunched. Such people may have felt this way because of the laws set forth by the king.

Along with the scrunchies were the indebted, something that may have come about from tax systems set up by Saul, and those who were bitter in soul. Such people may have had family taken from them and put into servitude to the king, just as Samuel warned.

This is all speculation, but these people were not content with how things were going. They have put their lot in with David, a refugee from Saul. Therefore, it makes sense that Saul was the cause of their problems…

^{2 (con’t)} So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.

vayhi alehem l_esar vayihyu imo k_earba meoth ish – “And he was upon them to commander. And they were, with him, according to four hundreds man.” Despite being disaffected, David was able to bring them into a cohesive band of military men, signified by the word commander.

His bravery among Israel when he challenged the Philistine was remembered. His adeptness in leading his thousand men to battle would have been the subject of many talks. His natural ability to tactfully handle the aches and disaffected moans of others made him a reasonable man to be listened to and obeyed.

Four hundred is a derivative of four, the number of creation and the world (and city) number, and ten, which signifies “Completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything … It implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete” (Bullinger).

It is also a derivative of forty and ten. Forty is described by Bullinger –

“It is the product of 5 and 8, and points to the action of grace (5), leading to and ending in revival and renewal (8). This is certainly the case where forty relates to a period of evident probation. But where it relates to enlarged dominion, or to renewed or extended rule, then it does so in virtue of its factors 4 and 10, and in harmony with their signification.”

As for those who should not be conjoined with a band of armed men…

³ Then David went from there to Mizpah of Moab;

vayelekh David misham mitspeh moav – “And he walked, David, from there – ‘Mizpah, Moab’.” Mizpah Moab is found only here in Scripture. Its location is unknown. However, Mizpah means Watchtower. Therefore, it would have been a place in a prominent location.

This means that David is now dwelling in the land of Moab, at this particular location. Reading the whole verse at once, it makes it sound like he took his parents to the king who was residing at Mizpah Moab, but that is not the case. David is staying there instead of in Cave Adullam.

Moab means From Father.

^{3 (con’t)} 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.”

vayomer el melekh moav yetse na avi v_eimi it_ekhem ad asher eda mah yaaseh li elohim – “And he said unto ‘king, Moab’, “You will bring out, pray, my father and my mother with you until which I will know what He will do to me – God.” This is a new sentence within the verse. David is in Mizpah Moab, which will be called “the stronghold” in the next verse. While there, he wants to disencumber himself of the added burden of tending to his parents.

Because of this, he contacted the king of Moab, asking him to take charge of his parents while he was in Mizpah Moab. The reason David could communicate so naturally with the king of Moab is two-fold.

First, he was descended from Ruth, the Moabitess. Jesse, his father, was her grandson. Second, it said in 1 Samuel 14:47 that Saul fought Moab as an enemy. The old adage “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” would have applied to David who was hated by Saul.

Therefore, David made this appeal for his parents, asking the king to keep them by his side when he went out in the land, meaning while David continued to learn what God had planned for him.

⁴ So he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him

vayankhem eth p_ene melekh moav vayesh_evu imo – “And he caused to guide them – faces ‘king, Moab’, and they sat with him.” The words tell us that the king of Moab agreed to David’s request. Therefore, he entrusted his parents to the care of the king of Moab while he remained in Mizpah Moab, as is seen in the next words…

^{4 (con’t)} all the time that David was in the stronghold.

kal y_eme heyoth David bam_etsudah – “all days was David in the stronghold.” As can be seen when the sentences and clauses are rightly divided, David’s location is in Mizpah Moab, a different place than where his parents are. This location is identified with a new word in Scripture, matsud, a stronghold.

It is cognate to matsod, a net, and thus by implication a bulwark or hold. Both are derived from the verb tsud, to lie alongside (as in waiting for prey). Therefore, it signifies to hunt.

⁵ Now the prophet Gad said to David,

vayomer gad ha’navi el David – “And he said, Gad the prophet, unto David.” Gad is introduced here. He is only seen once in 1 Samuel, but he will also be seen five times in 2 Samuel 24 as well as in the Chronicles. In 2 Samuel 24, he is noted as David’s khozeh, gazer.

Gad is derived from gadad, to cut, invade, or expose. It is generally believed to mean Fortune, Good Luck, or something similar, but Abarim rightly states it is “a fortune for which a troublesome, invasive effort is made.” Gad’s words to David are…

^{5 (con’t)} “Do not stay in the stronghold; depart, and go to the land of Judah.”

lo theshev bam_etsudah lekh u-vatha lekha erets Y_ehudah – “Not you will sit in the stronghold. You must walk, and you went to you – land Judah.” This confirms that the stronghold is Mizpah Moab. David is dwelling outside of the land of Israel, as he did when he was in Gath of the Philistines. He wanted a national border to separate him from Saul.

However, he wanted to “know what He will do to me – God.” Gad, the prophet, provided him an answer, which is to set his feet in the direction of Judah.

Judah means Praise. Because of Gad’s instruction…

^{5 (con’t)} So David departed and went into the forest of Hereth.

vayelekh David vayavo yaar khareth – “And he walked, David, and he went ‘Forest, Hareth’.” This location is found only here in the Bible. The name is derived from kharath, to engrave. That word was only seen once, as well –

“And the tablets, work God, they. And the writing, writing God, it. Engraved [khareth] upon the tablets.” Exodus 32:16 (CG)

As for the yaar, forest, Abarim notes the following –

“The verb יער (ya’ar) isn’t used in the Bible and it’s a complete mystery what it might have meant. Noun יער (ya’ar) is the common word for forest or thicket, and the identical noun יער (ya’ar) means honeycomb. It is, of course, perfectly possible that these two nouns are not two but one, describing something general like a thing that consists of many elements, which contain energetic nutrients (either fruits or honey) …” Abarim

Young, in agreement with Strong, identifies the name with the cognate word khoresh, forest or wooded. He says Thicket. Jones says A Cutting. Charlie says Engraved.

Eyes on the Lord, not on oneself
This is the way to keep things right
Let us take our self-worth and put it on a shelf
Let us keep Jesus in our sight

When we have troubles or trials
We should fix our eyes on Jesus
And when our life is filled with smiles
Let us remember what He has done for us

Being haughty and filled with pride in self
Our eyes are misdirected from what is right
Let us take this attitude and put it on a shelf
Jesus! Let us always keep Jesus in our sight

II. Behold Me, My Lord (verses 6-13)

⁶ When Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been discovered—

vayishma shaul ki noda David vaanashim asher ito – “And he heard, Saul, for he was known, David, and mortals who ‘with him’.” One might wonder why the Lord told Gad that David should return to Judah if Saul was sure to find out his location.

The answer is that the Lord was directing David’s steps. In this, He will reveal details in typology of future events. At the same time, David’s life is being prepared for his reign as king through his interactions with Saul. God is directing both men to meet His purposes in the ongoing stream of redemptive history.

Saul means Asked, but the spelling is identical to Sheol. One can think of the pit asking for the souls of men.

^{6 (con’t)} now Saul was staying in Gibeah under a tamarisk tree in Ramah,

v_eshaul yoshev bagivah takhath ha’eshel baramah – “And Saul, sitting in the Gibeah under the tamarisk in the height.” A large number of translations agree with the NKJV and say, “in Ramah.” However, Gibeah is about seven miles south of Ramah. Saul was a big guy, but he wasn’t that big.

Rather, the word ramah, height, is being used in a new way to indicate a high place. It will be used four more times this way in Ezekiel.

This is the second of three times eshel, tamarisk, will be seen. The first was in Genesis 21:33 when Abraham planted a tamarisk and called on the Lord, the Everlasting God. The last use of the word will be in chapter 31 when the bones of Saul and his sons will be buried under a tamarisk in Jabesh.

Because of Abraham’s actions in Genesis 21, we can infer that the significance of the tamarisk is permanence and reliability.

^{6 (con’t)} with his spear in his hand, and all his servants standing about him—

vakhanito v_eyado v_ekhal avadav nitsavim alav – “And his spear, in his hand, and all his servants ‘being stationed upon him’.” The scene is that of the seat of power and authority, similar to Deborah sitting under the palm in the area between Bethel and Ramah. Saul has called a council because David has been located.

The spear is the symbol of Saul’s authority. However, the word khanith, spear, is identical to the feminine word meaning grace.

⁷ then Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites!

Rather: vayomer shaul laavadav hanitsavim alav shimu na b_ene y_emini – “And he said, Saul to his servants, the ‘being stationed upon him,’ ‘You must hear, pray, sons Right.” There is no justification for translating this as Benjamites. The plural marker is on “sons.” Also, as in verses 9:1 and 9:4, the word yemini, right, is a singular proper noun.

This may be a way of identifying all of Saul’s men, regardless of tribal affiliation, as being on the right, even when not Benjamites. Whatever his intent, saying Benjamites, as almost all translations do, damages the intent. To these “sons Right,” Saul asks…

^{7 (con’t)} Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards,

gam l_ekhulekhem yiten ben Yishai sadoth ukh_eramim – “Also, to you all he will give, ‘son, Jesse’, fields and vineyards?” The word “also” is being used as the initiator of a question, as in “Will he,” rather than a statement of assurance, as in “He will also give…”

In other words, Saul has done exactly what Samuel warned about, taking the property of the people and passing it out to his chosen select attendees –

“And your fields, and your vineyards, and your olives – the good, he will take and he gave to his servants.” 1 Samuel 8:14

The Lord, through Samuel, told the people what to expect. They would get a leader who would be partial to some and unfavorable toward others. Saul has exactingly lived up to those words.

Jesse means Yehovah Exists.

The thought of Saul’s partiality continues…

^{7 (con’t)} and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?

l_ekhulekhem yasim sare alaphim vesare meoth – “To you all he will put commanders thousands, and commanders hundreds?” Samuel likewise mentioned this in his address to the people –

“Your sons he will take, and … put to him commanders thousands and commanders fifties.” 1 Samuel 8:11, 12

This is great for those who are appointed to the position of commander, but the families from whom they are taken would have had no choice in the matter.

Saul was using his authority to sway those under his command to feel sorry for him. He wanted to dissuade them from any thought of forsaking him and taking a stand with David.

And more, he is actually concerned that they have formed a conspiracy against him. Thus, his delusions were not only focused on David, his main enemy, but anyone who was not actively rubbing Saul’s back and expending his energies for the sake of his king…

⁸ All of you have conspired against me,

ki qeshartem kul_ekhem alay – “For you tied, you all, upon me.” The word “tied” does not refer to them tying up (binding) Saul. Rather, it expresses uniting in a league, binding together in the form of a treasonous conspiracy.

Saul is certain that the people should have been able to weed David out and eliminate him since he is back in Judah. Therefore, because this wasn’t done, his own subjects must want it that way. This is evident to him because…

^{8 (con’t)} and there is no one who reveals to me that my son has made a covenant with the son of Jesse;

v_ein goleh eth az_eni bikhrath b_eni im ben Yishai – “And naught denuding my ear in cut, my son, with son Jesse.” There is no reason to assume that the covenant between Jonathan and David in Chapter 20 was known to anyone else, including Saul.

