Translation & Sermon by Nate Wilson for Christ The Redeemer Church, Manhattan, KS, 1 Aug. 2021
v6 Then Saul heard that [the whereabouts] was known of David and of the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree at the high place, with his spear in his hand and all his servants attending upon him. And Saul said to his servants attending upon him, “Give heed now, Benjamites, will it really be to all of y’all that the son of Jesse will give fields and vineyards? - to all of y’all that he will give appointments as officers over thousands or officers over hundreds? For all of y’all have conspired against me, and there was no one who revealed it to my ear when my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is no one among y’all who asked around for me and who revealed to my ear that my son set up my servant against me in an ambush, as it is this day!” Then Doeg the Edomite (who was attending upon the servants of Saul) answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob to Ahimelek, son of Achitub {the priest}, who inquired with {God} for him, and gave carry-out-food to him and gave the sword of Goliath the Philistine to him.” So the king sent someone to call Ahimelek the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household (the priests which were at Nob), and all of them came to the king. Then Saul said, “Give heed now, son of Achitub!” And he replied, “I am here, my Lord.” And Saul said to him, “Why did y’all conspire against me – you and the son of Jesse – when you gave bread and a sword to him and you inquired with God for him, to set him up against me in an ambush as it is this day?” Then Ahimelek answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s in-law, and the one who takes off at your bidding, and the one who is honored in your house? Was it today that I began to inquire with God for him? What a disgrace to me! Let not the king register a case against his servant {or} against any of the house of my father, for your servant doesn’t know about any of this stuff – little or much!” But the king said, “Ahimelek, you shall surely die, you and all the house of your father!” Then the king said to the errand-runners who attended upon him, “Turn around and put the priests of Yahweh to death, because their hands are with David and because they knew that he was fleeing but they did not reveal it to {my} ear!” But the king’s servants were not willing to venture to strike with their hands against the priests of Yahweh. So the king said to Doeg, “You, turn around and strike against the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned around and he struck against the priests, and he put to death on that day 85 men who bore linen shoulder-gear. Then he made a strike with swordsmen against Nob, the city of the priests. From man even to woman, child, and even infant, also ox and donkey and sheep, [he struck them down] with the edge of the sword. However, one son of Ahimelek son of Achitub escaped, and his name was Abiathar, and he fled following David. So it was that Abiathar related to David that Saul had murdered the priests of Yahweh. And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely relate it to Saul. I am {responsible} for every person in your father’s household! Settle down with me. Don’t be afraid, for whoever seeks my person seeks your person, thus you will have safekeeping with me.”
Our story opens with King Saul sitting on a hill under a tamarisk tree with his officers gathered around him, and intelligence is shared on the whereabouts of David and his band.
Some of you might have translations that say “Ramah” instead of “hill,” but, the Hebrew word “ramah” just means “elevated,” and this Rama/elevated spot in Gibeah is not to be confused with the Ramah where Samuel lived a few miles away.
Saul’s first thought is to try to shore up loyalty among his officers towards himself. The Hebrew word “all of y’all” is extremely emphasized in the Hebrew grammar of verse 7, so the point Saul is making is, “See, I have given each and every one of you guys a place of importance in our country; I’ve made you wealthy and given you power, but if you go over to David, some of you are going to get left out and lose all this wealth and power. David can’t – or won’t – keep you on the gravy train like I can and will. Besides, you are my clansmen from the tribe of Benjamin; I will always look out for you because you are my relatives. David is the son of Jesse from the tribe of Judah; he’s not going to fill his government positions with Benjamites like I have; he’ll give preference to families of the tribe of Judah. You Benjamites will be left high and dry if you defect from me to David!”
Saul has dysfunctional relationships with his officials because he bought them with fields and political positions rather than with love and respect. Furthermore, Saul has demonstrated a tendency to lash out at anyone that threatens his power, so of course nobody in the court is going to be very open with their thoughts – they might be the next one Saul throws his spear at! (Angry people tend to shut down relationships.)
And Saul’s anxiety blows things out-of-proportion, to the extent that he worries that all his officers are out to get him and are keeping secrets from him and conspiring against him behind his back. (Does he really think that Jonathan set David up to ambush him from the cave of Addulam and take over the kingdom?)
If worries about what people are saying about you behind your back begin to overwhelm you, like they did Saul, and you find yourself demanding to know what everybody is saying about you, that is a time to step back and get right with God. Then you can proceed with obedience to God, and it won’t matter if anyone is criticizing you – it won’t bend you out-of-shape if someone tries to undermine your efforts because you are confident that you are doing the right thing before God. Unfortunately for Saul, he didn’t do that; he just ploughed forward in a rage.
In verse 8, Saul also reverts to self-pity and exaggeration.
When Saul voices these fears and hurts in his mire of self-pity in an attempt to emotionally manipulate his officers into feeling sorry for him and feel some obligation to support him, it makes the officers respect him even less. Nobody is inspired by a pity party; and those of us sympathetic enough to help merely due to a sense of obligation, will pretty quickly begin to resent it.
Saul laments that nobody tells him the information he needs to know, but part of the reason is that he has rebelled against God and so God has quit seeing to it that Saul has the revelation he needs.
The solution to self-pity is trust in God and renewal in the truth that counters the lies and distrust that feed self-pity. Even now, if Saul had confessed his disobediences against God and turned to follow God with all his heart, God could have rescued him from that self-pity, but Saul didn’t want to go there.
It’s also interesting to note in Saul that tendency of sinful humanity to accuse others of the very sin we are guilty of.
Have you noticed how intolerant people often accuse others of being intolerant?
In v.8, Saul accused David of “lying in wait to ambush” him, but who was lying in wait for who? Saul was the one who wanted to ambush David and kill him, not the other way around!
