Verse 1

David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave a Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], they went down thither to him.

(a) Which was in the tribe of Judah, near Bethlehem.

Verse 3

And David went thence to Mizpeh of b Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, [and be] with you, till I know what God will do for me.

(b) For there was another so called in Judah.

Verse 4

And he c brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in d the hold.

(c) For he feared the rage of Saul against his house.

(d) That is, in Mizpeh, which was a stronghold.

Verse 6

When Saul heard that David was e discovered, and the men that [were] with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants [were] standing about him;)

(e) That a great brute came on him.

Verse 7

Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye f 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;

(f) You that are of my tribe and lineage.

Verse 8

That all of you have conspired against me, and [there is] none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and [there is] none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my g son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?

(g) By this he would persuade them that this conspiracy was most horrible, where the son conspired against the father, and the servant against his master.

Verse 11

Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, h the priests that [were] in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.

(h) Which were the remnant of the house of Eli, whose house God threatened to punish.

Verse 15

i Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute [any] thing unto his servant, [nor] to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.

(i) Have I not at other times also, when he had great affairs, consulted with the Lord for him?

Verse 17

And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also [is] with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king k would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

(k) For they knew that they should not obey the wicked commandment of the king in slaying the innocent.

Verse 20

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

(l) This was God's providence, who according to his promise preserved some of the house of Eli, (1 Samuel 2:33).