1 Samuel 21:1 - Forerunner Commentary

1 Samuel 21:1

David and the Holy Bread

1 Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And ^aAhimelech was ^bafraid 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 no¹ common bread on hand; but there is ^aholy bread, ^bif 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. And¹ the ^avessels of the young men are holy, and the bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated ^bin the vessel this day.”

6 So the priest ^agave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread ^bwhich 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 ^aDoeg, 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 ^athe Valley of Elah, ^bthere 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.”

David Flees to Gath

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

11 And ^athe 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:
^b‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands’?”

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

13 So ^ahe changed his behavior before them, pretended¹ 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. 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?”

Verse Comparison: 1 Samuel 21:1

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1 Samuel 21:2 >>

American Standard Version
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

Amplified® Bible
THEN DAVID went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech was afraid at meeting David, and said to him, Why are you alone and no man with you?

Contemporary English Version
David went to see Ahimelech, a priest who lived in the town of Nob. Ahimelech was trembling with fear as he came out to meet David. "Why are you alone?" Ahimelech asked. "Why isn't anyone else with you?"

Darby English Version
And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech trembled at meeting David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

Good News Bible
David went to the priest Ahimelech in Nob. Ahimelech came out trembling to meet him and asked, "Why did you come here all by yourself ?"

King James Version
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

New American Standard Bible
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, "Why are you alone and no one with you?"

New International Version
David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"

New King James Version
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?”

N.A.S.B. in E-Prime
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling to meet David and said to him, "Why do you stay alone and no one with you?"

Revised Standard Version
Then came David to Nob to Ahim'elech the priest; and Ahim'elech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?"

Young's Literal Translation
And David cometh in to Nob, unto Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech trembleth at meeting David, and saith to him, `Wherefore `art' thou thyself alone, and no man with thee?'

New English Translation
(21:2) David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob. Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met¹ David, and said to him, “Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?”

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