This is one of the reasons why Jesus told us in Matthew 7:3-5 “Why are you seeing the splinter which is in the eye of your brother, yet you are not taking cognizance of the timber-beam in your eye! Or how will you say to your brother, ‘Let me throw away the splinter from your eye,’ and look, the timber-beam is in your eye! Hypocrite! First throw away the timber-beam from your eye, and then you will see clearly to throw away the splinter from the eye of your brother.” (NAW)
When you start casting accusations at other people, stop and try those accusations out on your own self and see if there’s something you need to change first in your own life.
Doeg, who, I think, was not part of the King’s cabinet, but was there attending to matters with one of the cabinet members1, piped up and said he had seen David with the priests at Nob, and that Ahimelek the high priest had given David food, weapons, and advice.
If you are ever tempted to put a spin your account of someone else’s words and actions to prejudice your listeners against them by portraying them in the worst way possible, remember with horror how Doeg did this, and put your hand over your mouth!
What Doeg saw was an act of charity to to relieve David in his need, but Saul sees this as treason. Ahimelek the priest has just armed and provisioned and given military advice2 to King Saul’s #1 political enemy! This must be punished at once! Nobody should be allowed to aid and abet the king’s enemies!
Secretly, Saul may also have been jealous of a priest who could consult with God when God wouldn’t communicate to Saul. As Andrew Willet put it, “Saul, that cared more for the answers of Soothsayers and witches, than for the oracles of God, misliked that the Priest should have recourse unto God.”
So he goes after Ahimelek and grills him. Saul had a healthy respect for Samuel, but he had no qualms tangling with Ahimelek and speaking disrespectfully to him3.
It should be said, however, that there is nothing wrong with a king or civil magistrate holding a priest or church leader accountable for their behavior in matters where the civil government has jurisdiction.
For instance, if a pastor murders someone, it is the state’s job, according to Romans 13, to get involved and put the murderer to death, and it doesn’t matter if it is a pastor or a gang member.
Furthermore, if the stability of the state appears to be threatened by something that a church is doing, an investigation is certainly appropriate.
If, however, it is a dispute over whether to serve leavened or unleavened bread for the Lord’s Supper, or what songs to sing in worship, that is outside of the civil magistrate’s jurisdiction, and it would be wrong for the state to meddle in such matters.
Where Saul went wrong was in wielding His God-given sword against innocent parties.
Ahimelek responds to Saul’s accusation by saying that it was perfectly reasonable for him to trust David and not suspect him of treason, seeing how much Saul had honored him and let him marry his own daughter and given him a position of leadership in the army, and seeing as how often David had dropped what he was doing to respond to Saul, and how faithful he was. “I was not aiding and abetting a traitor, I was dutifully helping a trusted high military officer in good faith.”
Ahimelek’s speech bears the marks of someone who was not familiar with Saul and Saul’s way of doing things. As far as we know, Saul continued to keep his distance from the men of God in his kingdom, even as he did before he became king, so it’s understandable if Ahimelek was a bit naive about Saul. This accusation of treason totally blindsided Ahimelek.
Saul meanwhile wanted to make an example of this priest. If he killed Ahimelech, other people would be afraid to supply food and arms to David's band – and I'm sure it wasn't easy feeding and arming 400 men!
The death sentence came swiftly; the only delay was in finding someone willing to carry it out.
The Israelites in Saul’s court – probably including Abner and Amasa – continued to stand facing Saul, refusing to carry out his order to kill the nation’s priests. Here is a Biblical example of the “doctrine of the lesser magistrate,” showing both the legitimacy of it, but also its “Achilles Heel.”
The courtiers rightly refused to carry out the patently-unjust command from their authority (the king), and God’s word also gives us the right to disobey any authority that commands us to violate God’s commands.
Civil disobedience, however, does not solve the underlying problem of corruption in the authority structure, so the fundamental problems of that governing authority must also be reformed, or else those corrupt officials will just find some other lesser magistrate, who is not so conscientious, to do their dirty work for them, and that is exactly what Saul did.
Once again the Edomite4 does what no Israelite would do. Doeg turns around to face the priests that have come in behind him and conducts a horrifying massacre, not only of Ahimelek and the 84 priests with him, but also against the whole city of Nob, slaughtering every man, woman, and child – even the animals – in his eagerness to be given wealth and power by Saul, and in his barbaric hatred of the people of God5.
There is some ambiguity as to whether the person who attacked the town of Nob was Saul or Doeg. Doeg is the nearest referent in v.19, but in v.21, Saul is credited with having killed the priests. It could have been done by Doeg under Saul’s authority.
The Septuagint Greek version of the Bible passes on a tradition that there were some 300 persons killed. If that is the number of those killed in the town of Nob, then Josephus’ history, which totals the body count at 385, would make sense as the sum of the 85 killed in Saul’s court plus 300 more killed at Nob.
Doeg probably figured that all the land and goods of the people he killed would be given to him as spoil, so the more priests he slaughtered, the more wealth he stood to gain.
“Nothing so vile but those may be hurried to it who have provoked God to give them up to their hearts' lusts… [T]his could not but go to the heart of all pious Israelites, and make them wish a thousand times they had been satisfied with the government of Samuel and his sons [and never asked for a king].” ~Matthew Henry
If God is good, how could He allow such a wicked man as Doeg to stay on the loose murdering and plundering?