Rather, Saul assumes that because Jonathan stood up for David, they had cut a covenant. Because of this, he is certain those with him could not be so blind as to not know it as well. He is projecting his own cogitations on those under him.

^{8 (con’t)} and there is not one of you who is sorry for me or reveals to me

v_eein kholeh mikem alay v_egoleh eth az_eni – “And naught ‘being rubbed’ from you upon me and denuding my ear.” The NKJV gives a suitable paraphrase of the intent. The word khalah, rubbed, signifies being worn out, sick, worried, etc. A more suitable paraphrase would be, “None of you are worried sick for me about this issue…”

Saul has gone from being a brave fighting man to a deluded, neurotic wimp who shudders over every little thing as if his life were the whole purpose for the existence of the universe.

He is certain that David and his son cut a covenant and that everyone else was aware of it but failed to tell him because…

^{8 (con’t)} that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day.”

ki heqim b_eni eth avdi alay l_eorev kayom hazeh – “For he caused to rise my son, my servant, upon me to lurk according to the day, the this.” This tells us that Saul is only speculating. Nothing like this was covenanted between Jonathan and David. And more, both Jonathan and David have been the epitome of faithful servants and soldiers to Saul.

He is delusional and expects those around him to coddle him with words of encouragement and fidelity. Instead, he will get words from a bootlicker that will lead to the catastrophic downfall of many men…

⁹ Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul,

vayaan doeg ha’adomi v_ehu nitsav al avde shaul – “And he answered, Doeg the Adomite, and he ‘being stationed’ upon ‘servants, Saul’.” The form of the verb natsav, to station, is used many times followed by the word al, upon. The meaning is quite often “with” or “next to,” although it can mean “on top of.”

There is no need to assume that he was over the servants of Saul. He was one of them, standing with them before Saul. He is just one of Saul’s lackeys, and he knows his words will end in disaster for others. David even confirms this in verse 22.

Doeg is from daag, to be or become anxious. Thus, his name means Anxious or Fearful. Adomi comes from adom, red or ruddy. Thus, he is the Red One.

^{9 (con’t)} and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

vayomar raithi eth ben Yishai ba noveh el akhimelekh ben akhituv – “And he said, ‘I saw ‘son, Jesse’ going Nob-ward unto Ahimelech, ‘son, Ahitub’.’” It is a true statement. However, it is information that, when presented, will only stir Saul’s madness even more.

David understood this and wrote this about him in Psalm 52 –

“Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endures continually.
² Your tongue devises destruction,
Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
³ You love evil more than good,
Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah
⁴ You love all devouring words,
You deceitful tongue.” Psalm 52:1-4

Jesse means Yehovah Exists. But it also means My Husband. As such, the name Jesse contains the weighty notion that human marriage reflects divine revelation.

Strong’s says Nob means Fruit, coming from nob, to flourish. This can be real fruit or figurative, such as the fruit of the lips, meaning praise, etc. Abarim has the source as nabah, to be high or prominent. They define it as Height or High Place. Ahimelech means My Brother Is King, Brother of the King, or something similar. Ahitub means My Brother Is Goodness or Brother of Goodness.

Doeg, knowing that his words will lead to devouring others, continues…

¹⁰ And he inquired of the Lord for him,

vayishal lo Y_ehovah – “And he asked to him in Yehovah.” Nothing is recorded about this. When confronted with it, Ahimelech will not deny it. Rather, he will note that this was a common occurrence. Despite this, it is something that will immediately set Saul on a bad path.

If the high priest asked for guidance for David, Saul would assume he would also know that David was a renegade by whatever answer was given. This would be considered abetting a fugitive for not letting Saul know.

^{10 (con’t)} gave him provisions,

v_etsedah nathan lo – “And provision he gave to him.” Along with abetting David, Ahimelech also aided him in his flight by giving him food. One can see Saul clenching his fists, grinding his teeth, and making that angry mrrrrrrr sound that dogs do when they get miffed. And more…

^{10 (con’t} and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

v_eeth kherev gal_eyath ha’p_elishti nathan lo – “and ‘sword, Goliath, the Philistine’, he gave to him.” This is true, and it would have set Saul off even more. Allowing David to have the sword that he used to cut off the Philistine’s head would make him seem invincible to those he encountered. It would be the highest status symbol for him as a warrior to possess.

The word sword, kherev, has the same spelling as Horeb, the mountain of God. It is used consistently to picture the law.

Goliath means Exposer with a secondary meaning of Exiler.

Philistine means Weakener. Goliath, being called “the Philistine,” means he is the main Weakener, typical of Satan who uses law to destroy humanity’s relationship with God.

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.

vayishlakh ha’melekh liqro eth akhimelekh ben akhituv ha’kohen v_eeth kal beith aviv ha’kohanim asher b_enov vayavou khulam el ha’melekh – “And he sent, the king, to call Ahimelech, ‘son, Ahitub’ the priest, and all ‘house, his father’, the priests who in Nob. And they came, they all, unto the king.” Instead of going to Nob, Saul called the priests to come to him. All of them.

That does not bode well. If he was concerned about fairness in his accusations, he would have called Ahimelech, the only person who was spoken of by Doeg.

It seems that Saul purposed to do what he would do from the moment he heard Doeg’s news. Calling the priests to him would leave them totally vulnerable to whatever Saul decided. They would be defenseless, surrounded by Saul’s men, with no place they could flee without being cut down.

Saul would have been stewing the entire time it took to send men to get the priests and bring them to him. By now, he would be completely unhinged. His attitude can easily be seen in the manner he addresses Ahimelech…

¹² And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub!”

vayomer shaul sh_ema na ben akhituv – “And he said, Saul, ‘You must hear, pray, son Ahitub.’” The imperative verb and the use of the name Ahitub, Ahimelech’s father, sets a sore and nasty tone when talking to the high priest. Saul is abrupt, discourteous, and demeaning right off the bat. On the contrary, Ahimelech’s response is just the opposite…

^{12 (con’t)} He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”

vayomer hin_eni adoni – “And he said, ‘Behold me, my lord.’” Ahimelech doesn’t jump on Saul as he could have. Being the high priest, he had the same type of anointing as Saul did. He could have responded just as curtly, but he instead acknowledges Saul’s presence while calling him lord.

This doesn’t calm him down a bit. Saul begins raking Ahimelech over the coals instead of quietly and politely asking for his view of what took place…

¹³ Then Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse,

vayomer elo shaul lamah q_eshartem alay atah u-ven Yishai – “And he said unto him [k.], Saul, ‘To why you tied upon me, you and ‘son, Jesse’.’” There is a difference in the written and oral Hebrew. The written says elo, while the oral says elav. The difference is the lack of a single letter, a yod. The meaning remains the same, however.

It could be a copyist’s error, or it may be that dropping the yod has significance. Whatever the intent, Saul uses the same charge towards his men that he now accuses Ahimelech of, conspiracy against his authority.

Calling David “the son of Jesse” accentuates this, just as in the previous verse when Saul called Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. With his rude accusation stated, he next provides the charges…

^{13 (con’t)} in that you have given him bread and a sword, and have inquired of God for him,

b_etit_ekha lo lekhem v_ekherev v_eshaol lo belohim “in your giving to him bread, and sword, and asking to him in God.” The three things stated by Doeg are considered sufficient to accuse the priest of treason. Saul has accused Ahimelech without even obtaining a statement from him first.

The decision concerning the matter is already concluded in Saul’s mind. Ahimelech’s actions were treasonous, so…

*^{13 (fin)} that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as it is this day?”

laqum elay l_eorev kayom ha’zeh – “to rise unto me to lurk according to the day, the this?” The charge is not for helping David flee for his life, but for providing David with supplies and a weapon in order to enable him to come against Saul.

This dismisses the fact that Saul is surrounded by his men. In other words, he feels they are inept and unable to secure his life against a single enemy, and that Ahimelech has made this possible.

Like the radical left protestors in the US, fighting against the legally established government officials in the lawful execution of their duties by removing violent criminal aliens from the society, Saul has lost all sense of reason.

He has reduced himself to a state of animal instinct, biting at anything he sees as the slightest threat to himself. Such a state can happen to anyone when he exalts himself and his supposed importance above what is normal for humans. With such an attitude, a state of mental instability can creep in and bring real harm to us.

We will have to wait to find out what the result of Saul’s madness will mean for the priests. For now, we can consider that without the fear of the Lord and the restraint on our lives that comes from applying the Bible to our lives, we are all capable of going off the deep end.

Looking around at the ungodly cities and states of America, we can see an attitude similar to Saul. All restraint is cast off, there are unjust leaders and judges, and the people who are being obedient to the Lord are in their crosshairs.

Things didn’t start that way. But as the word of the Lord and biblical Christianity have been pushed out of our lives, such conduct is the inevitable result. Eventually, a catastrophe like 9/11 may happen, and the people will seek God as they always do.

But depending on when in the stream of time such an event occurs, it may be too late. There is a point where God’s tolerance of human wickedness will reach its end.

Until then, it is our job to hold fast to the word, keep telling others that there is a better way, and pray for direction and wisdom in ourselves and in those who so desperately need Jesus. May we be about His business while the day of God’s favor is here.

Closing Verse: “Here is the man who did not make God his strength,
But trusted in the abundance of his riches,
And strengthened himself in his wickedness.” Psalm 52:7

Next Week: 1 Samuel 22:14-23 The guy is a biblical blight, it’s true… (Doeg the Adomite, Part II) (48^th 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 22:1-13 (CG)

And he walked, David, from there. And he was eluded unto ‘Cave, Adullam’. And they heard, his brothers, and all ‘house, his father’, and they descended unto him there-ward. ²And they amassed themselves unto him, all ‘man, scrunch’*, and all man who ‘to him, indebted’, and all ‘man, bitter soul’. And he was upon them to commander. And they were, with him, according to four hundreds man.

³And he walked, David, from there – ‘Mizpah, Moab.’ And he said unto ‘king, Moab’, “You will bring out, pray, my father and my mother with you until which I will know what He will do to me – God?” ⁴And he caused to guide them – faces ‘king, Moab’, and they sat with him all days was David in the stronghold.

⁵And he said, Gad the prophet, unto David, “Not you will sit in the stronghold. You must walk, and you will go to you – land Judah.” And he walked, David, and he went – ‘Forest, Hareth’.

⁶And he heard, Saul, for he was known, David, and mortals who ‘with him’. And Saul, sitting in the Gibeah under the tamarisk in the height. And his spear, in his hand, and all his servants ‘being stationed upon him’. ⁷And he said, Saul to his servants, the ‘being stationed upon him’, “You must hear, pray, sons Right. Also, to you all he will give, ‘son, Jesse’, fields and vineyards? To you all he will put commanders thousands, and commanders hundreds? ⁸For you tied, you all, upon me. And naught denuding my ear in cut*, my son, with son Jesse. And naught ‘being rubbed’ from you upon me and denuding my ear. For he caused to rise my son, my servant, upon me to lurk according to the day, the this.”

