1 Samuel 22: The Cave and the Slaughter
David gathers the distressed at Adullam while Saul's jealousy erupts in the massacre of the priests of Nob.
1 Samuel 22 (WEB)
1 David therefore departed there, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
2 Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented, gathered themselves to him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 David went there to Mizpeh of Moab, and he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and my mother come out with you, until I know what God will do for me.”
4 He brought them before the king of Moab; and they lived with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5 The prophet Gad said to David, “Don’t stay in the stronghold. Depart, and go into the land of Judah.” Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
6 Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
7 Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, you Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give everyone of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one who discloses to me when my son makes a treaty with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you who is sorry for me, or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?”
9 Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests who were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 Saul said, “Hear now, you son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.”
13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread, and a sword, and have inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?”
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, “Who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into your council, and is honorable in your house?
15 Have I today begun to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me! Don’t let the king impute anything to his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for your servant knows nothing of all this, less or more.”
16 The king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you, and all your father’s house.”
17 The king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and didn’t disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king wouldn’t put out their hand to fall on the priests of Yahweh.
18 The king said to Doeg, “Turn and attack the priests!” Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod.
19 He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Yahweh’s priests.
22 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 the death of all the persons of your father’s house.
23 Stay with me, don’t be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard.”
1 Samuel 22 (KJV)
1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.
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;)
7 Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;
8 That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
9 Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
10 And he enquired of the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?
15 Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
17 And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the Lord; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
23 Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
1 Samuel 22 (ASV)
1 David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
2 And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.
3 And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.
4 And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.
5 And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the stronghold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hereth.
6 And Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him: now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk-tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
7 And Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,
8 that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that discloseth to me when my son maketh a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or discloseth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
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.
10 And he inquired of Jehovah for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.
11 Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.
12 And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.
13 And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?
14 Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who among all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son-in-law, and is taken into thy council, and is honorable in thy house?
15 Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.
16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.
17 And the king said unto the guard that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of Jehovah; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of Jehovah.
18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and he slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.
19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
21 And Abiathar told David that Saul had slain Jehovah’s priests.
22 And David said unto Abiathar, I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.
23 Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: for with me thou shalt be in safeguard.
Summary
David escapes to the cave of Adullam, and there a strange army gathers to him: everyone in distress, everyone in debt, and everyone discontented, about four hundred men, and he becomes their captain. He carries his aging father and mother to safety in Moab, and the prophet Gad urges him back into the land of Judah. Meanwhile Saul sits under the tamarisk tree in Gibeah, spear in hand, accusing his servants of conspiring against him. Doeg the Edomite reports that Ahimelech the priest helped David at Nob, and Saul summons the priest. Ahimelech pleads David's faithfulness and his own innocence, but Saul condemns him and his whole house to death. When Saul's own guards refuse to lift a hand against the priests of Yahweh, Doeg turns and kills eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod, and Saul strikes the priestly city of Nob with the sword, sparing neither women, children, nor livestock. Only Abiathar escapes and flees to David, who grieves his part in the tragedy and pledges to keep him safe. Saul's downward spiral now spills the blood of the innocent.
Main Characters
- David — The anointed fugitive who becomes captain over the distressed and discontented at Adullam, secures his parents in Moab, and shelters the lone surviving priest.
- Saul — The king consumed by suspicion, who turns on his own servants and orders the slaughter of Yahweh's priests when no one will restrain him.
- Doeg the Edomite — Saul's herdsman who informs on Ahimelech and then carries out the massacre of the priests when Saul's own guards refuse.
- Ahimelech and Abiathar — The faithful priest of Nob, killed with his house for innocently aiding David, and his son who alone escapes to bring the news to David.
Key Verse
1 Samuel 22:23 (WEB)
Stay with me, don’t be afraid; for he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard.”
Lessons Learned
- God often gathers the weak, the indebted, and the overlooked to do his work, not the strong and self-sufficient.
- Unchecked jealousy hardens the heart until it can shed innocent blood without flinching.
- There is courage in the guards who would not raise a hand against Yahweh's priests, even at a king's command.
- David takes responsibility for the harm his choices brought to others and offers refuge rather than excuses.
- God assembles an unlikely army. Those “in distress… in debt… discontented” gather to David and he becomes their captain (1 Samuel 22:2, WEB). The Lord builds his people from the broken and rejected.
- Jealousy left to grow turns murderous. Saul accuses everyone of conspiracy (1 Samuel 22:8, WEB) and finally orders, “Turn, and kill the priests of Yahweh” (22:17). Envy unrepented ends in atrocity.
- Obedience to God may mean disobeying a wicked command. “The servants of the king wouldn’t put out their hand to fall on the priests of Yahweh” (1 Samuel 22:17, WEB). Reverence for God can outweigh fear of a king.
- The wounded find safety with one who shares their danger. David tells Abiathar, “he who seeks my life seeks your life. For with me you shall be in safeguard” (1 Samuel 22:23, WEB), a shadow of the refuge we have in Christ.
- Who gathers to David at Adullam, and what does this reveal about how God builds his people?
- What does Saul's accusation under the tamarisk tree show about the state of his heart?
- Why is it significant that Saul's own guards refused to strike the priests, while Doeg did not?
- How does David respond to the news of the massacre, and what does he offer Abiathar?
- Where in your life are you among the 'distressed' or 'discontented,' and how might God be gathering you to himself in that very weakness?
- Everyone in distress, in debt, and discontented gathers, about four hundred men, and David becomes their captain (22:2). God's future king begins with society's castoffs, a pattern that runs through Scripture and culminates in the gospel's welcome of the weak.
- Saul imagines conspiracy on every side, even from his own son and servants (22:7-8). His jealousy has curdled into paranoia, isolating him and preparing the way for terrible cruelty against the innocent.
- The guards' refusal shows a conscience still sensitive to Yahweh's anointed priests, while Doeg's willingness shows a heart with no such restraint (22:17-18). The contrast warns us how far an unchecked will can go when others bow to it.
- David confesses, “I am responsible for the death of all the persons of your father’s house,” yet pledges Abiathar safety with him (22:22-23). He owns his part honestly and answers tragedy with protection rather than self-justification.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name a place of need, debt, or discontent in their lives and to consider that such places are exactly where Christ gathers and uses people. Keep the tone gentle and hopeful.