For the rest of Saul's reign D. was an exile from his home, and an outlaw (1 S 21-31). Some inci- dents during this period of his life are described with minute and graphic touches, which bear the evident stamp of geiiuiiiene.ss ; in other cases the accuracy of the narrative is more doubtful. The analysis of these chapters does not present many difficulties, and more than once the existence of double versions of the same story can hardly be doubted. It is only natural that many stories of D.'s adventures should have been current among the people long before they were written down ; and many a place in the wilds of Judah would doubtless claim to be the site of some memorable event in the outlaw life of the great national hero ; while from ch. 30'*-3' it is clear that we possess but a fragmentary account of his many wanderings. According to the present Book of" Samuel, D,, after e.sca|>ing from Saul's messengers, lied first to Kamah, where he took refuge with Samuel at a prophetic school. Thrice Saul sent messengers to capture him (cf. 2 K 1), but each time the men were overcome by the sacred minstrelsy of the prophets ; and when Saul came in per.son, he too was filled with prophetic frenzy, and stripping off his clothes lay naked all the night (lO'*-'-'*). Grave doubts, however, have been raised against this narrative. For a Judiean like D., flight south- wards Wits more natural from Gibeah tlian north- wards to Kamah ; the connexion between Samuel and the jiropliets is not that presented by the older history of Saul ami Samuel, where indeed there is another explanation given of the proverb ' Is .Saul also among the prophets? ' (lOH'-) ; while the present narrative can hardly be by the author of ch. 1&, who implies (v.!") that Saul and Samuel did not meet again. The conception of the pro- phetic school ;us here described is probably later than the time of D. ; and we must regard it as at lea.st doubtful whether D. had any dealings with Samuel.
If we reject this narr.ative as of later origin, the first place visited by 1). in his flight will be the priestly city of Nob, which lay south of Gibeah and due north of Jerusalem. To Ahimelech, the head of the priests of Eli's family, he alleged that he was bound on urgent business for the king, and accordingly obuiined thrc.igh him, as on previous occasions (22"), an answer from the oracle. The
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DAVID
only provisions wliich the priest could ofier was tlie sacred shewbread, removed that day from tlie sanctuary ; and tliis David accepted, stating that lie and his companions were ceremonially clean. Ahimelech is said also to have given to I), the sword of Goliath, which was kept wrapped in a cloth behind the Ki'lloD. This visit to Nob was followed by important consequences. Shortly afterwards, while Saul was holding court under the tamarisk in Gibeali, he complained to his Ben- janiite followers of their ingratitude in taking part against him with his own son and David. Here- upon the Edomite Doeg, the chief herdman of Saul, or rather 'the mightiest of his runners' (21", so Griitz, Driver), declared that he had seen D. at Nob, where Ahiraelech had consulted the oracle on his behalf, and supplied him with food and weapons. Saul at once suspected that the priest also was party to a conspiracy against him, and perhaps that he had been consulting the oracle as to its success. He summoned to his presence Ahime- lech and the priests of his family, and, refusing to accept their denial of any knowledge of a con- spiracy, ordered his guards to put them to death. The guards hesitated, but Doeg carried out the king's orders. Eighty-five priests were slain, and the city of Nob completely destroyed. Only one member of Eli's family escaped the massacre, Abi- athar, a son of Ahimelech, who fled to D., probably to AduUara ; and the latter, feeling that the disaster was in some measure due to himself, promised the fugitive his iirotection. According to Budde, %ve have underlying 1 S 21'-' 22'^--^ two versions of D.'s visit to Nob, and the denunciation of Doeg : notice that 22' '• '* imply that Ahimelech consulted the oracle for David, whereas nothing is said of this in 21'-^. Budde connects the earlier passage with B, the second with A, and regards the allusions to Goliath's sword in 22''- '^ as added to connect the two narratives. Others (Wellb., Kuenen, Stade) ascribe both chapters to the same writer, and reject 2V- " (Heb. s. !•)) 22"''> as later glosses. In any case, these verses presupposed the account of D. and Goliath in ch. 17.
Our present narrative represents D. as fleeing from Nob to Gath. Here, it is said, at the court of Achisli, he was recognized as the Isr. warrior, and ' king of the land ' ; in consequence he feigned mad- ness, drumming (v.''' LXX) on the doors, and letting the spittle fall on his beard, so that at the com- mand of Achish he was driven away (21 '"-'5). It is doubtful, liowever, whether D. W(mld really have taken refuge among the Philistines at such an early period of his wanderings ; and wlien he ap- pears at Gath at a later time, no hint is given of this earlier visit. Probably we have here again a ' doublet,' and our narrative represents a popular legend, the product of a desire to represent in a more patriotic light D.'s residence among the Philistines. Far more reliable is the account in 22'<''-, according to which D. fled (from Nob) to the cave, or stronghold (so Wellh., Stade, Budde ; cf. v.-"), of AduUam. This place must be looked for, not, according to a tradition dating from the 12tli cent. All., on the south of Bethlehem in the Wmlij Khareitun, but in the Shephelah west of Hebron (cf. On 38', .Jos 1535; and see G. A. Smith, Hist, iieog. p. 229 f.). Here the wild character of the country afforded him a hiding-place ; he was among his own tribesmen, and on the extremity of Judah Saul's authority was weakest. The brothers and kinsmen of 1)., who had to fear Saul's vengeance, gathered round him, together with distressed debtors and discontented men of every class, so that D. soon found himself the leader of a band of some 400 men. Of tliese, several doubtless were not of Israelitish origin (cf. 1 S 2I>" and perhaps 2 S 2;?'"-"') ; according to 1 Ch 12*-'8 certain valiant