⁹And he answered, Doeg the Adomite, and he ‘being stationed’ upon ‘servants, Saul’. And he said, “I saw ‘son, Jesse’ going Nob-ward unto Ahimelech, ‘son, Ahitub’. ¹⁰And he asked to him in Yehovah. And provision he gave to him, and ‘sword, Goliath, the Philistine’, he gave to him.”

¹¹And he sent, the king, to call Ahimelech, ‘son, Ahitub’ the priest, and all ‘house, his father’, the priests who in Nob. And they came, they all, unto the king. ¹²And he said, Saul, “You must hear, pray, son Ahitub.”

And he said, “Behold me, my lord.”

¹³And he said unto him [k.], Saul, “To why you tied upon me, you and ‘son, Jesse’, in your giving to him bread, and sword, and asking to him in God, to rise unto me to lurk according to the day, the this?”

 

1 Samuel 22:1-13 (NKJV)

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.

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— 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.”

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.”

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, “To 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?”

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson.

1 Samuel 21:1-15
The Sword of Goliath

(Typed 19-21 January 2026 – Broken Brain sermon) The events of 1 Samuel 21 are important enough in the life of David to have been highlighted in several psalms, not just in veiled references, but he openly refers to events that took place, naming names.

It’s unlikely that he took paper and pen along with him to write what was on his mind. Therefore, he didn’t just live out these events, but he carried them in his heart, processing them in his mind enough that he could later turn them into psalms to the Lord.

Along with that, one of the events in this chapter is remembered in all three of the synoptic gospels. Regardless of how we, or scholars, feel about David’s lying to Ahimelech, the Bible never points an accusing finger at him or his actions.

Jesus refers to the account to support His disciples when they picked grain on a Sabbath. When they did, the Pharisees accused Him of breaking the law. What transpired between David and Ahimelech was certainly a violation of the written law, and yet Jesus showed that there was a higher standard at work that Scripture did not later condemn.

Jesus used that standard to show how His disciples were not to be condemned for their actions either.

Text Verse: “And He said to them, “Not you read what he did, David, when he hungered, he and those with him? ⁴How he entered into the house of God and the bread ‘the before-setting’ they ate, which not it is being permitted him to eat, nor those with him, if not the priests only?” Matthew 12:3, 4 (CG)

Jesus is the fulfillment of all the types and pictures seen in these Old Testament accounts. He is referred to in metaphor many times in the New Testament as well. He is highlighted in a way that ties Him back to these Old Testament accounts, and He is also used in many of the same metaphors in new ways, particularly in the book of Revelation.

Reading Scripture without looking for Jesus will only provide a very limited idea of what is going on in the word. It is true that people have read the word for eons without considering typology, metaphor, and so forth as they relate to Jesus, and they benefitted from this.

But when the Person of Jesus is contemplated, the word opens up in an entirely new way. It is no longer just a book of right moral living and a relationship with God in a general way. Instead, it takes on an entirely new dynamic as we truly seek out God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Think about Jesus each time you pick up the Bible and read. He is what God is asking us to focus on above all else. This is a certain truth to be found in His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Ahimelech the Priest (verses 1-7)

Now David came to Nob,

vayavo David noveh – “And he came, David, Nob-ward.” Before going into exile from the land, David passed the area of Nob. It is a location mentioned six times, four in 1 Samuel and one time each in Nehemiah and Isaiah. Nob is in the tribe of Benjamin, being noted along with Anathoth, a priestly city, by Nehemiah.

This would make sense because Saul may have directed the tabernacle to be there in his tribal inheritance, maybe to somewhat consolidate the priestly kingdom of the Lord. In Isaiah, it is noted to be on the road of Sennacherib’s trek to Jerusalem –

“Lift up your voice,
O daughter of Gallim!
Cause it to be heard as far as Laish—
O poor Anathoth!
³¹ Madmenah has fled,
The inhabitants of Gebim seek refuge.
³² As yet he will remain at Nob that day;
He will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion,
The hill of Jerusalem.” Isaiah 10:30-32

David means Beloved. Strong’s says Nob means Fruit, coming from nob, to flourish. This can be real fruit or figurative, such as the fruit of the lips, meaning praise, etc. Abarim has the source as nabah, to be high or prominent. They define it as Height or High Place.

^{1 (con’t)} to Ahimelech the priest.

el akhimelekh ha’kohen – “unto Ahimelech the priest.” This is the first time Ahimelech is mentioned. Some commentators say he is Ahijah, noted in 1 Samuel 14:3. He could also be his brother. Whatever the relationship, he is noted as “the priest.” Thus, he is likely the high priest, filling in for his brother Ahijah, or some other unknown connection between the two. His name means My Brother Is King, Brother of the King, or something similar.

^{1 (con’t)} And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David,

vayekherad akhimelekh liqrath David – “And he shuddered, Ahimelech, to encounter David.” David arrived without a weapon, so his shuddering probably had nothing to do with feeling danger. A possibility is that he may think David is retreating from battle with bad news, such as in 1 Samuel 4 when Eli got bad news concerning the battle. It would otherwise be abnormal for David to travel alone, as it next says…

^{1 (con’t)} and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

vayomer lo madua atah l_evadekha v_eish ein itakh – “And he said to him, ‘Whatchaknow – you to your separation, and man naught with you?’” The reason Ahimelech was fearful had to do with David being alone. It was not what would normally be expected. Thus, it caused Ahimelech to shudder anxiously.

² So David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has ordered me on some business,

vayomer David laakhimelekh ha’kohen ha’melekh tsivani davar – “And he said, David, to Ahimelech the priest, ‘The king, he enjoined me – word.” It’s remarkable that the same scholars who roasted Rahab for lying find it acceptable that David did. Adam Clarke, for example –

Joshua 2:5 – “But this is no excuse for the woman’s prevarication, for God could have saved his messengers independently of her falsity. God never says to any, Do evil that good may come of it.”

1 Samuel 21:2 – “It is well known that from all antiquity it was held no crime to tell a lie, in order to save life.”

David lies to the high priest, and yet, the Bible makes no indictment against him for doing so. This wasn’t just a “word” for David’s safety. It would have been one for Ahimelech’s as well…

^{2 (con’t)} and said to me, ‘Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you.’

vayomer elay ish al yeda m_eumah eth ha’davar asher anokhi sholekhakha vaasher tsivitikha – “and he said unto me, ‘Man not he will know ‘speck, the word’ which I myself sending, and which I enjoined you.’” This is an explanation of the “word” of the previous clause. David claims to be on a secret mission from Saul, one that demands he not reveal the details to anyone else. That would include Ahimelech.

To explain why he was alone, he next says…

^{2 (con’t)} And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.

v_eeth ha’n_earim yodati el m_eqom p_eloni almoni – “And the lads I knew unto place such n’ such.” David is not alone at all. Rather, the lads under him have gone elsewhere, under his direction, to await him. This is restated in Mark 2:26, where Jesus cites this encounter and mentions the men with David.

David uses the term peloni almoni, such n’ such. The words have no equivalent value in English. They are a way of addressing a definite person or place without the name.

The first word comes from palah, to identify, distinguish, or specify. The second is alam, to bind, be silent, or speechless. This then gives the twofold sense of identifying a thing while concealing it at the same time. A good way of understanding the phrase would be to think of a mountain range full of caves. In one of the caves, there is gold.

If someone wanted only me to know where the gold was, he’d take me there and show me. If someone else later asked me where I was working when I brought in a bag of gold, I would say, “In such and such a cave in the mountains.” I have revealed, but I have also concealed. I’m working in the mountains in a cave, but I ain’t telling which or where. Understanding this, David continues…

³ Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found.”

v_eatah mah yesh takhath yad_ekha khamishah lekhem t_enah v_eyadi o hanimtsa – “And now, what exists under your hand? Five bread you must (surely) give in my hand, or the ‘being found’.” The NKJV gets the sense, but it may have been even more relaxed. “Whaddaya have on hand? I need five loaves if you have ‘em. You gotta have that. If not, give me whatever you can find.” David is acting normal, as if this is a common mission he is tending to.

Five is the number of grace. Bread, symbolic of food in general, is that which sustains life. In response to David’s words…

⁴ And the priest answered David and said, “There is no common bread on hand;

vayaan hakohen eth David vayomer ein lekhem khol el takhath yadi – “And he answered, the priest, David. And he said, ‘Naught bread exposed unto ‘under my hand’.’” The priest uses a technical term only seen so far in Leviticus 10:10, khol, exposed. It is derived from khalal, to bore.

Boring exposes what is bored. Something holy is unexposed. It is set aside as sacred. That which is exposed is profane and thus common. The priest essentially says that there is no Wonder Bread in his kitchen. However, there is wonderful bread there…

^{4 (con’t)} but there is holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women.”

ki im lekhem qodesh yesh im nishm_eru ha’n_earim akh meishah – “For if – ‘bread, sacred’ exists, if they were guarded, the lads, surely from woman.” This would be the lekhem panim (Exodus 25:30), bread of the faces or showbread. It is described in Leviticus 24:5-9.

Each week on the Sabbath, twelve new loaves of bread were set before the Lord on the Table of Showbread. The bread that was replaced was still considered most holy. Therefore, it was only to be eaten by the priests.

In this case, however, Ahimelech sees the mission of the king as comparable to the mission of the priests. Both the priest and the king bore the anointing oil. Thus, the men could eat the bread with the caveat that they had been kept from women, meaning intercourse, which would defile them according to Leviticus 15:18. Therefore…

⁵ Then David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us about three days since I came out.

vayaan David eth hakohen vayomer lo ki im ishah atsurah lanu kithmol shilshom b_etsethi – “And he answered, David, the priest. And he said to him, ‘For if – woman enclosed to us according to yesterday, trebly, in my going out.’” They had already been on a mission for three days. Thus, there was no need for further explanation. The words are a convenient expediency.

David had been out for three days, according to the previous chapter, but nothing is said about the lads with him. In Scripture, the number three signifies that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. In essence, it refers to divine perfection. Expanding on that, Bullinger says –

“The number three, therefore, must be taken as the number of Divine fulness. It signifies and represents the Holy Spirit as taking of the things of Christ and making them real and solid in our experience. It is only by the Spirit that we realise spiritual things. Without Him and His gracious operation, all is surface work: all is what a plane figure is to a solid (John 3:6).”

⁵ And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day.”

The words seem to make no sense. As such, most translations insert words, heavily paraphrase, etc. But thinking as David would, it becomes understandable: vayihyu kh_ele ha’n_earim qodesh v_ehu derekh khol v_eaph ki ha’yom yiqdash bakeli – “And they were, vessels the lads, sacred. And it, road, exposed. And yea, for the day, it will be clean in the vessel.”