The first answer is that we must remember that God was at work in the lives of everyone in the story, not just in David’s life. And God had a score to settle with these particular priests. The priests of Nob were Eli’s descendants and relatives, and back in chapter 2, verse 27ff, God’s prophet had told Eli, Samuel’s predecessor, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘I fully revealed myself to the household of your forefather during their existence in Egypt {as slaves} for the household of Pharaoh, choosing the {household of your forefather} out of all the tribes of Israel for myself to be a priest, to step up onto my altar, to send incense up in smoke, to bear an ephod, and I gave to the household of your ancestor all the burnt-offerings of the sons of Israel {for food}. Why would you push back on my sacrificial-system and on my offering-system which I commanded on-location and honor your sons instead of me to make yourselves fat off of the top of all the food-offerings of Israel for my people?’ Therefore, {thus} says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I said that your household and the household of your forefather would conduct themselves before my face for time-out-of-mind, but now,’ this is the declaration of Yahweh, ‘Far be it from me, because those who glorify me I will glorify, but those who despise me will become insignificant.’” v.31: “Look, days are coming when I will chop off your arm and the arm of your forefather’s house [from there being an old man in your house, and you will perceive distress on location with all of Israel that He makes good], and there will not be an elder of yours in my house all those days. Yet there is a man of yours [speaking of Abiathar who escaped] that I will not cause to be cut off from being at my altar to finish off his eyesight and to grieve his soul, though all the increase of your house will fall {by the sword of} men...” And then in chapter 3: Yahweh said to Samuel, “Look, I myself am doing something in Israel at which everyone who hears of it both of his ears will tingle! During that day, I will confirm to Eli all that I said concerning his household. I began, and I will finish it off. Indeed I declare to him that I am condemning his household for ever due to the iniquity which he knew about, for his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not put a damper on them. Now therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli [that I’ll be damned] if the iniquity of the house of Eli is covered by a sacrifice or by an offering for ever.” God was fulfilling His promise to wipe out Eli’s family for their faithlesness and carelesness.
Furthermore, God was fulfilling His word that the descendants of Aaron’s son Eliazar would be the priestly line. At some point, descendants of Aaron’s other son Ithamar had taken over over the priestly duties of Israel, and Eli and his family were part of the line of Ithamar (1 Ch. 24:3). By wiping out the Ithmarite priests, God began to restore the priesthood to the descendants of Eliazar, thus keeping His promise.
A second answer to the question of how God could allow such a terrible thing to take place is that God told us to expect to suffer and to see wicked things in this life, not because He can’t stop evil, but because He is working even the evil deeds of evil men “into good toward those who love Him and are called according to His purposes” (Rom. 8:28).
One of the ways God turns evil into good is that when believers are killed, they are freed from this earth’s pain and fear and sin, and they are “with the Lord” (Philippians 1), so it’s not ultimately bad for them if they die (even though murder is bad and should be prosecuted by the survivors).
Short of martyrdom, God uses all kinds of hard things to conform us to the image of His son. Our sanctification is one of the reasons why God has allowed sin to remain in this world!
In the New Testament book of 1 Peter chapter 4, he warns the church scattered throughout the world that, “Since Christ suffered in his flesh, y'all also must start arming yourselves with the same resolution [to undergo suffering, meanwhile] ... the nations will continue in immoralities... and illicit idolatries… and will hurt you when y'all do not run together into their flood of dissolute behavior. Those guys [nevertheless] will render an account to the One who is preparing to judge the living and the dead…”
This leads to a third answer to the question, and that is that God will indeed punish evil, but He will do it on His own timescale.
There usually are consequences for sin, although often there is a delay in time between the sin and its full consequences. God eventually sent a 3-year famine upon Israel as punishment for Saul’s massacres6.
And there is a Judgment Day coming in the future, and then Jesus see to it that there is a perfectly just conclusion to every injustice and evil that we see today.
God has not promised us total freedom from injustice and suffering until after that, when He creates the new heavens and the new earth for us.
At any rate, there was only one priest who escaped Doeg’s mad campaign against Nob, namely Abiathar, the son of Ahimelek the high priest. Perhaps his dad had left him at the tabernacle to cover the priestly duties while he went to meet with King Saul, and perhaps Abiathar caught wind of what was coming down and grabbed the Urim and Thumim and made a beeline for Keilah to see David (cf. 23:6).
So it was that Abiathar filled David in on the tragic story, and David talked Abiathar into staying with him, reasoning that if the same guy (Saul) was out for both of them, they might as well throw in their lots together and use both their wits to keep each other safe.
John Gill pointed out in his commentary that David remembered God’s promises that came with his anointing to give him confidence, “David was confident... that God would preserve him, and raise him to the kingdom, and therefore Abiathar might be sure of safety with him.”
David’s statement is an antithesis to Saul’s statement that opens this story. “Can the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards and military appointments?” No, he can’t distribute real estate to everybody, but he can keep you safe. And pretty much the same can be said of the Son of David. He’s not in the business of making everybody wealthy, but Jesus does save.
It is at this point that...
A Contemplation of David When Doeg the Edomite Went and Told Saul, and Said to Him, "David Has Gone to the House of Ahimelech." Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually. Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue. God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, "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." But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.
As the Psalm says, “Doeg… was a lyer, accusing Ahimelech and David as conspirers against the king... Further, he sheweth himself a flatterer: calling David ‘the son of Jesse’ in disdaine, as Saul used to call him: therein conforming himself unto Saul's humour... Doeg entended nothing but to make himself great, and grow in honour and wealth and credit with Saul, though it were with the overthrow of others: as David chargeth him, that he ‘trusted in the multitude of his riches...’ but David prophesieth of his ende, ‘God shall destroy thee for ever, he shall take and plucke thee out of thy tabernacle, and root thee out of the land of the living…” ~A. Willett
David, on the other hand chose to make God his strength. David wanted to live in God’s house. David trusted in the mercy of God. This was all part of loving God with all his heart, soul, and strength. That love comes from God; it is returned by His people, and is reciprocated again by God to us.
David answers the question for us at the end of Psalm 52. “Is the God who allows such injustice as what happened at Nob a good god?” “YES! I will praise You forever... I will wait on Your name, for it is good.”
Yes, evil men like Saul and Doeg will rage,
but God is working out His master plan, making sure all His promises come true,
God is using evil to sanctify us and working all things (even death itself!) for good for us,
and Jesus will bring every act to account in His perfect timing (2 Cor. 5).
Will you trust this God? Will you “wait” on Him? Will you praise Him and confess that He is good?
