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Text -- 1 Samuel 21:1-14 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
21:1 David went to Ahimelech the priest in Nob . Ahimelech was shaking with fear when he met David , and said to him, “Why are you by yourself with no one accompanying you?”
21:2 David replied to Ahimelech the priest , “The king instructed me to do something , but he said to me, ‘Don’t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.’ I have told my soldiers to wait at a certain place .
21:3 Now what do you have at your disposal ? Give me five loaves of bread , or whatever can be found .”
21:4 The priest replied to David , “I don’t have any ordinary bread at my disposal. Only holy bread is available, and then only if your soldiers have abstained from sexual relations with women .”
21:5 David said to the priest , “Certainly women have been kept away from us, just as on previous occasions when I have set out . The soldiers ’ equipment is holy , even on an ordinary journey . How much more so will they be holy today , along with their equipment !”
21:6 So the priest gave him holy bread, for there was no bread there other than the bread of the Presence . It had been removed from before the Lord in order to replace it with hot bread on the day it had been taken away .
21:7 (One of Saul’s servants was there that day , detained before the Lord . His name was Doeg the Edomite , who was in charge of Saul’s shepherds .)
21:8 David said to Ahimelech , “Is there no sword or spear here at your disposal? I don’t have my own sword or equipment in hand due to the urgency of the king’s instructions .”
David Goes to Gath
21:9 The priest replied , “The sword of Goliath the Philistine , whom you struck down in the valley of Elah , is wrapped in a garment behind the ephod . If you wish, take it for yourself. Other than that , there’s nothing here .” David said , “There’s nothing like it! Give it to me!”
21:10 So on that day David arose and fled from Saul . He went to King Achish of Gath .
21:11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David , the king of the land ? Isn’t he the one that they sing about when they dance , saying , ‘Saul struck down his thousands , But David his tens of thousands ’?”
21:12 David thought about what they said and was very afraid of King Achish of Gath .
21:13 He altered his behavior in their presence . Since he was in their power , he pretended to be insane , making marks on the doors of the gate and letting his saliva run down his beard .
21:14 Achish said to his servants , “Look at this madman ! Why did you bring him to me?
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
David |
Ahimelech |
Achish |
Lies and Deceits |
SAMUEL, BOOKS OF |
Judges, Book of |
EZEKIEL, 2 |
Nob |
Gath |
Betrayal |
ABIATHAR |
Confidence |
ABIMELECH |
Tabernacle |
TABERNACLE, B |
Quotations |
Shewbread |
Bread |
Philistines |
Deception |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
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NET Notes: 1Sa 21:2 The Hebrew expression here refers to a particular, but unnamed, place. It occurs in the OT only here, in 2 Kgs 6:8, and in Ruth 4:1, where Boaz uses i...
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NET Notes: 1Sa 21:4 Heb “have kept themselves from women” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “haven’t had sexual relations recently”; NLT “have...
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