David reassures the priest that his obligation to maintain the holiness of the bread won’t be jeopardized –

And they were, vessels the lads, sacred: The king’s mission means that the men were set apart to a sacred calling. They and their vessels were sanctified as such. However…

And it, road, exposed: David acknowledges that the road they are traveling on is unclean. Despite that…

And yea, for the day, it will be clean in the vessel: The bread will remain in the vessel of each man. Therefore, the bread will remain sacred and untainted by the common because it will be maintained in consecrated vessels.

David’s words are untrue. He was not on a sacred commission. Thus, the vessels can’t be sacred, but he has needs and fudges the entire narrative in order to get what he and his men need. With his reassurance…

⁶ So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there

vayiten lo hakohen qodesh ki lo hayah sham lekhem – “And he gave to him, the priest, sacred. For not, it was there, bread.” With nothing else available, and with David’s reassurance, the priest acquiesces to David’s request and gives him the sacred bread. That is again more carefully detailed…

^{6 (con’t)} 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.

ki im lekhem ha’panim ha’musarim milph_ene Y_ehovah lasum lekhem khom b_eyom hilaq_ekho – “For if – ‘bread, the faces’, the ‘being caused to turn from faces Yehovah,’ to put ‘bread, heat’, in day the ‘being taken’.” This refers to the showbread mentioned before in Leviticus 24, which says –

“And you shall take fine flour and bake twelve cakes with it. Two-tenths of an ephah shall be in each cake. ⁶ You shall set them in two rows, six in a row, on the pure gold table before the Lord. ⁷ And you shall put pure frankincense on each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, an offering made by fire to the Lord. ⁸ Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the Lord continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant. ⁹ And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place; for it is most holy to him from the offerings of the Lord made by fire, by a perpetual statute.” Leviticus 24:5-9

There is the week-old bread, the “being caused to turn from faces Yehovah,” which is replaced with hot bread. The “day the ‘being taken’” refers to the Sabbath when the exchange was made. This explains why they had no common bread. Being a Sabbath, they would not need to make common bread. Rather, they would eat the consecrated bread.

This, however, has caused all kinds of speculation by scholars, both Jewish and Christian. If it were a Sabbath, how could they kindle a fire and make the bread? Both would be a violation of the Sabbath, such as the prohibition to kindle a fire in Exodus 35:3. Because of this, some say that the bread was made on Friday and kept in an oven.

Such commentaries fail to consider that the priests always violated the Sabbath in everything they did in their Sabbath duties. And yet, they were not guilty –

“Or not you read in the law that, the Sabbaths, the priests in the temple the Sabbath profane, and they are guiltless?” Matthew 12:5 (CG)

If this were a Sabbath, how would that affect David? If he were on a consecrated mission for Saul, we could assume that he had the same protections from guilt as the priests had. Or it could be that this is the day after the Sabbath. Whatever the case, there is no reason to assume any wrongdoing among the priests.

Understanding this, the next words are parenthetical…

⁷ Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord.

v_esham ish meavde shaul bayom ha’hu ne_etsar liphne Y_ehovah – (“And there, man from ‘servants, Saul’, in the day, the it, being enclosed to ‘faces, Yehovah’.” The introduction of this person sets the stage for what will occur in the next chapter. The meaning of “enclosed to faces Yehovah” is debated. He could have been unclean and sequestered there, or if it was a Sabbath, he could have been detained there to keep from traveling, etc.

The reason is not important. Rather, there are two points of note. The first is that Saul’s servant was detained before the Lord. He was under an obligation to the law. Also, the fact that he was there is stated to confirm him as a witness to David’s arrival and then being sent off in peace.

Saul means Asked, but the spelling is identical to Sheol, the place of the dead. Of this servant of Saul, it next says…

^{7 (con’t)} And his name was Doeg, an Edomite,

Rather: ush_emo doeg ha’adomi – “And his name Doeg the Adomite.” Adomi, Adomite, is used eleven times. Of those, it is further defined as “the Adomite” six times, five of which refer to Doeg, and one to Hadad in 1 Kings 11:4.

Doeg is from daag, to be or become anxious. Thus, his name means Anxious or Fearful. Adomi comes from adom, red or ruddy. Thus, He is the Red One. He was…

^{7 (con’t)} the chief of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

Again, the translation is off: abir ha’roim asher l_eshaul – “‘mighty, the pasturers’ which to Saul.”) The adjective abir, mighty, is not a common word, and it is almost always used in poetry or figurative speech. Further, it is used more often than not when describing animals.

Concerning ha’roim, the pasturers, it is a term that signifies “the shepherds.” However, it is used both literally and figuratively. There are the shepherds of flocks, and there are the shepherds of people.

In verse 22:9, it says that Doeg is stationed with (lit: upon) the servants of Saul. His being mighty of the pasturers may be a way of expressing that he is the chief of those who shepherd Saul’s people. Or he may be the chief herdsman. If so, the words of verse 22:9 are a way of acknowledging his rank among the servants of Saul.

The sword of Goliath is there
The one you used to kill in the Valley of Elah
Behind the ephod it is, that’s where
I can still see the scene and hear the united oohrah!

If you want it, go ahead and take
There is none other on hand
You are the one who earned it, for goodness’ sake!
Your victory over the Philistine was grand

*

I will take it! It is like no other
I remember the day I killed Goliath with it
And I have to admit it, O brother
I enjoyed that cut more than a bit

II. The King of the Land (verses 8-15)

With the parentheses concerning Doeg complete, it next says…

⁸ And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword?

vayomer David laakhimelekh v_eein yesh poh takhath yad_ekha khanith o kharev – “And he said, David to Ahimelech, ‘And not, exists here, under your hand spear or sword?’” David knew a sword was there, but he asks indirectly, first mentioning the spear and then the sword.

Remember that khanith, spear, is the same spelling as the feminine form of the word grace. The sword is the same spelling as Horeb, the mountain of the law. Thus, typologically, this clause anticipates those things, grace and law. Of these implements, David says…

^{8 (con’t)} For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

ki gam kharbi v_egam kelay lo laqakhti b_eyadi ki hayah devar ha’melekh nakhuts – “For also, my sword, and also, my vessels, not I brought in my hand, for it was ‘word, the king’ urgent.’” The word nakhats, urgent, is found only here. In his urgency, he took off without proper supplies, including his sword. He doesn’t mention the spear this time.

There is a sword at the temple. David is looking to gain control over it. In response…

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.

vayomer ha’kohen kherev gal_eyath ha’p_elishti asher hikitha b_eemeq ha’elah hineh hi lutah basimlah akhare ha’ephod – “And he said, the priest, ‘‘Sword, Goliath, the Philistine’ whom you caused to strike in ‘Valley, the Elah’ behold, it enveloped in the mantle behind the ephod.’” The priest acknowledges the sword’s presence.

When he does, he calls Goliath “the Philistine.” He is the main Weakener, typical of Satan, who uses law to destroy humanity’s relationship with God.

The priest uses a new word, lut, to envelop or wrap tightly. It will be seen only two more times. In 1 Kings 19:13, Elijah enveloped his face in his cloak to hide from the presence of the Lord. And in Isaiah 25:7, it says –

“And He will swallow in mount, this, faces the enveloping [lut], the envelope [lot] upon all the peoples, and the pouring, the poured upon all nations.” (CG)

Isaiah 25:8 goes on to explain the enveloping and the pouring as the pall of death, which universally affects all of humanity.

The simlah, mantle, comes from semel, to resemble. Thus, it is that which takes the form of what is inside it. The mantle thus took the form of the sword inside it.

The mantle was probably the mantle Goliath was wearing when he died. That is speculation, but the definite article seems to indicate that. Being behind the ephod would mean that it is behind the sacred high priestly garment in which were kept the Urim and Thummim.

Goliath comes from galah, to uncover or remove, but it also means to lead away into exile. Thus, the name means Uncoverer, and thus Exposer, but with the secondary meaning of Exiler. Philistine means Weakener or Griever.

The Valley of Elah is a deep, broad valley. Elah means Terebinth. Thus, it means Valley of the Terebinth. But based on the root words, one could paraphrase it as Depth of the Mighty.

^{9 (con’t)} 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.”

im othah tiqakh l_ekha qakh ki ein akhereth zulathah bazeh vayomer David ein kamoha t_enenah li – “If it you will take to you, take. For naught other beside it in this.’ And he said, David, ‘Naught according to it. You must give it to me.’” David received the sword from Ahimelech. However, despite it being in David’s possession, outside of Doeg’s reference to it in the next chapter, it is never referred to again in Scripture.

¹⁰ Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

vayaqam David vayivrakh bayom ha’hu mip_ene shaul vayavo el akhish melekh gath – “And he arose, David, and he bolted, in the day, the it, from ‘faces, Saul’. And he went unto Achish, ‘king, Gath’.” David retreated completely from Israel-held territory. It seems odd he would go to Philistine territory, but being enemies of Saul, they would be unlikely to extradite him. Other surrounding countries may have been more disposed towards handing him over.

Further, David was a stripling, a young man, when he fought Goliath. By now, as will be seen in a few verses, he is bearded. As such, his appearance would be completely different.

The meaning of Achish is uncertain, having an unclear etymology. Young’s says Serpent Charmer. Others defer to Persian, Egyptian, Greek, or Arabic roots. Some suggestions are He Was Afraid, Majestic, Angry, or Gift of God. Gath means Winepress.

¹¹ And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land?

vayom_eru avde akhish elav halo zeh David melekh ha’arets – “And they said, ‘servants, Achish’, unto him, ‘(Indeed) not this David, ‘king, the land’?” They do not call David king of Israel, knowing that was not the case. Instead, he is given a term of honor for his military prowess, king of the land. Achish was the seren, axle, of Gath. But he is also called the king of Gath.

The main point is that David was recognized. This wouldn’t be unusual. Militaries, including Israel’s, had former enemies within their ranks. Doeg was an Edomite, Uriah was a Hittite, etc. Around the world today, soldiers who were previously enemies are found in the lands and even the militaries of those they once faced in battle.

However, the title “king of the land” sets David off from the rest. And more…

^{11 (con’t)} Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

halo lazeh yaanu vam_ekholoth lemor hikah shaul baalapho v_edavid b_erivoto – “(Indeed) not to this they will answer in the dances to say, ‘He caused to strike Saul in his thousand [k.], and David in his myriad [k.]?’” The military prowess of David was well known, including the song the women sang, honoring his victories.

The written Hebrew has both of these numbers in the singular. However, the oral changes them to the plural, thousands and myriads. The song, as recorded in the written Hebrew of 1 Samuel 18:7, was thousand and myriads. The servants speak in general terms, and there is no need to divert from the written.