LXX |
Brenton |
DRB |
KJV |
NAW |
MT |
6
Καὶ ἤκουσεν
Σαουλ ὅτι
|
6
And Saul heard that David was discovered, and his men with him:
now Saul dwelt
in the hill
below the
|
6
And Saul
heard that David was seen,
and the men that were with him. Now whilst Saul abode
in Gabaa, [and
was]
|
6
When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were
with him, (now Saul abodeD
in Gibeah under |
6 Then Saul heard that [the whereabouts] was known of David and of the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk-tree at the high place, with his spear in his hand and all his servants attending upon him. |
6 וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל כִּי נוֹדַע דָּוִד וַאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וְשָׁאוּל יוֹשֵׁב בַּגִּבְעָה תַּחַת-הָאֶשֶׁל בָּרָמָה וַחֲנִיתוֹ בְיָדוֹ וְכָל-עֲבָדָיו נִצָּבִים עָלָיו: |
7 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ πρὸς τοὺς παῖδας αὐτοῦ τοὺς παρεστηκότας αὐτῷ καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς Ἀκούσατε δή, υἱοὶ [Βεν]ιαμιν· εἰ ἀληθῶς πᾶσιν ὑμῖν δώσει ὁ υἱὸς Ιεσσαι ἀγροὺς καὶ ἀμπελῶνας [καὶ] πάντας ὑμᾶς τάξει ἑκατοντάρχους καὶ χιλιάρχους; |
7 And Saul said to his servants that stood by him, Hear now, ye sons of [Ben]jamin, will the son of Jessae indeed give all of you fields and vineyards, [and] will he make you all captains of hundreds and captains of thousands? |
7 X X He said to his servants that stood about him: Hear [me] now, ye sons of Jemini: X will the son of Isai give every [one] of you fields, and vineyards, [and] make you all tribunes, and centurions: |
7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; XG will the son of Jesse give every [one] of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; |
7 And Saul said to his servants attending upon him, “Give heed now, Benjamites, will it really be to all of y’all that the son of Jesse will give fields and vineyards? – to all of y’all that he will give appointments as officers over thousands or officers over hundreds? |
7 וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל לַעֲבָדָיו הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו שִׁמְעוּ-נָא בְּנֵי יְמִינִי Hגַּם-לְכֻלְּכֶם יִתֵּן בֶּן-יִשַׁי שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים לְכֻלְּכֶםI יָשִׂים שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹתJ: |
8
ὅτι σύγκεισθεK
πάντες ὑμεῖς
ἐπ᾿ ἐμέ, καὶ οὐκ
ἔστιν ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων
τὸ ὠτίον μου
ἐν
τῷ διαθέσθαι
τὸν υἱόν μου
[διαθήκην]
μετὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ
Ιεσσαι, καὶ
οὐκ ἔστιν πονῶνL
περὶ ἐμοῦ ἐξ
ὑμῶν καὶ ἀποκαλύπτων
τὸ ὠτίον μου
ὅτι ἐπήγειρεν
ὁ υἱός μου τὸν
δοῦλόν μου
ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ εἰς
|
8
That ye X
are
conspiring against me, and there is no one that informs me,
whereas
my son has made a covenant with the son of Jessae, and there is no
one of you that is sorry
for me, or informs me, that my son has stirred
up
my servant against me for
an |
8
That all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one to
inform me, [especially]
when
[even]
my son hath entered into league with the son of Isai? X
There
is not one of you that pitieth
my |
8
That all of you have conspired against me, and there
is
none that sheweth me |
8 For all of y’all have conspired against me, and there was no one who revealed it to my ear when my son made a covenant with the son of Jesse, and there is no one among y’all who asked around for me and who revealed to my ear that my son set up my servant against me in an ambush, as it is this day!” |
8 כִּי קְשַׁרְתֶּםQ כֻּלְּכֶם עָלַי וְאֵין-גֹּלֶהR אֶת-אָזְנִי בִּכְרָתS-בְּנִי עִם-בֶּן-יִשַׁי וְאֵין-חֹלֶהT מִכֶּם עָלַי וְגֹלֶה אֶת-אָזְנִי כִּי הֵקִים בְּנִי אֶת-עַבְדִּי עָלַי לְאֹרֵב כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: ס |
9
καὶ ἀποκρίνεται
Δωηκ ὁ |
9
And Doec the |
9
And Doeg, the Edomite, who stood
by, [and
was the chief]
|
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was setV over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. |
9 Then Doeg the Edomite (who was attending upon the servants of Saul) answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob to Ahimelek, son of Achitub {the priest}, |
9 וַיַּעַן דֹּאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי וְהוּא נִצָּב עַל-עַבְדֵי-שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמַר רָאִיתִי אֶת-בֶּן-יִשַׁי בָּא נֹבֶה אֶל-אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן-אֲחִטוּב: |
10 καὶ ἠρώτα αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπισιτισμὸν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ῥομφαίαν Γολιαδ τοῦ ἀλλοφύλου ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ. |
10 And [the priest] enquired of God for him, and gave him provision, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. |
10 And he consulted the Lord for him, and gave him victual[s], and gave him the sword of Goliath, the Philistine. |
10 And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victual[s], and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. |
10 who inquired with {God} for him and gave carry-out-food to him and gave the sword of Goliath the Philistine to him.” |
10 וַיִּשְׁאַל-לוֹ בַּיהוָהW וְצֵידָהX נָתַן לוֹ וְאֵת חֶרֶב גָּלְיָת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי נָתַן לוֹ: |
11
καὶ ἀπέστειλεν
ὁ βασιλεὺς
καλέσαι τὸν
Α |
11
And the king sent to call A |
11 Then the king sent to call for Achimelech, the priest, the son of Achitob, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nobe, and they came all of them to the king. |
11 Then the king sent to callZ Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king. |
11 So the king sent someone to call Ahimelek the priest, son of Ahitub, and all his father’s household (the priests which were at Nob), and all of them came to the king. |
11 וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ לִקְרֹא AAאֶת- אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן-אֲחִיטוּב הַכֹּהֵן וְאֵת כָּל-בֵּית אָבִיו הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בְּנֹב וַיָּבֹאוּ כֻלָּם אֶל-הַמֶּלֶךְ: ס |
