1 Samuel 22:6

_WHEN SAUL HEARD THAT DAVID WAS DISCOVERED, AND THE MEN THAT WERE WITH HIM, (NOW SAUL ABODE IN GIBEAH UNDER A TREE IN RAMAH, HAVING HIS SPEAR IN HIS HAND, AND ALL HIS SERVANTS WERE STANDING ABOUT HIM;)_ Saul abode ... under a tree in Ramah, х_ TACHAT_ (H8478) _ HAA'EESHEL_ (H815) _ BAARAAMAAH_ (H7413)] - under the tamarisk upon the hill. Oriental princes frequently sit with their court under some shady canopy in the open air. A spear was the early sceptre, as we are informed by Justin, who says, 'Anciently kings had spears as signs of royal authority.' Saul's spear might be distinguished from common spears by its length as well as its decorations; and that this was likely to be the case may be inferred from the relics of Egypt and Assyria, in both of which a massive mace was used as a royal sceptre. Havi

6-19 See the nature of jealous malice and its pitiful arts. Saul looks upon all about him as his enemies, because they do not just say as he says. In Ahimelech's answer to Saul we have the language of conscious innocence. But what wickedness will not the evil spirit hurry men to when he gets the dominion! Saul alleges that which was utterly false and unproved. But the most bloody tyrants have found instruments of their cruelty as barbarous as themselves. Doeg, having murdered the priests, went to the city, Nob, and put all to the sword there. Nothing so vile but those may do it, who have provoked God to give them up to their hearts' lusts. Yet this was the accomplishment of the threatenings against the house of Eli. Though Saul was unrighteous in doing this, yet God was righteous in permitting it. No word of God shall fall to the ground....

Verse 1 Samuel 22:6. _SAUL ABODE IN GIBEAH_] Saul and his men were in pursuit of David, and had here, as is the general custom in the East, encamped on a _height_, for so _Ramah_ should be translated, as in the margin. His _spear_, the ensign of power (see on 1 Samuel 18:11), was at hand, that is stuck in the ground where he rested, which was the _mark_ to the soldiers that _there_ was their general's tent. _AND ALL HIS SERVANTS_ WERE _STANDING ABOUT HIM_] That is, they were encamped around him, or perhaps here there is a reference to a sort of council of war called by Saul for the purpose of delivering the speech recorded in the following verses....

UNDER A TREE IN RAMAH - Rather, “under the tamarisk-tree on the high place,” where he always held such meetings. It was a kind of parliament in the open air, and all his tribesmen gathered round him. (Compare Judges 4:5.)...

EXPOSITION COMMENCEMENT OF DAVID'S LIFE AS AN OUTLAW. 1 SAMUEL 22:1 THE CAVE ADULLAM. According to Josephus this was situated near a city of the same name ('Ant.,' 1 Samuel 6:12, 1 Samuel 6:3), which formed one of a group of fifteen in the Shephelah (see on 1 Samuel 17:1), and its site has now been recovered by Mr. Conder (see 'Tent Work,' 2:156-160). "The great valley," he says, "of Elah, which forms the highway from Philistia to Hebron, runs down northwards past

WHEN SAUL HEARD THAT DAVID WAS DISCOVERED, AND THE MEN THAT [WERE] WITH HIM,.... That it was known where David was, and what number of men were gathered to him, and that they now openly appeared in the tribe of Judah; for some time Saul had heard nothing of him, but now a report had reached his ears that David was in arms, and at the head of a number of men; which now greatly alarmed Saul, and possessed him with fears and jealousies of his people, and all about him: NOW SAUL ABODE IN GIBEAH, UNDER A TREE IN RAMAH; this was Gibeah of Saul, and in or near which was a place called Ramah, or an high place, as the word signifies, on which was a remarkable tree, and under that Saul abode, being a proper shelter for him from any inclemency of the weather; for this was not Ramah where Samuel dwelt, though the Jews in the Talmud b so think, and metaphorically understand the tree in it of Samuel...

CHAPTER 22 _ 1. In the cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1)_ 2. In Moab and Gad's message (1 Samuel 22:3) 3. Saul's discovery of David's visit to Nob (1 Samuel 22:6) 4. The murder of the priests (1 Samuel 22:11) 5. David and Abiathar (1 Samuel 22:20) Next we find him in the cave of Adullam (a witness). Here a strange company gathers around the rejected king. It consisted of 400 men. He became their captain. Some of them were in distress, others in debt, and discontented. Such were attracted to th

1 SAMUEL 22. DAVID AT ADULLAM AND MOAB: MASSACRE AT NOB (J). The series of narratives in ch. 22 may very well come from the same ancient document, and be the continuation of 1 Samuel 21:1. 1 SAMUEL 22:1 F. David takes refuge at Adullam (p. 31), about 12 miles SW. of Bethlehem: he is joined by his clan and by various unsatisfactory characters, to the number of about 400, _i.e._ he becomes a captain of bandits. 1 SAMUEL 22:3. David takes his father and mother for safety to the king of Moab at Mizpeh (not identified). According to Ruth 4:21 f., David's great-grandmother was a Moabitess, Ruth. The prophet Gad ...

MEN. Hebrew. _'enosh._ App-14. NOW SAUL. Note the Figure of speech _Parenthesis._ App-6. IN RAMAH. Or, in the high place....

Saul's vengeance on the priests of Nob 6. _that David was discovered_ Lit. "was known." Saul found out that some of his courtiers knew of David's hiding-place in the forest of Hareth. _now Saul abode_, &c. Render, NOW SAUL WAS SITTING AT GIBEAH UNDER THE TAMARISK TREE ON THE HEIGHT. We have here a vivid picture of a solemn conclave met to deliberate on affairs of state or to administer justice. The king sits in state under some venerable tamarisk (cp. 1 Samuel 14:2; Judges 4:5); his spear, the emblem of royalty (see on 1 Samuel 18:10), is in his hand; his servants, still chiefly the men of his own tribe (1 Samuel