As for David, anyone else may have gone down to Gath Saloon for the afternoon and gotten no grief at all, but David, because of his reputation, was a noted exception to the locals. Because of this…

¹² Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

vayasem David eth ha’d_evarim ha’eleh bilvavo vayira m_eod mip_ene akhish melekh gath – “And he put, David, the words, the these, in his heart. And he feared, vehemently from ‘faces, Achish, king, Gath’.” Being servants of Achish, it only makes sense that David would be afraid. Achish was the authority over the land, and having his servants advise him to capture or kill David would be expected. Therefore, David adapts to the situation…

¹³ So he changed his behavior before them,

vayshano eth tamao b_eenekhem – “And he transmuted his taste in their eyes.” The word shanah, to duplicate, is used. In this case, it implies that he made a new way of presenting himself so that his taam, taste, meaning his perception, would be changed. Thus, he transmuted his behavior.

This event was recorded in the introduction to Psalm 34, where Achish is called Abimelech, a designation for the kings of the Philistines, like Pharaoh is used concerning the leader of Egypt –

“To David, in his transmute – taste, to faces Abimelech, and his expatriating him, and he walked.” (CG)

^{13 (con’t)} pretended madness in their hands,

Rather: vayithholel b_eyadam – “and he shined himself in their hand.” The word halal signifies to be clear (of sound or color). As such it means to shine. It is almost always translated as praise. We shine the Lord, meaning praise the Lord.

David shined himself, meaning instead of being humble, he acted outwardly. He may have even praised himself, boastfully proclaiming his greatness as lunatics often do.

Saying “in their hand” probably means that he was actually arrested by the people. If so, it would be the reason for the opening words of Psalm 56 –

“To the Chief Musician. Set to ‘The Silent Dove in Distant Lands.’ A Michtam of David when the Philistines captured him in Gath.”

^{13 (con’t)} scratched on the doors of the gate,

vay_etav al daltoth ha’shaar – “and he tav’d [marked ✞’s] [k.] upon ‘doors, the gate.” The written and the spoken Hebrew are different. The written says that he tav’d, he marked, on the doors of the gate. The oral says he tayv’d, beat, on them. The act of marking, tavah, is only seen here and in Ezekiel 9:4.

One marks a mark, a tav. It is a word seen once in Job and twice in Ezekiel 9. The ancient tav represented crossed sticks which form a cross.

The deleth, or door, comes from dalah, to draw water. Thus, they are something swinging like a pail when it is drawn up. From there, one sees the idea of the door swinging on its posts. The door is what provides access and egress to what is on the other side.

The shaar, gate, comes from shaar, meaning to calculate or reckon. That is used only once, in Proverbs 23 –

“For as he thinks [shaar] in his heart, so is he.
‘Eat and drink!’ he says to you,
But his heart is not with you.” Proverbs 23:7

^{13 (con’t)} and let his saliva fall down on his beard.

vayored riro el z_eqano – “and he caused to descend his saliva unto his beard.” This is something that happens to me anytime I take a nap. In David’s case, it is purposeful. He drooled all over his beard as lunatics with beards often do.

The beard is used to signify personal dignity. In 2 Samuel 10, David’s ambassadors had their beards shaved off. Because of that, David told them to remain in Jericho until they grew back. Having no beard was an affront to their dignity.

The riyr, spittle, is introduced here. Its only other use is in Job 6:6 when it refers to the whites of an egg. If the beard makes the wearer dignified, then the drool all over it is a purposeful debasing of those qualities.

With his showstopping performance abilities seen by Achish, a response is given..

¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me?

vayomer akhish el avadav hineh tiru ish mishtagea lamah taviu otho elay – “And he said, Achish, unto his servants, ‘Behold! You will see ‘man, raving himself’! To why you will cause to bring him unto me?” Again, it seems this is the event that prompted David to write Psalm 56. They laid their hands on him and brought him to Achish, probably to the gates where he sat and judged.

While David was drooling, raving, and marking, Achish was miffed that they even bothered bringing forward such a lunatic. As such, he exclaimed…

*^{15 (fin)} 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?”

khasar m_eshugaim ani ki havethem eth zeh lehishtag_ea alay ha’zeh yavo el beiti – “Lacking ‘being, raved,’ I, that you caused to bring this to rave himself upon me? The ‘this’ you will bring unto my house?’” A new word, khaser, to lack, is used. The king notes that he already has enough lunatics to tend to, so why did they bring him another? He couldn’t be bothered with judging such a matter.

Saying “bring unto my house” means into his sphere of authority or even his service, not to his literal house. With the verses complete, what are the details of this chapter telling us?

There is an inheritance coming to us
And it has already been granted, the deal is done
We have received the promise because of Jesus
It is based on His work alone – that of God’s own Son

There is no need to worry if we will enter glory
It is guaranteed because we believed what was told to us
We heard the word of faith, the gospel story
And we believed in the glorious name – Jesus

The inheritance is given to all who are sanctified
It has been granted because of what God has done
It has come through the blood of Jesus, He who died
And who rose again! In Him, the victory is won

III. Our House, Their House

The main consideration of this chapter explains what it means to a person when he holds to the doctrines of Christ. What is his state in relation to those who hold to law instead of God’s grace?

In verse 1, David, who pictures accepting the doctrines of Christ, has fled from Saul, the state of man destined for Sheol. He came Nob-ward, Fruit-ward, the anticipation of the fruit of the Spirit. His coming was to Ahimelech, My Brother is King, the high priest.

He pictures the law anticipating Christ (as noted in Galatians 3:24). Ahimelech was fearful and wanted to know why David was alone, as if some calamity had come about.

As the mediator of the law for the people, he would be terrified if something was wrong with those who had accepted the doctrines of Christ. If that were the case, how much more would there be a problem with those of faith under the law?

David’s response (verse 2) was that he had been given a word necessitating mission silence, and those with him had been sent to a known location, identifying the fact while at the same time concealing the location.

In verse 3, David asked for five loaves of bread. Five is the number of grace. Bread concerns that which sustains life. The thought of bread is inclusive of the word of God, the word of life.

Those who accept the doctrines of Christ need provision. However, there is a problem. Ahimelech told David (verse 4) that he had no exposed, meaning common, bread available. He did, however, have sacred bread if the men were kept from women.

Those who accept the doctrines of Christ must be sanctified if they are to partake in that which is holy. Are they? This is what is being addressed in this section. In verse 5, David assured the priest that the men had been kept from women for three days, the number of divine fulness and perfection. Of three, Bullinger says –

“The number three, therefore, must be taken as the number of Divine fulness. It signifies and represents the Holy Spirit as taking of the things of Christ and making them real and solid in our experience. It is only by the Spirit that we realise spiritual things. Without Him and His gracious operation, all is surface work: all is what a plane figure is to a solid (John 3:6).” Bullinger

The three days are thus a typological assurance that those who accept the doctrines of Christ are acceptable to what is holy. This is even surer because David noted that the vessels of the lads were sacred, even though the road was exposed (profane). Therefore, the bread would remain clean.

In verse 6, the sacred bread was given to David, meticulously noting that the exchange of the bread was made that day, meaning it was a Sabbath day. Two thoughts can be derived from this one verse.

The first is that what those who accept the doctrines of Christ eat is sanctified through Christ. The second is that they have entered their rest (Hebrews 4:3) and are thus freed from the law of the Sabbath.

In verse 7, there was a parenthetical note about Doeg, Anxious/Fearful, the Red One. It said he was enclosed before Yehovah. The underlying typological meaning of saying he was enclosed is that the Lord is the limiter and restrainer of life for man.

Doeg is a type of Adam bound under law, even if he is not of Israel, fearful of his state before the Lord. He was also noted as “mighty the pasturers which to Saul.” Saul represents those destined for Sheol. Everything about Doeg speaks of fallen man, living his set and predetermined life before the Lord.

Adam is the chief servant of Sheol, reflected in all humans after him before they come to Christ. Therefore, he pictures those of Hebrews 2:15 “who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Hence the name, Doeg, Fearful.

With the parenthetical note complete, in verse 8, David asked Ahimelech if there was either spear or sword (grace or law) available under his hand (authority) because he had not brought his sword. Ahimelech told him in verse 9 that he had the sword of Goliath (Exposer/Exiler), the Weakener whom David killed in the Valley of Elah (Depth of the Mighty).

It was a reminder of Christ’s victory over the Serpent, and thus that those who hold to the doctrines of Christ are entitled to the same victory as the Lord.

The priest meticulously described the sword’s location. It was “enveloped in the mantle behind the ephod.” The mantle was wrapped, and thus it assumed the form of the sword. In other words, the implement used by Satan, though wrapped, bears the same form as when unwrapped.

Where it was kept, meaning behind the ephod, which is the symbol of the priest’s status as representative before God, means that the Law of Moses symbolically bears the same form as the law that originally caused man to fall. This is a logical conclusion because the ephod is seen, but when it is moved, law is still seen. This is just what Paul says about the law –

“What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. ²⁰ Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.” Galatians 3:19, 20

Law got man into the mess he is in. The law of Moses only added to transgressions before God.

The priest told David to take the sword if he wished. He said that there was none like it, accepted it, and fled from before Saul (verse 10) to Achish king of Gath.

Thus, David had possession of the law of the Exposer. Because the sword is never mentioned again, except in Doeg’s statement to Saul in Chapter 22, it is implied that David retains control over it. In other words, those who accept the doctrines of Christ are free from law, having total control over it. As Romans 6:14 says, “for you are not under law but under grace.”

As for Achish, his name is not from any known root and can only be speculated on. Thus, unless more information is found before he is reintroduced in Chapter 27, I won’t even guess at typology. Robert Young’s definition, Serpent Charmer, is intriguing and would fit. But I have no idea how he derived the name.

Gath means Winepress. Whatever Achish means, he is the king of Gath, Winepress, symbolizing the place of judgment on sin.

In verse 11, Achish’s servants called David the king of the land, saying he was remembered in the dances where Saul slayed thousands and David myriads. Christ is the King of the earth. Those who follow Him will reign as kings as well (Revelation 1:6). As for the song they cited, it is reflective of Romans 5:17 –

“For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)”

In verse 12, David feared Achish because he was recognized. Therefore, in verse 13, he “transmuted his taste in their eyes,” meaning he presented himself in a new way.

David was not a Philistine, a Weakener, and others recognized this. To make this completely conspicuous, it says, “He shined himself in their hand.”

The meaning of “shine” is “to make clear.” Those who hold to the doctrines of Christ, when they proclaim them, are completely identifiable and separate from those who hold to law and teach law observance.

Next, “he tav’d [marked ✞(es)] [k.] upon doors the gate.” A door is what provides access. A gate is the place where judgment in a city takes place. A person who holds to the doctrines of Christ will proclaim that Christ’s cross, not law, is the only way to obtain access to salvation because it is where God’s judgment on sin lies.

David also let saliva descend on his beard, his symbol of personal dignity. Drooling on his beard is a sign of debasing that dignity. Believers do not get their dignity from their own efforts through law observance. Rather, their dignity stems from Christ alone. Paul explains this attitude –

“But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. ⁸ Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹ if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.” Philippians 3:7-11

Because of David’s conduct, the last three verses comprise Achish’s rejection of him from his house. In other words, those who hold to law observance cannot find anything of value in those who hold to the doctrines of Christ. They are too filled with pride in themselves to understand what God has done for them in the giving of His Son.