12 καὶ εἶπεν Σαουλ Ἄκουε δή, υἱὲ Αχιτωβ. καὶ εἶπεν Ἰδοὺ ἐγώAB· [λάλει], κύριε. |
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Achitob. And he said, Lo! I [am here, [speak, my lord. |
12 And Saul said [to Achimelech]: Hear, thou son of Achitob. X He answered: Here I am, my lord. |
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord. |
12 Then Saul said, “Give heed now, son of Achitub!” And he replied, “I am here, my Lord.” |
12 וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל שְׁמַע-נָא בֶּן-אֲחִיטוּב וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי אֲדֹנִי: |
13
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ
Σαουλ Ἵνα τί
συνέθουAC
κατ᾿ ἐμοῦ σὺ
καὶ ὁ υἱὸς
Ιεσσαι δοῦναί
σε αὐτῷ ἄρτον
καὶ ῥομφαίαν
καὶ ἐρωτᾶν αὐτῷ
διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ
θέσθαιAD
[αὐτὸν]
ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ εἰς
|
13
And Saul said to him, Why have thou and the son of Jessae
conspired against me, that thou shouldest give him bread and a
sword, and shouldest enquire of God for him, to raise
[him]
up against me as
an |
13
And Saul said to him: Why have you conspired against me, thou, and
the son of Isai, |
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? |
13 And Saul said to him, “Why did y’all conspire against me – you and the son of Jesse – when you gave bread and a sword to him and you inquired with God for him, to set him up against me in an ambush as it is this day?” |
13 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלוֹAF שָׁאוּל לָמָּה קְשַׁרְתֶּם עָלַי אַתָּה וּבֶן-יִשָׁי בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ לֶחֶם וְחֶרֶב וְשָׁאוֹל לוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים לָקוּם אֵלַי לְאֹרֵב כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה: ס |
14 καὶ X ἀπεκρίθη τῷ βασιλεῖ καὶ εἶπεν Καὶ τίς ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς δούλοις σου ὡς Δαυιδ πιστὸς καὶ γαμβρὸςAG τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ ἄρχων [παντὸς] παραγγέλματόςAH σου καὶ ἔνδοξος ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου; |
14 And X he answered the king, and said, And who is there among all thy servants faithful as David, and he is a son-in-law of the king, and he is executor of all thy commands, and is honourable in thy house? |
14 And Achimelech answering the king, said: And who amongst all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son in law, and goeth forth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house? |
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king's son in law, and goeth at thy biddingAI, and is honourable in thine house? |
14 Then Ahimelek answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David, even the king’s in-law, and the one who takes off at your bidding, and the one who is honored in your house? |
14 וַיַּעַן אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אֶת-הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמַר וּמִי בְכָל-עֲבָדֶיךָ כְּדָוִד נֶאֱמָן וַחֲתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ וְסָרAJ אֶל-מִשְׁמַעְתֶּךָAK וְנִכְבָּד בְּבֵיתֶךָ: |
15a ἦ σήμερον ἦργμαι ἐρωτᾶν αὐτῷ διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ; μηδαμῶςAL μὴ δότωAM ὁ βασιλεὺς κατὰ τοῦ δούλου αὐτοῦ λόγον 15b
[καὶ]
|
15 Have I begun to-day to enquire of God for him? By no means: let not the king bring a charge against his servant,
[and]
|
15 Did I begin to day to consult the Lord for him? far be this from me: let not the king suspect such a thing against his servant, [or any one] in all my father's house: for thy servant knew nothing of X this matter, [either] little or great. |
15
Did I nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this X, less or more. |
15 Was it today that I began to inquire with God for him? What a disgrace to me! Let not the king register a case against his servant {or} against any of the house of my father, for your servant doesn’t know about any of this stuff – little or much!” |
15a הַיּוֹם הַחִלֹּתִי APלִשְׁאָל-לוֹ בֵאלֹהִים חָלִילָה לִּי אַל-יָשֵׂם הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעַבְדּוֹ דָבָר 15b AQבְּכָל-בֵּית אָבִי כִּי לֹא-יָדַע עַבְדְּךָ בְּכָל-זֹאת דָּבָר קָטֹן אוֹ גָדוֹל: |
16
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ
βασιλεὺς [Σαουλ]
Θανάτῳ ἀποθανῇ,
Α |
16
And king [Saul]
said, Thou shalt surely die, A |
16 And the king said: Dying thou shalt die, Achimelech, thou and all thy father's house. |
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house. |
16 But the king said, “Ahimelek, you shall surely die, you and all the house of your father!” |
16 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מוֹת תָּמוּת אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אַתָּה וְכָל-בֵּית אָבִיךָ: |
17
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ
βασιλεὺς τοῖς
παρατρέχουσιν
τοῖς ἐφεστηκόσινAR
ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν |
17
And the king said to the footmen
that attended
on him, |
17
And the king said to the messengers
that stood
about him: Turn, and kill the priests of the Lord, for X
their
hand is with David, X
because
they knew that he was fled, and they |
17
And the king said unto the footmenAU
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 |
17 Then the king said to the errand-runners who attended upon him, “Turn around and put the priests of Yahweh to death, because their hands are with David and because they knew that he was fleeing but they did not reveal it to {my} ear!” But the king’s servants were not willing to venture to strike with their hands against the priests of Yahweh. |
17 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרָצִים הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו סֹבּוּ וְהָמִיתוּ כֹּהֲנֵי יְהוָה כִּי גַם-יָדָם עִם-דָּוִד וְכִי יָדְעוּ כִּי-בֹרֵחַ הוּא וְלֹא גָלוּ אֶת-אָזְנוֹAV וְלֹא-אָבוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לִשְׁלֹחַ אֶת-יָדָם לִפְגֹעַ בְּכֹהֲנֵי יְהוָה: ס |
18
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ
βασιλεὺς τῷ
Δωηκ ἘπιστρέφουAW
σὺ καὶ ἀπάντα
εἰς τοὺς ἱερεῖς.
