Chapter Twenty-Two

David’s stay in the cave of Adullam, in Moabite Mizpah, and in the forest of Hereth.

1 Samuel 22:1. And David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam, and when his brothers and all his father’s household heard of it, they went down to him there. Adullam is between Gath and Bethlehem, in the wilderness of the Judean hills. “And they went down to him there,” considering their Bethlehem dwelling not entirely safe from the rage of the maddened Saul. Saul could seize David’s family as hostages to compel his supposed enemy to surrender voluntarily.

1 Samuel 22:2. And there gathered to him everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, and he became captain over them; and there were with him about four hundred men. “And everyone in distress” was unjustly oppressed by the strong; “everyone in debt,” utterly exhausted by their relentless creditors and having found no justice against them; “everyone discontented,” that is, those who suffered from the crude despotism and disorder that reigned in the realm of the sick Saul.

1 Samuel 22:3. From there David went to Mizpah of Moab, and said to the king of Moab: I beg you, let my father and mother stay with you until I know what God will do to me. Moabite Mizpah is in the southern regions of the land of Moab. “Let my father and mother stay with you.” It is certain that within the borders of the Hebrew kingdom the safety of David’s family could not be guaranteed as firmly as beyond the borders of the kingdom. Moreover, the presence of elderly parents in David’s band could prove, in the end, limiting for the swift movements and decisive actions of the band.

1 Samuel 22:5. But the prophet Gad said to David: Do not remain in this stronghold, but go, depart into the land of Judah. And David went and came into the forest of Hereth. “Do not remain in this stronghold.” “Guided by God, the mind of the prophets found that David should not remain long in dependent association with neighboring pagan kings and live away from his people, without taking any active part in its fate” (Ia. Bogorodskii, “Hebrew Kings,” p. 102). The region of the forest of Hereth, Ziph, Maon, En-gedi is in the area between Hebron and the Dead Sea.

1 Samuel 22:8. Why have you all conspired against me, and no one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse, and none of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant to lie in wait for me, as is now the case? “To lie in wait for me.” In the sick imagination of the king, David’s actions take the form of a widely organized armed campaign against Saul.

1 Samuel 22:9. Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, and said: I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, See 1 Sam 21:7.

1 Samuel 22:10. And he inquired of the Lord for him, and gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. “And he inquired of the Lord for him”—by means of the Lord’s sanctuary, the high priest’s breastpiece. In chapter 21, this action of Ahimelech is not mentioned; the reliability of David’s account does not, however, stand in contradiction with the further testimony of the high priest himself: “Did I only today begin to inquire of God for him?” (1 Sam 22:12-15).

1 Samuel 22:18. And the king said to Doeg: Turn and kill the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned and fell upon the priests and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. “Who wore the linen ephod.” See note to 1 Sam 2:18.

1 Samuel 22:20. And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David. 1 Samuel 22:21. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 1 Samuel 22:22. And David said to Abiathar: I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul; I am responsible for all the lives of your father’s house; 1 Samuel 22:23. Stay with me; do not be afraid, for whoever seeks my life seeks your life; you will be under my protection. Along with the high priest, the sacred ephod was brought into David’s company (1 Sam 23:1). In the most difficult cases, David could now use the revelations of the good and perfect will of the Lord, made known through the medium of His sanctuary. * * * In the Greek translation: three hundred and five.