If you don’t believe that, try having a conversation with a law observer sometime. You’ll see how evident this is in their lives.

As noted in the introduction, the events of this chapter are used by David in the psalms, and they are referred to by the writers of the gospels. So what we have learned is important for those reasons as well as the typology conveyed.

God has a particular reason for including this account, and its details assure us that when we hold to the doctrines of Christ, we are on the right track. We may find ourselves in the land of the Philistines, but we have no similarity to them.

Rather, we bear the truth of God in Christ, and someday we will be found in His image for all eternity. This is the hope we possess because of what He has done. Remember this and do not allow yourself to fall back under the presumptuous sin of law observance. God will not accept His glory being marred by those who put themselves above what He has done.

So yield yourself to Him and accept with humility the grace that He has given to the world in giving His Son.

Closing Verse: “Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
⁴ In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?” Psalm 56:3, 4

Next Week: 1 Samuel 22:1-13 JJ would say dy-no-mite, for fun… (Doeg the Adomite, Part I) (47^th 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 21:1-15 (CG)

21 And he came, David, Nob-ward unto Ahimelech the priest. And he shuddered, Ahimelech, to encounter David. And he said to him, “Whatchaknow – you, to your separation, and man naught with you?”

²And he said, David, to Ahimelech the priest, “The king, he enjoined me – word, and he said unto me, ‘Man not he will know ‘speck, the word’ which I myself sending, and which I enjoined you. And the lads, I knew unto place such n’ such. ³And now, what exists under your hand? Five bread you must (surely) give in my hand, or the ‘being found.’”

⁴And he answered, the priest, David. And he said, “Naught bread exposed unto ‘under my hand’. For if – ‘bread, sacred’ exists, if they were guarded, the lads, surely from woman.”

⁵And he answered, David, the priest. And he said to him, “For if – woman enclosed to us according to yesterday, trebly, in my going out. And they were, vessels the lads, sacred. And it, road, exposed. And yea, for the day, it will be clean in the vessel.”

⁶And he gave to him, the priest, sacred. For not, it was there, bread. For if – ‘bread, the faces’, the ‘being caused to turn from faces Yehovah’, to put ‘bread, heat’, in day the ‘being taken’.

(⁷And there, man from ‘servants, Saul’, in the day, the it, being enclosed to ‘faces, Yehovah’. And his name Doeg the Adomite*, ‘mighty, the pasturers’ which to Saul.)

⁸And he said, David to Ahimelech, “And not, exists here, under your hand spear or sword? For also, my sword, and also, my vessels not I brought in my hand, for it was ‘word, the king’ urgent.”

⁹And he said, the priest, “‘Sword, Goliath, the Philistine, whom you caused to strike in ‘Valley, the Elah’, behold, it enveloped in the mantle behind the ephod. If it you will take to you, take. For naught other beside it in this.”

And he said, David, “Naught according to it. You must give it to me.”

¹⁰And he arose, David, and he bolted, in the day, the it, from ‘faces, Saul’. And he went unto Achish, ‘king, Gath’. ¹¹And they said, ‘servants, Achish’, unto him, “(Indeed) not this David, ‘king, the land’? (Indeed) not to this, they will answer in the dances to say, ‘He caused to strike Saul in his thousand [k.], and David in his myriad [k.]?’”

¹²And he put, David, the words, the these, in his heart. And he feared, vehemently from ‘faces, Achish, king, Gath’. ¹³And he transmuted his taste in their eyes, and he shined himself in their hand, and he tav’d* [k.] upon ‘doors, the gate’, and he caused to descend his*saliva unto his beard. ¹⁴And he said, Achish, unto his servants, “Behold! You will see ‘man, raving himself’! To why you will cause to bring him unto me? Lacking ‘being, raved’, I, that you caused to bring this to rave himself upon me? The ‘this’ you will bring unto my house?”

*Verse 7 – A term used seven times in the Old Testament.
Verse 11 – Qeri: “in his thousands.”
Verse 11 – Qeri: “in his myriads.”
Verse 13 – Ketiv and qeri differ only orthographically; same root (תוה).
*Verse 13 – To tav, the 22^nd letter of the aleph-beth. In paleo Hebrew, it signified crossed sticks and was made in the form of a cross. Thus, he marked ✞’s.

 

1 Samuel 21:1-15 (NKJV)

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?”

² 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. 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 consecrated in the vessel this day.”

⁶ 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.

⁷ 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.

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.”

¹⁰ Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. To 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?”

8

Artwork by Douglas Kallerson

1 Samuel 20:34-42
The Stone, the Departure, Part III

(Typed 12 January 2026) I never get tired of how God works things into His word. He takes real stories of actual historical events and people and uses them to typologically cover a seemingly unlimited number of things.

He reveals doctrines, truths, and future events. Some events span extended periods from past to present and into the future! One story can represent events in history that span thousands of years.

At the same time, the stories are a historical part of the lives of those He is using. When one typological picture is complete, the life of a person may go on to reveal more things in typology.

The last words of this chapter say, “And he arose, and he walked. And Jehonathan, he went – the city.” Two men were the focus of the entire chapter, revealing typology.

That alone is amazing. Making one story seamlessly fit into another part of the redemptive narrative by using select words and phrases is, by itself, an astonishing literary feat. And yet, there is more to come.

Text Verse: “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. ³ For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Romans 4:2, 3

Both Jonathan and David have been used in multiple pictures already. By a simple spelling change of Jonathan’s name, an entire panorama of new or unique information can be discerned.

In some accounts, the name change has only been a couple of times out of many uses of his name. In this chapter, the additional letter is used consistently from beginning to end. Even that fact, meaning the number of times it occurs, can give us information.

Both men will continue on in the literal historical narrative, and they will also be used for different typology. The Bible is astonishing because God is amazing.

Let us revel in this glorious gift God has given us. It is, after all, His superior word. And so, let us turn to that precious word once again, and… May God speak to us through His word today, and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. He Flowed the Arrow (verses 34-42)

³⁴ So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger,

vayaqam y_ehonathan meim ha’shulkhan bakhori aph – “And he arose, Jehonathan, from ‘with the table’ in ‘inferno, nostril’.” Saul has become so mentally unhinged that targeting Jonathan with a spear is acceptable in his mind. This is more poignant because it was done in front of others who sat at the table. It is an issue where sides will naturally be taken when the matter is later discussed.

As for Jonathan, the more usual term for anger, burning nostril, has been replaced with the noun form of the same word. Jonathan’s anger is like an inferno contained within his head, fuming through his nostril. Because of this situation, he arose in his furious state…

^{34 (con’t)} and ate no food the second day of the month,

v_elo akhal b_eyom ha’khodesh ha’sheni lekhem – “And not he ate in ‘day, the Renewal, the second’, bread.” There goes the meal. Regardless of how Saul acted after the outburst, everyone else would be on pins and needles as they ate. And despite this probably being the ending meal for the Feast of Acclamation, Jonathan had no desire to rejoice. His father had completely soured his mood…

^{34 (con’t)} for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

ki ne_etsav el David ki hikhlimo aviv – “For he was carved unto David. For he caused to humiliate him, his father.” Jonathan’s anger is not that his own father tried to pin him to the wall. That was merely an outward display reflecting the enmity Saul felt for David. In thinking Jonathan was allied with David over himself, Saul hurled the spear.

In his mind, David is the main issue. He is obsessed with the notion that David is bent on betraying him and seizing the kingdom. He is enraged that Jonathan can’t understand this simple fact. But Jonathan knows the truth about David and cannot fathom how his own father could see David as a traitor.

Jonathan’s heart is broken, and it was as if his soul was carved out of him because of the state of things…

³⁵ And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.

Rather than the time, which was never set, it is the place of meeting that was appointed: vayhi vaboqer vayetse y_ehonathan ha’sadeh l_emoed David v_enaar qaton imo – “And it was in the morning, and he went, Jehonathan – the field, to ‘appointment, David’. And the lad, diminutive, with him.” Having the lad with him, as previously planned, was a wise precaution. If Saul pulled the boy off to the side and asked what they did, he would only be able to tell him that they went out to shoot arrows.

The account specifically calls the boy diminutive. It is a purposeful selection intended to quell any suspicion that an older person might be allied with Jonathan. It is also a precaution, because little children do not snoop or ask a lot of questions. This same word was used to describe David in 1 Samuel 17 when he went to face Goliath…

³⁶ Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.”

vayomer l_enaaro ruts m_etsa na eth ha’khitsim asher anokhi moreh – “And he said to his lad, ‘You must run, you must find, pray, the arrows which I myself ‘causing to flow’.’” The scene is totally normal for anyone unaware of the prearranged meeting. The lad would have fun running after arrows, and he would be totally unsuspecting of a thing. So following Jonathan’s imperatives, he would have hurriedly headed out as Jonathan “caused to flow,” meaning shot, his arrows.

^{36 (con’t)} As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

ha’naar rats v_ehu yarah ha’khetsi l_ehaaviro – “The lad, he ran, and he, he ‘flowed the arrow’ to his ‘cause to traverse.’” The words “cause to traverse” are speaking of where the boy is. It is rightly paraphrased by the NKJV. Jonathan noted where the boy was and shot beyond him, thus traversing him.

In verse 20, it said that Jonathan would shoot three arrows. There is no reason to assume a lack of cohesion between the two verses. To “flow the arrow” could be a flavorful, collective way of saying that he shot multiple arrows.

We do this regularly when we use a singular to indicate repeated events, such as “At the range, Charlie shot the gun.” The indefiniteness of the action is understood to mean any number of rounds. And if Charlie goes to the range, he is going to shoot a lot. None of the uses of “the arrow” negate this…

³⁷ When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot,

vayavo ha’naar ad m_eqom ha’khetsi asher yarah y_ehonathan – “And he came, the lad, until ‘place, the arrow’ which he flowed, Jehonathan.” Regardless of the number of arrows, Jonathan had sent the arrow beyond the boy. Eventually, the boy arrived at the general location and…

^{37 (con’t)} Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”

vayiqra y_ehonathan akhare ha’naar vayomer halo ha’khetsi mim_ekha vahal_eah – “And he called, Jehonathan, after the lad, and he said, ‘(Indeed) not the arrow from ‘at you and beyond’?’” This continues to give the sense that more than one arrow was shot. The boy came to where “the arrow” was. Thus, Jonathan, using the singular, indicates that “the arrow,” collectively meaning all he shot, were from where he was and beyond.

For example, take a person who wants to collect mushrooms. He asks a local where he can get them. The guy walks with him to a point and then says, “From here and beyond you’ll find them.” He may even add, “They are everywhere after this.”