καὶ ἐπεστράφη
Δωηκ ὁ |
18
And the king said to Doec, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests:
and Doec the |
18 And the king said to Doeg: Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg, the Edomite, turned, and fell upon the priests, and slew in that day eighty-five men that wore the linen ephod. |
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fellBA upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod. |
18 So the king said to Doeg, “You, go around and strike against the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite went around and struck against the priests, and he put to death on that day 85 men who bore linen shoulder-gear. |
18 וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְדוֵֹיגBB סֹב אַתָּה וּפְגַע בַּכֹּהֲנִים וַיִּסֹּב דּוֵֹיג הָאֲדֹמִי וַיִּפְגַּע- הוּא בַּכֹּהֲנִים וַיָּמֶת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שְׁמֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אִישׁ נֹשֵׂא אֵפוֹד בָּדBC: |
19 καὶ τὴν Νομβα τὴν πόλιν τῶν ἱερέων ἐπάταξεν ἐν στόματι ῥομφαίας ἀπὸ ἀνδρὸς ἕως γυναικός, ἀπὸ νηπίου ἕως θηλάζοντος καὶ μόσχου καὶ ὄνου καὶ προβάτου X X X. -- |
19 And he smote Nomba the city of the priest with the edge of the sword, both man, and woman, infant and suckling, and calf, and ox, and sheep X X X. |
19
And Nobe, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the
sword, both m |
19
And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the
sword, both m |
19 Then he made a strike with swordsmen against Nob, the city of the priests. From man even to woman, child, and even infant, also ox and donkey and sheep, [he struck them down] with the edge of the sword. |
19 וְאֵת נֹב עִיר-הַכֹּהֲנִים הִכָּה לְפִי-חֶרֶב מֵאִישׁ וְעַד-אִשָּׁה מֵעוֹלֵל וְעַד-יוֹנֵק וְשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר וָשֶׂה לְפִי-חָרֶבBD: |
20 καὶ διασῴζεταιBE υἱὸς εἷς τῷ Αβιμελεχ υἱῷ Αχιτωβ, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ Αβιαθαρ, καὶ ἔφυγεν ὀπίσω Δαυιδ. |
20 And one son of Abimelech son of Achitob escapes, and his name was Abiathar, and he fled after David. |
20
But one of the son[s]
of Achimelech, the son of Achitob, whose name was Abiathar,
escaped, and fled |
20 And one of the son[s] of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, X named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David. |
20 However, one son of Ahimelek son of Achitub escaped, and his name was Abiathar, and he fled following David. |
20 וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן-אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן-אֲחִטוּב וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר וַיִּבְרַח אַחֲרֵי דָוִד: |
21 καὶ ἀπήγγειλεν Αβιαθαρ τῷ Δαυιδ ὅτι ἐθανάτωσεν Σαουλ [πάντας] τοὺς ἱερεῖς τοῦ κυρίου. |
21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain [all] the priests of the Lord. |
21
And X
told
|
21 And Abiathar shewedBF David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests. |
21 So it was that Abiathar related to David that Saul had murdered the priests of Yahweh. |
21 וַיַּגֵּד אֶבְיָתָר לְדָוִד כִּי הָרַג שָׁאוּל אֵת כֹּהֲנֵי יְהוָה: |
22
καὶ εἶπεν Δαυιδ
τῷ Αβιαθαρ Ἤιδειν
ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ
ὅτι X
Δωηκ
ὁ |
22
And David said to Abiathar, I knew it in that day, that Doec the
|
22 And David said to Abiathar: I knew X that day when Doeg, the Edomite, was there, that without doubt he would tell Saul: I have been the occasion [of the death] of all the soul[s] of thy father's house. |
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it X that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the person[s] of thy father's house. |
22 And David said to Abiathar, I knew on that day that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely relate it to Saul. I am {responsible} for every person in your father’s household! |
22 וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לְאֶבְיָתָר יָדַעְתִּי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי-שָׁם דּוֵֹיג הָאֲדֹמִי BHכִּי-הַגֵּד יַגִּיד לְשָׁאוּל אָנֹכִי סַבֹּתִיBI בְּכָל-נֶפֶשׁ בֵּית אָבִיךָ: |
23
κάθου μετ᾿
ἐμοῦ, μὴ φοβοῦ,
ὅτι οὗ ἐὰν ζητ |
23
Dwell with me; fear not, for wherever |
23
Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh
thy life also, and with me thou shalt be |
23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard. |
23 Settle down with me. Don’t be afraid, for whoever seeks my person seeks your person, thus you will have safekeeping with me.” |
23 שְׁבָה אִתִּי אַל-תִּירָא כִּי אֲשֶׁר-יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת-נַפְשִׁי יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת-נַפְשֶׁךָ כִּי-מִשְׁמֶרֶתBK אַתָּה עִמָּדִיBL: |
1Keil & Delitsch is the only commentary I found with the contrary opinion that Doeg was “the superintendent of Saul's servants, invested with the office of marshal of the court.” Tsumura (NICOT) was more ambivalent “standing by as one of the royal guards; or ‘presiding over’ … not necessarily ‘being in charge of.’”
2Some commentators have pointed out that the only persons for whom the priests inquired of Yahweh with the Urim and Thumim were kings, but the priest’s open admission of frequently doing it for David (v.15) argues against it being an exclusive royal privilege.
3“Saul arraigns Ahimelech himself with the utmost disdain and indignation... not so much as calling him by his name, much less giving him his title of distinction. By this it appears that he had cast off the fear of God, that he showed no respect at all to his priests, but took a pleasure in affronting them and insulting them.” ~M. Henry
4Consider the later enmity between Edom and Israel in Psalm 137:7 and Obadiah 1:11, and in the NT of Herod the Idumean (Edomite).
