1 Samuel 21:7

_NOW A CERTAIN MAN OF THE SERVANTS OF SAUL WAS THERE THAT DAY, DETAINED BEFORE THE LORD; AND HIS NAME WAS DOEG, AN EDOMITE, THE CHIEFEST OF THE HERDMEN THAT BELONGED TO SAUL._ Detained before the Lord, х_ NE`ªTSAAR_ (H6113) _ LIPNEEY_ (H6440) _ YAHWEH_ (H3068), assembled before Jehovah; from the idea of compelling, constraining to a festival (Gesenius); Septuagint, sunechomenos, being held together, confined] - at the tabernacle; perhaps in the performance of a vow, or from its being the Sabbath, which rendered it unlawful for him to prosecute his journey. DOEG, AN EDOMITE, [Septuagint, ho Suros, the Syrian (cf. Josephus, 'Antiquities,' b. 6:, ch. 12:, sec. 1)] - who had embraced the Hebrew religion. THE CHIEFEST OF THE HERDMEN THAT BELONGED TO SAUL. Eastern monarchs anciently had larg

1-9 David, in distress, fled to the tabernacle of God. It is great comfort in a day of trouble, that we have a God to go to, to whom we may open our cases, and from whom we may ask and expect direction. David told Ahimelech a gross untruth. What shall we say to this? The Scripture does not conceal it, and we dare not justify it; it was ill done, and proved of bad consequence; for it occasioned the death of the priests of the Lord. David thought upon it afterward with regret. David had great faith and courage, yet both failed him; he fell thus foully through fear and cowardice, and owing to the weakness of his faith. Had he trusted God aright, he would not have used such a sorry, sinful shift for his own preservation. It is written, not for us to do the like, no, not in the greatest straits, but for our warning. David asked of Ahimelech bread and a sword. Ahimelech supposed they might ea...

Verse 1 Samuel 21:7. _DETAINED BEFORE THE LORD_] Probably fulfilling some vow to the Lord, and therefore for a time resident at the tabernacle. _AND HIS NAME_ WAS _DOEG_] From 1 Samuel 22:9 we learn that this man betrayed David's secret to Saul, which caused him to destroy the city, and slay eighty-five priests. We learn from its title that the Psalms 52:1 was made on this occasion; but titles are not to be implicitly trusted....

DETAINED BEFORE THE LORD - Either to fulfill a vow Acts 21:23, or on account of uncleanness, or under the law of lepers Leviticus 13:4, Leviticus 13:11, Leviticus 13:21, or as a proselyte. It is not impossible that Doeg may have been in custody or in sanctuary for some crime....

DAVID'S FLIGHT TO NOB, AND SUBSEQUENTLY TO THE PHILISTINES (1 Samuel 21:1.). EXPOSITION DAVID'S FLIGHT TO NOB (1 Samuel 21:1). 1 SAMUEL 21:1 THEN CAME DAVID TO NOB. Nob means a _knoll _or _hill, _and apparently was situated a little to the north of Jerusalem on the road leading to Gath. The ark had evidently been removed thither by Saul early in his reign, after it had remained for twenty years in the house of Abinadab; a

NOW A CERTAIN MAN OF THE SERVANTS OF SAUL [WAS] THERE THAT DAY,.... When David came to Nob, and asked bread of the priest, and had it, which this man was an eyewitness of, 1 Samuel 22:9; DETAINED BEFORE THE LORD; either because it was sabbath day, and so he might not travel, at least no more than two thousand cubits; or by some vow of his, which he was obliged to stay and perform; or on account of some impurity he had contracted, which he came to be cleansed from; or this detention was voluntary, in order to offer sacrifice to the Lord, or pray unto him, or to study the law of God in the tabernacle, pretending to be a very religious man: AND HIS NAME [WAS] DOEG, AN EDOMITE, being by birth an Idumean, but a proselyte to the Jewish religion; or he was of the seed of Israel, but because he had dwelt in Edom, he was called an Edomite, as Kimchi thinks; jus

6. DAVID'S VARIED EXPERIENCES CHAPTER 21 _ 1. David at Nob with Ahimelech (1 Samuel 21:1)_ 2. David's flight to Achish, King of Gath (1 Samuel 21:10) With this chapter begins the record of David's wanderings as an exile. A number of Psalms were written by him during this period of the rejection of the Lord's anointed. We shall point out some of them. These Psalms are prophetic also foreshadowing the rejection and the sufferings of Christ as well as the tribulations of the pious remnant of Israel during the closing years of the age, preceding the coming and enthronement of the King of Israel, our Lord. He reached Nob after his separation from Jonathan. At Nob the tabernacle of the Lord had been established and Ahimelech (my brother is King) the son of Ahitub (22:9) and g

1 SAMUEL 21. DAVID AT NOB AND GATH. 1 Samuel 21:1 (J). From one of the ancient documents; it is not clear which of the previous sections finds its sequel here. It is often connected with 1 Samuel 19:17: if this is right, David fled straight from his own house to Nob. It is likely that originally stories of single episodes of David's adventures circulated separately by oral tradition or otherwise, not forming a connected narrative. When they were collected, different editors might arrange and connect them in different ways. David fled to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Nob was probably a little N. of Jerusalem, on the way from Gibeah to Bethlehem. According to 1 Samuel 22:9 Ahimelech was the son of Ahitub, and

DETAINED, &c. Probably from some ceremonial reason. Compare "shut up "(Jeremiah 36:5), or. "vow "(Acts 21:23), or "uncleanness" (Leviticus 13:4; Leviticus 13:11; Leviticus 13:21)....

_detained before the Lord_ In charge of the priest for some religious purpose such as the fulfilment of a vow, or purification, or on account of suspected leprosy (Leviticus 13:4; Leviticus 13:11; Leviticus 13:31). His presence in the Tabernacle implies that he was a proselyte. _Doeg, an Edomite_ He may have come over to Saul in his wars with Edom (1 Samuel 14:47). _the chiefest of the herdmen_, &c. An important post in a pastoral country. Cp. 1 Chronicles 27:29;...