1 Samuel 21 - Introduction

[Dauid at Nob.]

1 Dauid at Nob, obtaineth of Ahimelech hallowed bread.

7 Doeg was present.

8 Dauid taketh Goliaths sword.

10 Dauid at Gath faineth himselfe madde.

1 Then came Dauid to Nob, to Ahimelech the Priest, and Ahimelech was afraide at the meeting of Dauid, and said vnto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 And Dauid said vnto Ahimelech the Priest, The king hath commanded me a businesse, and hath said vnto me, Let no man know any thing of the businesse whereabout I send thee, and what I haue commanded thee: and I haue appointed my seruants to such and such a place.

3 Now therefore what is vnder thine hand? giue me fiue loaues of bread in mine hand, or what there is [Note: Hebrew: found.] present.

4 And the Priest answered Dauid, and said, There is no common bread vnder mine hand, but there is [Note: Exodus 25:30; Leviticus 24:5; Matthew 12:4.] hallowed bread: if the young men haue kept themselues at least from women.

5 And Dauid answered the Priest, and said vnto him, Of a trueth women haue beene kept from vs about these three dayes, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in a manner common, [Note: Or, especially whe this day there is other sanctified in the vessell.] yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessell.

6 So the Priest gaue him hallowed bread; for there was no bread there, but the Shewbread that was taken from before the Lord, to put hote bread in the day when it was taken away.

7 Now a certaine man of the seruants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord, and his name was Doeg an Edomite, the chiefest of the heardmen that belonged to Saul.

8 And Dauid said vnto Ahimelech, And is there not here vnder thine hand speare or sword? for I haue neither brought my sword nor my weapons with mee, because the kings businesse required haste.

9 And the Priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whome thou slewest in [Note: 1 Samuel 17:2.] the valley of Elah, behold, it is heere wrapt in a cloth behinde the Ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other saue that, here. And

[Dauid seemeth mad.]

dauid saide, There is none like that, giue it me.

10 And Dauid arose, and fled that day, for feare of Saul, and went to Achish, the king of Gath.

11 And the seruants of Achish sayd vnto him, Is not this Dauid the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in daunces, saying, [Note: 1 Samuel 18:7; 1 Samuel 29:5; Sir 47:6.] Saul hath slaine his thousands, and Dauid his ten thousands?

12 And Dauid layd vp these wordes in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13 And he changed his behauiour before them, and fained himselfe mad in their hands, and [Note: Or, made markes.] scrabled on the doores of the gate, and let his spittle fall downe vpon his beard.

14 Then saide Achish vnto his seruants, Loe, you see the man [Note: Or, playeth the madman.] is mad: wherefore then haue yee brought him to mee?

15 Haue I need of mad-men, that ye haue brought this fellow to play the mad-man in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?