5 Josephus noted a Jewish tradition that Doeg leveled the whole town to the ground and burned it.
62 Sam. 21:1 Gill cites Abarbinel’s opinion relating the cause of the famine to God’s wrath over Saul’s wanton destruction of Nob, claiming that the inhabitants of Nob were Gibeonites, who were hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of the Lord (cf. Josh. 9:23). That seems reasonable, but not certain.
AMy
original chart includes the NASB and NIV, but their copyright
restrictions have forced me to remove them from the
publicly-available edition of this chart. I have included the ESV in
footnotes when it employs a word not already used by the KJV, NASB,
or NIV. (NAW is my translation.) When a translation adds words not
in the Hebrew text, but does not indicate it has done so by the use
of italics (or greyed-out text), I put the added words in [square
brackets]. When one version chooses a wording which is different
from all the other translations, I underline it. When a
version chooses a translation which, in my opinion, either departs
too far from the root meaning of the Hebrew word or departs too far
from the grammar form of the original text, I use strikeout.
And when a version omits a word which is in the original text, I
insert an X. (I also place an X at the end of a word if the original
word is plural but the English translation is singular.) I
occasionally use colors to help the reader see correlations between
the various editions and versions when there are more than two
different translations of a given word. The only known Dead Sea
Scrolls containing 1 Samuel 22 are 4Q51Samuela, which
contains fragments of vs. 10-11 (and which has been dated between
50-25 B.C.) and 4Q52 (which has been dated to 250BC), which has
fragments of vs. 8 & 9. I have colored in purple the text in the
MT which corroborates with the DSS. Where the DSS supports the LXX
with omissions or text not in the MT, I have highlighted
with yellow the LXX
and its translation into English, and where I have accepted that
into my NAW translation, I have marked it with {pointed brackets}.
BLit “heard” Symmachus = efanh (“shone”)
CThe Hebrew word Eshel only occurs two other places in the Bible (Gen. 21:33 and 1 Sam. 31:13), and it’s exact meaning was apparently little-known. Aquila rendered it δενδρωμα (“tree”), and Symmachus φυτον (“plant”), but later versions settled on “tamarisk tree.”
DNASB, ESV = “sitting,” NIV = “seated”
EThe Hebrew and Greek have a definite article “the” before this word. The NASB, NIV, ESV, NLT, NKJV, NET, RV, ASV, AJV, and French, Latin, & Spanish versions all read “tamarisk” – an evergreen tree with hard wood, long life, feathery leaves and pretty pink flowers.
FNASB, ESV = “height” (supported by Willet, Henry, K&D, Goldman, and Tsumura), NIV = “hill” – not to be confused with the Ramah on which Samuel lived. It comes from the Hebrew root rum meaning “high/exalted.”
GNASB translates the Hebrew conjunction dropped out in the KJV, NIV, and ESV as “also.”
H“The term gam… functions as a ‘focusing gam’ rather than contrasting…” ~D. Tsumura (NICOT)
IAncient versions (including the Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate) added an “and” before this word, but it’s just for a smoother reading; it doesn’t change the meaning.
Jcf. 8:12 – Samuel prophecied that it was an undesirable thing for a king to be drafting army officers
KThe LXX word has to do with “situating together,” cf. synonyms in later Greek versions: A. sunedhsate (“make a pact together”), S. suneqesqe (“be together” – the LXX goes for this translation when the word occurs again in v.13), Q. sundesmoV (“bind together” – in v.13 where the Hebrew word is repeated, Theodotian translates it sunestrafhte (“turned together against”).
Lcf. Symmachus sumpaqwn (“sympathizers”).
M Symmachus conforms more to the MT with enedreuthn (“plot/lie in wait”). Note repeat of the word in v.13.
NThe Hebrew is a temporal beth prepositional prefix, more properly translated by the NASB, NIV, and ESV as “when”.
OThe Hebrew & Greek words have more to do with getting up into a standing position, not “stirring,” cf. NIV “incite”
PNASB = “ambush”
Qcf. 18:1 when this word is used to say that Jonathan’s soul “was knit” to David’s
RThe loss of revelation which Saul laments is one of the effects of his own rebellion against God who reveals important information. cf. 1 Samuel 9:15 “Now, Yahweh had made a revelation into Samuel's ear...”
S“[O]nly the verb *krt [“cut”] is used; th word brt ‘a covenant,’ is omitted by brachylogy.” ~D. Tsumura
TThis word has two meanings in Hebrew 1: sick/weak/pained (as it is in 19:13) and 2: made requests (as it is in 13:12). It’s unclear which meaning is intended.
ULXX translated as though the Hebrew word were ארם instead of אדם. Josephus concurred, but no one else that I know of.
VIn vs. 6 & 7, the KJV translated this word “stood,” and here the NASB, NIV, and ESV translate it “standing.”
WDSS (***wlab) and LXX, as well as Syriac and some other Hebrew manuscripts read “God” rather than “LORD” here, and then the word “God” instead of “LORD” is used in the dialogue recounting this in v.13, but both refer to the same personal God, so there is no contradiction.
XThis is a less-common word used of food that you could take with you and eat on a journey. Saul uses the term “bread” (לֶחֶם/ἄρτον) as a synonym later in v.13.
YLXX reads as though the Hebrew were בני (“sons”) instead of בית (“household”). The practical meaning is not that different, although the household would be a wider designation including wife and servants.
ZNASB, ESV = “summon”
AADSS reads ל, but the LXX supports the MT את; the meaning is not really different.
ABSymmachus added a little more meaning than is there in the Hebrew with pareimi (“I arrive”).
ACSee earlier endnote on this word where it occurs in v. 8
ADAquila, Symmachus, and Theodotian render epanasthnai (“to stand up against”), and omit the pronoun “him” introduced in the LXX, but the meaning is not different.
AEAquila and Theodition corrected the LXX’s personal pronoun to the MT’s demonstrative pronoun “this” (tauthn).