This is the agreed-upon sign from verse 20. If Jonathan called out that the arrows were beyond the lad, then David would know he was in a pickle with Saul. And this was a serious pickle, gherkin perhaps. Therefore, Jonathan calls out the gravity of the matter…

³⁸ And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!”

vayiqra y_ehonathan akhare ha’naar m_eherah khutsah al taamod – “And he called, Jehonathan, after the lad, ‘Promptly! You must hurry. Not you will stand.’” The lad was unaware that this was said for David’s sake. Therefore, he probably thought Jonathan was in a hurry to shoot more or something. Not wanting to delay because of Jonathan’s rushed words, it says…

^{38 (con’t)} So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master.

The written and oral renderings differ: vaylaqet naar y_ehonathan eth ha’khetsi vayavo el adonav – “And he gleaned, ‘lad, Jehonathan’, the arrow [k.]. And he came unto his lord.” The scribes, avoiding the collective nature of the word, change the oral reading to “the arrows.” However, as with the singular “the frog” in Exodus 8:6, which is used to indicate millions of frogs, the word khetsi, arrow, here is being used collectively.

³⁹ But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.

v_ehanaar lo yada m_eumah akh y_ehonathan v_edavid yad_eu eth ha’davar – “And the lad not he knew speck. Only Jehonathan and David, they knew the word.” These words highlight their fear derived from Saul’s state. Jonathan and David wanted the matter to be completely unknown to the boy, lest he might say something under pressure from Saul that would jeopardize their own safety. Thus, the lad was kept entirely unaware of the matter.

⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

vayiten y_ehonathan eth kelav el ha’naar asher lo vayomer lo lekh have hair – “And he gave, Jehonathan, his vessels unto the lad which to him. And he said to him, ‘You must walk, you must cause to go – the city.’” The vessels refer to his bow and arrows, but could extend to a water bottle or box lunch, anything Jonathan didn’t want to bother with.

It was the duty of such a lad to carry whatever his master wanted him to. This is an excuse to get him out of the area so Jonathan and David could meet before parting…

⁴¹ As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south,

ha’naar ba v_edavid qam meetsel ha’negev – “The lad, he went. And David, he arose from ‘side, the south’.” After the lad’s departure, the narrative specifically focuses on David situationally, noting he arose from the south side, probably meaning the south side of the stone of the Departure.

Although the word translated as “side” is not the same as in verse 20, saying “from side, the south” is unintelligible enough, and the two words are close enough, so that many texts and some translations ascribe it to the same word –

הָאָֽזֶל the Ezel
מֵאֵ֣צֶל from side

For example, “The youth hath gone, and David hath risen from Ezel, at the south…” (YLT). This, however, is not what the text says.

The negev, south, comes from an unused root signifying being parched, as occurs when the south wind blows. As for David, once he had arisen from the south side, he…

^{41 (con’t)} fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times.

vayipol l_eapav artsah vayishtakhu shalosh p_eamim – “and he fell to his nostrils earthward. And he prostrated himself three beats.” The specificity asks us to picture what is being presented. David got up from the south side, approached Jonathan, and was overwhelmed with the moment.

David knew that Jonathan had faithfully checked things out, and his warning meant this would mean a long, if not permanent, parting. David’s three prostrations before Jonathan were a sign of respect, thanks, and love all wrapped up together.

In Scripture, the number three signifies that which is solid, real, substantial, complete, and entire. In essence, it refers to divine perfection. Expanding on that, Bullinger says –

“The number three, therefore, must be taken as the number of Divine fulness. It signifies and represents the Holy Spirit as taking of the things of Christ and making them real and solid in our experience. It is only by the Spirit that we realise spiritual things. Without Him and His gracious operation, all is surface work: all is what a plane figure is to

^{41 (con’t)} And they kissed one another;

vayish_equ ish eth reehu – “And they kissed, ‘man, his associate’.” The words are unfortunately abused by those with a perverted agenda, as if there was some type of inappropriate conduct being highlighted. That has nothing to do with the culture, context, or intent.

To this day, throughout the Middle East, this is a common, natural, and accepted form of greeting. It has nothing to do with homosexuality. Rather, it is equivalent in our culture to hugging a best friend before or after a long absence, during times of distress, and so forth. The context clearly reveals the intent, including…

^{41 (con’t)} and they wept together, but David more so.

The intent of the final clause is highly debated and widely translated: vayivku ish eth reehu ad David higdil – “And they wept, ‘man, his associate’, until David – he caused to amplify.” The word gadal means to twist. Thus, it signifies to be (or causatively, to make) large. When you twist threads, you enlarge them both in size and in strength until you have a cord and then a rope.

With this in mind, the word has many significations. A child will grow. When we praise, the Lord is magnified. A person of fame becomes great. And when one weeps uncontrollably, his sobs will amplify. In these instances, if one says “enlarge” with the intended thought in mind, though clunky, each makes sense.

Without understanding the root meaning, saying, “David, he caused to enlarge,” would have no meaning to us. But all we need to do is think about anyone who suffers great emotional trauma, and it becomes perfectly understandable. As humans, we can get ourselves so emotionally overwhelmed that our bellows of sadness are uncontrollable.

⁴² Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord,

vayomer y_ehonathan l_edavid lekh l_eshalom asher nishbanu sh_enenu anakhnu b_eshem Y_ehovah – “And he said, Jehonathan, to David, ‘You must walk to peace which we were sevened, ‘two, us’ – we – in name Yehovah.’” Translations miss the precise nuance being conveyed. With one exception, they all essentially agree with the NKJV, which says, “Go in peace, because…” This makes one thing the result of the other.

The Peshitta skips this intent and makes it two thoughts: “Go in peace! We both have sworn in the name of LORD JEHOVAH, saying…” But that still lacks the tone. It says: “You must walk to peace which we were sevened.” A modification for clarity would be, “You must walk in the peace by which we vowed.”

Jonathan isn’t wishing David to simply go in peace, because. He is telling David he should walk in the state of peace between the two of them. It is true that it is based on their vow, but Jonathan is recalling what was said in verse 8 and then in verses 14-16 –

David to Jonathan: “And you did kindness upon your servant, for in covenant Yehovah you caused to bring your servant with you.” 1 Samuel 20:8

Jonathan to David: “And not, if I yet alive, and not you will do with me kindness Yehovah? And not I will die. ¹⁵And not you will cause to cut your kindness from with my house until vanishment. And not, in cause to cut, Yehovah, hatings David – man from upon faces the ground.” ¹⁶And he cut, Jehonathan, with house David, “And He sought, Yehovah, from hand hatings David.” 1 Samuel 20:14-16

Remembering this, Jonathan essentially says, “We have sworn to uphold our state of peace. You must walk in that state of peace.” That is why he added the emphatic, “two us – we – in name Yehovah.”

Jonathan knows David will be king. When he is, Jonathan doesn’t want him to do what his father has done, forsaking faithfulness and covenant fidelity. That is why he continues…

^{42 (con’t)} saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’”

lemor Y_ehovah yihyeh beni u-venekha u-ven zari u-ven zarakha ad olam – “to say, ‘Yehovah, He will be between me and between you, and between my seed and between your seed until vanishment.’” The words are a close restatement of verses 14 & 15. The full thought, without being expressed because of their love and respect, would be, “You have to uphold the covenant we made, and if you don’t, may the Lord call you to account.”

The last phrase would unnecessarily offend. And so, though implied, the words have been omitted. With that reminder set forth…

*^{42 (fin)} So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

vayaqm vayelekh vihonathan ba ha’ir – “And he arose, and he walked. And Jehonathan, he went – the city.” The parting would have been a difficult moment in their lives. The unsurety of ever meeting again, and if so, amicably, would weigh heavily on their minds. All they could do at this point is leave the future in the hands of the Lord and live their lives remembering their friendship and striving to uphold their vows.

How long will your grace continue to last?
How long can I trust that it will still be there?
What if I die, and my time is past?
Will those after me still receive Your tender care?

How long will Your covenant promises exist?
Is there a time when they will no longer be?
Will there be a day when they fade into the mist
Or will they forever stand for those who come after me?

What is a covenant to You, O Lord my God?
We have transgressed it so many times
What is the measure of Your covenant rod?
Will Your promise be shortened because of our crimes?

II. But for How Long, Lord?

As the explanation for Chapter 19 was closed out, the reason for it said –

“The lesson of this chapter is not merely about the immediate effectiveness of the doctrines of grace, meaning salvation by grace through faith and all it entails, for God’s people. It is about the about the absolute surety of it, and is thus inclusive of the often-maligned doctrine of eternal salvation.

God is telling us in this Old Testament story that Sheol has no authority over God’s redeemed. It is a temporary place for all who go the way of Adam.”

Chapter 20 provides an explanation of the span of that truth. In verse 1, David bolted from the habitations in the Ramah. David is typical of the state of accepting the doctrines of Christ.

As seen in Chapter 19, Ramah refers to believers who are secure through their faith. Despite this, David went to Jonathan (with the additional hey, our h, the spelling used throughout the chapter).

Jonathan is emblematic of those willing to pursue the gifts God has given them. The additional letter hey (our h) pictures the saved believer, granted salvation by grace through faith and sealed with the Spirit. The name is used all twenty-nine times in this chapter.

That is its own clue to the chapter’s intent. Twenty-nine, according to Bullinger is the combination of expectation (20) and judgment (9). In Jonathan is seen the expectation of judgment on sin when allied with the doctrines of Christ.

Still in verse 1, David asked Jonathan why Saul sought his life, denying any wrongdoing. However, Jonathan said in verse 2 that David misunderstood, and all was well, noting that Saul would not hide such a thing from him.

Despite this, in verse 3, David said by oath that Saul knew the closeness between him and Jonathan. Therefore, Saul would not say anything about the matter around Jonathan. David noted that there was just a stride between him and death. Saul, the state of humanity destined for Sheol/Hades, is the king.

He wants his kingdom to continue, and that can only happen if the state of accepting the doctrines of Christ is killed. Accepting David’s premise (verse 4), Jonathan wants to know how he can assist. Thus, in verse 5, David explains that the Renewal (the seventh month New Moon) was coming, and he was expected to sit with the king to eat.

The New Moon seventh-month feast is outlined in Leviticus 23. It anticipated the birth of Christ. From that time, David said he would hide in the field (typical of the world) until the third evening, the number of divine fullness.

David’s idea is that if Saul misses him, Jonathan should tell him that he went to a sacrifice in Bethlehem, House of Bread. If Saul is good with that, they’ll know all is ok. If not, they’ll know that “it finished, the evil, from him.” If so, David was surely Saul’s target.

In verse 8, David reminded Jonathan that “in covenant Yehovah, you caused to bring your servant with you.” This is actually referring to what Paul says in Galatians 3 concerning the covenant with Abraham that set forth the doctrines of salvation by grace through faith –

“And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. ¹⁸ For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.” Galatians 3:17, 18

It is law that causes man to die. The kingdom of Saul (Sheol) trusts that the pit will retain what it receives. But even before the coming of Christ, the doctrines of Christ were set forth for freeing humanity. We just needed Jesus to come and actually fulfill the requirements for them to be effective.

