The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 391

moved on some prcnous day. As after a that; for it was a memorial of his greatost week's exposure it was stale and dry, the achierement, and might bo tho presllge of priests, we are told, ate but little of it, and good fortune a.gain. the rest was left (see Talmud, 'Tract. Yorn.,' DAVID SEEKS IlEFUGE WITH THE KING 39, 1). It also points out that, had such OF GATII (vers. 10-15). Ver. 10.-David violations of the Lenticnl law been commou, arose and fted that day. The presence of so much irnportnnce would not have been Doeg at Nob was a most untoward circum- attached to this incident. stance ; and though DaviJ could never have Yer. 7.-David's risit to Nob had pro- anticipated that Saul would visit upon the bably been dictated simply by a desire to P:iests _the ~nwitting assistance they had get food while a few attendants were being given him with such barbarous ferocity, yet collected for him, and under ordinary cir- he must have felt sure that nn active pursuit cumstances would have remained unknown would be ut once instituted against himself. to Saul. Unfortunately there chanced to be He therefore took a most unwise e.nd pre- a person present there who informed the cipitate step, but one which clearly shows king of it, and brought a second terrible the greatness of the danger to which he was catastrophe upon the house of Eli (see on exposed. For he flees to Achish, king of eh. ii 33) ; by working too upon his jealousy Gath, the first town upon the Philistine he caused Saul to commit a crime which border, at the mouth of the valley of Elah sets him before us as a hateful and remorse- (see on eh. xvii. 3). Achish is called Abime- less tyrant. This man ,ras Doeg, an Edomite, lech in the title of Ps. xxx.iv., written by who had, it seems, long been in Saul's service, David in grateful commemoration of his as he was his chief herdsman. According escape, that being the official title of the to the Septuagint he had charge of the kinis kings of Gath handed down through many mules, but the other versions e,,uree with the successive centuries (see Gen. -xxvi 1). It Hebrew. .A.ii herds would form the main has been objected that nothing could be more part of Saul's wealth, his chief herdsman improbable than that David, the conqueror would be e. person of importance. He was of Goliath, should seek refuge with a Philis- cletai.ned before Jehovah. I. e. shnt up in tine lord, and that this is nothing more close seclusion within the precincts of the than a popular tale, which has grown out of tabernacle, either for some vow, or for purifi- the real fact recorded in eh. xxvii. But ce.tion, or perhaps as suspected of leprosy when men are in desperate straits they take (Lcvit. xiii 4), or, as some think, as a wild resolutions, and this meeting with proselyte. Ephrem Syrus thinks he had Doeg, just after he had broken down with committed some trespass, and was detained grief (eh. xx. 41), evidently put David to till• he had offered the appointed sacrifice. his wits' end. As, moreover, Saul was dege- David at once felt that Doeg's presence boded nerating into a cruel tyrant, desertions may much ill (eh. xxii 22), and it probably was have become not uncommon, and though the cause of his taking the rash resolution only three or four years can have elapsed to flee for refuge to Gath. since the battle of Elah, o.s David was only Vers. 8, 9.-Is there not here nnder thine about twenty-four years of age at Saul's ha.nd spear or sword 1 The sight of Doeg death, yet the change from a boyish stripling made David feel how helpless he was in case to a bearded man was enough to make it of attack, and he excuses his request for possible that David might not be recognised. weapons by saying that he had left home As for Goliath's sword, we have seen that it unarmed because of the urgency of the king's was not remarkable for its size, and was business. The whole matter must have probably of the ordinary pattern imported seemed very suspicious to Ahimelech, but he from Greece. Even if recognised, .Achish was powerless, aud ans,rers that the only might welcome him as a deserter from Saul, weapon in the sanctuary was David's own the great enemy of the Philistines; for as a votive offering, the sword of Goliath, care- deserter never received pardon or mercy, he fully deposited in a place of honour behind must now use his prowess to the very utmost the ephod with the Urim and Thummim, against Saul. Finally, the historical truth of and wre.pped in a cloth for its protection. the narrative is vouched for by Ps. xxxiv. As the word is used in Isa. ix. 5 of military and the details are all different from those in .attire, it may mean Goliath's war-mantle, eh. xx viL David there is a powerful chief- but more probably it was a covering to tain with a large following of trained soldiers, preserve it from rust and damp. In eh. and feels so secure that he takes his wives x,·ii. 54 it is said that Goliath's armour be- with him ; he asks for some place in which came David's private froperty, and nothing to reside, and occupies himself in continual conk! be more natura than that he should forays. Here he is in the utmost distress, tlms lay tip the sword in the tabernacle, as has no trained band of soldiers, and goes a tl,ank offering to God. He now takes it well-nigh n,ad with mental anguish. And 'll·ith 1Jle1sure, saying, There is none like this iB in exact keeping with that extreme OB. XXI. 1-15.] THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL. 3'.J1