AFQere margin note reads אֵלָיו, making it more clear by the spelling that the final letter is the pronomial object of the preposition, but not actually different in meaning.
AGcf. synonym in Aquila and Symmachus = numfioV.
AHTheodotion supported the traditional translation of this phrase with upakouein (“to obey”).
AIcf. NASB, NIV, ESV = “captain of/over your [body]guard” See next footnote.
AJTraditional Bibles, including Targums, LXX, later ancient Greek versions (Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion), Vulgate, Geneva Bible, KJV, NKJV, RV, ASV, AJV, and the French NEG, as well as the morphologies by Strong, by Groves-Wheeler, and by the NAS, all interpret this as a participle of סוּר (“to turn away”), but the newer versions, including NASB, NIV, ESV, NET, NLT, CEV, and Spanish NBLH interpret this as a noun שַׂר (“prince/captain”). This influences their interpretation of the following word, the root of which is shema’ (“hear/heed”), the traditional versions (plus commentaries by Willett, Henry, Gill) going with “heeding commands,” and the contemporary versions (plus the NICOT commentary) going with “bodyguard” (not to be confused with the word in v.17 which they also translate “guard,” which actually means “errand-runners;” Hebrew has a different word for the concept of “guarding/protecting.”). Keil & Delitzsch, on the other hand, have a slightly different interpretation, cross-referencing 2Sam. 23:23 and 1Chron. 11:25, where מִשְׁמַעַת occurs again, “in the sense of a privy councillor of the king, who hears his personal revelations and converses with him about them... סוּר, lit. to turn aside from the way, to go in to any one, or to look after anything (Ex. 3:3; Ruth 4:1, etc.); hence in the passage before us “to have access,” to be attached to a person. This is the explanation given by Gesenius...”
AK“refers probably to ‘an intimate circle of royal retainers, i.e. a king’s bodyguard’” ~Tsumura, quoting McCarter. Literally it only refers to “those who hear,” however.
ALAquila rendered the MT more literally than the LXX with bebhlon moi (“profanation to me”), and Symmachus and Theodotian rendered that euphamistically ilewV moi (“mercy on me”).
AMcf. Symmachus upolambanetw (“undertake”).
ANNIV and ESV translate this less literally with “of course not/no.”
AOLiterally “put/set” NIV = “accuse”
APThis word is spelled לְשָׁאוּל in the Qere margin notes (and in the Leningrad codex) to make it more clear that this word is an infinitive of sha’al, but it doesn’t change the meaning.
AQThe Greek, Latin, and Syriac ancient versions all have a conjunction (“and/or”) before this word.
ARThis is the third histemi compound in the LXX of 1 Sam 22 used to translate the same Hebrew word, the previous compounds being parahistemi (“stand alongside”) and kathistemi (“stand against”).
ASThe Hebrew word has to do with “going around;” the LXX has a better translation of the same word a couple verses later with epistrepho.
ATThe Syriac and Vulgate also don’t have the conjunction in the MT.
AUHebrew literally = “runners” NASB & NIV = “guards” (ESV erroneously changed it to singular “guard”)
AVThe Qere note in the margin of the MT (אָזְנִי) agrees with the more-ancient Greek and Latin, changing the 3rd masculine singular pronoun (“him”) to a 1st singular pronoun (“me”). Most English translations follow the LXX, Vulgate, and Qere.
AWcf. synonyms from Aq. and Theod. kuklwson (“go around”), and Sym. metastrafhti (“turn with”).
AXSee v.9
AYThe Lucian rescription of the LXX reads 350, as do some of the pre-Vulgate Latin manuscripts, but later Greek versions corrected the LXX to the MT’s number ogdohkonta (“80”).
AZcf. Aq. ferontaV ependuma exaireton (“bearing the garments of separation” – interpreting the last Hebrew word literally rather than in the sense of “linen” with its separated fibers). Some ancient Latin manuscripts support LXX’s omission of the final word; it is but a detail which doesn’t change the story.
BANASB = “attacked,” NIV = “struck down”
BBSpellings of this name are varied: It was דֹּאֵג in v.9, now it’s דוֵֹיג shortly followed by דּוֹאֵג, but the Qere suggests דוֹאֵג followed by דּוֹיֵג, and the same goes for v.22, but it’s all the same guy. Tsumura suggested that the original MT spelling (the Kere) was “a phonetic spelling, reflecting the phonetic reality of <palatalization>: [‘] → [y].”
BCThis phrase “linen ephod” only occurs three other places: 1 Sam. 2:18 (Samuel as a boy) and 2 Sam. 6:14 & 1 Chr. 15:27 (David in worship).
BDcf.
similar wording in 15:3 of a campaign against Amalekites.
“Herein
David was a type and figure of Christ, at whose fleeing into Egypt
the infants were slaine by Herod.” ~Willett
BESym. efugen = “escaped”
BFNASB, NIV, ESV = “told”
BGSyriac and Vulgate seem to support the LXX idea of responsibility rather than the MT idea of turning around.
BH“[T]he two ki function here differently: the former temporally, the latter as a noun clause indicator.” ~Tsumura
BI“סָבַב
is used here in the sense of being the cause of a
thing, which is one of the meanings of the verb in the Arabic and
Talmudic (vid., Ges. Lex. s. v.)” ~K&D
In the New
International Commentary on the Old Testament, Tsumura notes
that David claims responsibility for the slaughter by claiming to
have done the first of the
two verbs sbb
(literally “go around”) that Saul commanded his men to
do to the priests and which Doeg did to the priests (“go
around and put to death”).
BJThe LXX translators were clearly looking at Hebrew words that are not the same as the MT. The gist of the statement comes out the same, though.
BK“‘[Under] protection’ f.s., is an abstract noun used adverbially.” ~Tsumura
BLDavid’s statement is an antithesis to Saul’s statement that opens this periscope. “Can the son of Jesse give you fields and vineyards and military appointments?” Maybe not, but he can keep you safe.