Still in verse 8, David said that if there was perversity in him, Jonathan himself should kill him rather than take him to Saul. One can see the doctrines of Christ here, first spoken to Abraham, saying to those of faith like Abraham, “If there is fault in me, you reject me. Don’t even bother with Saul. Just kill me off now and go die by the law.”

In verse 9, Jonathan adamantly says that if he had an inkling that Saul intended to kill David, he would surely tell him. Therefore, David (verse 10) wants to know who will tell him if Saul actually has murderous intentions toward him.

That brings about Jonathan’s idea to go into the field (the world) to explain a plan. In verse 12, while in the field, Jonathan vows that he will check out his father’s intentions over the next days. If he finds out Saul’s intention is good toward David, he will let him know.

However, verse 13 noted that if Saul’s intent is evil towards David, Jonathan assured him with an oath that he would tell him in order to send him away in peace.

Verse 14 was Jonathan’s impassioned plea for David to go away in safety so that he would live and not die. Think of what is happening. David represents the doctrines of Christ. If they were destroyed by Saul, it would mean Jonathan would be heir to Saul’s kingdom.

But if Jonathan allows David (the doctrines of Christ) to go safely, his own future would be in question unless David kept him alive as vowed. In essence, will those who have trusted in the doctrines of Christ continue to be saved when the doctrines of Christ are set free and rule?

And so, Jonathan essentially begs David with sobbing, almost impenetrable words not to forget his covenant faithfulness to him and his house forever. He is staking his eternal destiny in the hands of the doctrines of Christ, even when the Lord has cut off every one of the Lord’s enemies “from upon faces the ground.”

When Jonathan said that, he used the term adamah, ground, rather than erets, earth. When every enemy of Adam’s seed is destroyed, Jonathan asks for continuance forever.

Verse 16 then said, “And he cut, Jehonathan, with house David.” The covenant has been agreed to. The doctrines of Christ have accepted the terms. With that, the verse ended with a statement of fact, not a word from Jonathan, “And He sought, Yehovah, from hand hatings David.”

In other words, from that time on, the Lord sought out all who were enemies of David. As Jonathan is not an enemy, but an ally, it is he and his seed that the Lord will favor, not turn against.

Verse 17 returned to the oath between the two, reiterating it for clarity, “And he will cause to add, Jehonathan, to cause to seven David in his love – him. For love his soul, he cherished him.” Think of it! The one who has trusted in the Lord by faith alone is said to love the doctrines of Christ as his own soul.

In verse 18, Jonathan told David the Renewal was the next day, and Saul would visit his seat. The seat represents the situation in which one exists. In verse 19, Jonathan said, “And you trebled.” Three things were to be done by David –

• He was to descend vehemently.
• He was to come unto the place where the deed would be accomplished.
• He was to remain beside ‘the stone the Departure’.

One can see Christ’s coming in this: He descended from the Father, He was here until the deed was accomplished, and He eventually departed.

While David was by the stone in the field, he would wait until Jonathan came and gave his sign. Jonathan will flow three (divine fullness) arrows to the guarding, the target. Then (verse 21), he will send his lad to find them. If he says to the lad that the arrows are between him and Jonathan, then all is ok with Saul.

However, if the arrows are beyond the lad (verse 22), then the Lord has sent David away. Regardless of that, in verse 23, Jonathan again appealed to the oath between he and David, which was to be forever.

In verse 24, David hid in the field (the world), and at the time of the Renewal, the king sat upon the bread, and he sat upon the seat, against the wall, and with Abner by his side.

Typologically, think of the leader of the state of humanity destined for the pit sitting down to feed at the time of the Renewal in the situation in which he exists (the seat), revealing his character (the wall) with the Father of Light by his side.

This is the state of things at Christ’s coming. David isn’t there for Saul to kill. Rather, he is secreted away. The doctrines of Christ are safe from Saul because of Jonathan, the Spirit-filled believer.

Verse 27 describes the second day of the Renewal. Saul asked Jonathan why the son of Jesse, Yehovah Exits, hadn’t come for two days to eat bread. In verse 28, Jonathan told him that David had asked to go to Bethlehem, the House of Bread, for a family sacrifice, having been petitioned by his brother.

Jonathan also told him that David had asked for that graciousness so that he could “be eluded” to be with his brothers. This was all a ruse to see if this would elicit a negative reaction by Saul, which it did. Verse 30 mentioned Saul’s anger at Jonathan for this, calling him, “son being crooked – the rebelliousness.”

Saul’s kingdom represents Sheol asking for rule over humanity. The people of the world are his people. If David, the state of accepting the doctrines of Christ, lives, Jonathan would never be established to rule Saul’s kingdom.

Saul is calling Jonathan a traitor to his own birthright. But Jonathan has already secured a better promise through his beloved David. Saul declared this was a shame to him and to his mother’s nakedness, meaning the family bond that existed between him and Jonathan, because Jonathan was his seed through her.

We have to remember that this represents a spiritual battle between Sheol and the promise of life in Christ. For this reason, in verse 31, Saul said, “For all the days which ‘son, Jesse’ alive upon the ground, not you will be established, you and your kingdom.”

As in verse 14, the word adamah is used again. As long as the son of Yehovah Exists is among men, the kingdom of Saul, Jonathan’s birthright, will not be established in Jonathan. Because of this, the exchange between Saul and Jonathan concerning David is recorded in verses 31 and 32.

Jonathan wanted to know why David should die. Saul responded by hurling his spear (verse 33) at Jonathan. This made it absolutely clear that the enmity from Saul (humanity destined for Sheol) toward David (salvation through the doctrines of Christ) was fixed and would not change.

Remember that the word khanith, spear, is identical to the feminine form of the word, khen, grace. It is the word from which Hannah, Grace, is ultimately derived. Saul essentially said, “You want to live by grace, here, you can die by grace.”

That did it for Jonathan. He arose from the table (verse 34), and didn’t eat “in the Renewal, the second.” In verse 35, Jonathan went into the field (representing the world) in the morning with a little lad to his appointment with David.

Once in the field, he followed the prearranged details, shooting his khatsi, arrow, and sending the lad to retrieve it. That word is identical to khatsi, half. It speaks of the division of time between the promise to Abraham until the time of Christ, and the time of Christ until the end of the age.

Jonathan called to the lad that the arrow was beyond him. That was the signal for David to hold fast and not be seen. The secret was known only to him and Jonathan.

In verse 40, Jonathan sent the lad back to the city with his vessels. With him gone, it said in verse 41 that David arose from the ‘side, the south’. The word negev, south, indicates being parched. David has been on the parched side of the Stone of Departure. That reflects the doctrines of Christ from Abraham until the coming of Christ.

Once David came out of hiding, he prostrated himself three times (divine fullness/divine perfection), and then they kissed, a sign of tangible covenant love. Along with that, they wept, until “David – he caused to amplify.” In other words, the state of accepting the doctrines of Christ was completely overwhelmed by the situation.

Those of faith steadfastly held to their faith throughout the years until Christ’s coming. Think of how Bullinger described the number three–

“The number three, therefore, must be taken as the number of Divine fulness. It signifies and represents the Holy Spirit as taking of the things of Christ and making them real and solid in our experience. It is only by the Spirit that we realise spiritual things. Without Him and His gracious operation, all is surface work: all is what a plane figure is to a solid (John 3:6).” Bullinger

In verse 42, Jonathan reminded David of their oath with the nuanced words he spoke, essentially saying, “We have sworn to uphold our state of peace. You must walk in that state of peace.” He then appealed one last time to the covenant between the two of them and between their seed forever.

With that, it noted that David departed, and Jonathan went to the city. The state of accepting the doctrines of Christ has saved people since the time of Abraham. Sheol has worked against this, greedily consuming the souls of men.

But eventually Christ came and destroyed the power of Sheol. However, believers still go to that same place. Our hope, until whatever day God ends this dispensation, is one of trust in Christ. Our walk is a walk of faith.

We are united, however, by covenant with God in Christ. That is why we have a spiritual separation between us and the state in which we exist. We can’t see Jesus, but we can remember what He did.

We aren’t yet glorified, but we can trust that the message we have heard and accepted is true and reliable. David and Jonathan had to depart, but they could remember the covenant between the two of them, trusting that each would uphold his promises.

This is what trust is, and it is based on faith. For those who believe in Jesus, we possess the absolute surety that His covenant faithfulness will be realized in us forever.

It is true that our faith falters at times, but when God looks at our profession of faith and He accepts it, that is a moment marked in eternity. The sealing of the Spirit confirms this as an irrevocable covenant.

As such, we should still do our best to live faithfully for all our days, but when we falter, God has already reckoned that into the equation. So be of good cheer and continue to trust this wonderful, covenant-keeping God.

Closing Verse: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:6

Next Week: 1 Samuel 21:1-15 It was covered, I wonder why-eth… (The Sword of Goliath) (46^th 1 Samuel sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. He is the One who abases the haughty and exalts the humble. He regards the lowly, and the proud, He knows from afar. So yield yourself to Him, trust Him, and believe His word. In this, He will do great things for you and through you.

1 Samuel 20:34-42 (CG)

³⁴And he arose, Jehonathan, from ‘with the table’ in ‘inferno, nostril’. And not he ate in ‘day, the Renewal, the second’, bread. For he was carved unto David. For he caused to humiliate him, his father.

³⁵And it was in the morning, and he went out, Jehonathan – the field, to ‘appointment, David’. And the lad, diminutive, with him. ³⁶And he said to his lad, “You must run, you must find, pray, the arrows which I myself ‘causing to flow’.” The lad, he ran, and he, he ‘flowed the arrow’ to his ‘cause to traverse’. ³⁷And he came, the lad, until ‘place, the arrow’ which he flowed, Jehonathan. And he called, Jehonathan, after the lad, and he said, “(Indeed) not the arrow from ‘at you and beyond’?” ³⁸And he called, Jehonathan, after the lad, “Promptly! You must hurry. Not you will stand.” And he gleaned, ‘lad, Jehonathan’, the arrow [k.]. And he came unto his lord. ³⁹And the lad not he knew speck. Only Jehonathan and David, they knew the word. ⁴⁰And he gave, Jehonathan, his vessels unto the lad which to him. And he said to him, “You must walk, you must cause to go – the city.”

⁴¹The lad, he went. And David, he arose from ‘side, the south’, and he fell to his nostrils earthward. And he prostrated himself three beats. And they kissed, ‘man, his associate’. And they wept, ‘man, his associate’, until David – he caused to amplify. ⁴²And he said, Jehonathan, to David, “You must walk to peace which we were sevened, ‘two, us’ – we – in name Yehovah, to say, ‘Yehovah, He will be between me and between you, and between my seed and between your seed until vanishment.’” And he arose, and he walked. And Jehonathan, he went – the city.

Verse 38 – Qeri: “the arrows.”

 

1 Samuel 20:34-42 (NKJV)

³⁴ So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

³⁵ And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a diminutive lad was with him. ³⁶ Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷ When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸ And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. ³⁹ But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter. ⁴⁰ Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

⁴¹ As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. ⁴² Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.