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1 Samuel 22:6-23
New English Translation

Saul Executes the Priests

6 But Saul found out the whereabouts of David and the men who were with him.[a] Now Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at an elevated location with his spear in hand and all his servants stationed around him. 7 Saul said to his servants, “Listen up, you Benjaminites! Is Jesse’s son giving fields and vineyards to all of you? Or is he making all of you[b] commanders and officers?[c] 8 For all of you have conspired against me! No one informs me[d] when my own son makes an agreement with the son of Jesse. Not one of you feels sorry for me or informs me that my own son has commissioned my own servant to hide in ambush against me, as is the case today!”

9 But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with the servants of Saul, replied, “I saw this son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob. 10 He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him provisions. He also gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11 Then the king arranged for a meeting with the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and all the priests of his father’s house who were at Nob. They all came to the king. 12 Then Saul said, “Listen, son of Ahitub.” He replied, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and this son of Jesse? You gave[e] him bread and a sword and inquired of God on his behalf, so that he opposes[f] me and waits in ambush, as is the case today!”

14 Ahimelech replied to the king, “Who among all your servants is faithful like David? He is the king’s son-in-law, the leader of your bodyguard, and honored in your house. 15 Was it just today that I began to inquire of God on his behalf? Far be it from me! The king should not accuse[g] his servant or any of my father’s house, for your servant is not aware of all this—not in whole or in part!”[h]

16 But the king said, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!” 17 Then the king said to the messengers[i] who were stationed beside him, “Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, for they too have sided[j] with David. They knew he was fleeing, but they did not inform me.” But the king’s servants refused to harm[k] the priests of the Lord.

18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike down the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests. He killed on that day eighty-five[l] men who wore the linen ephod. 19 As for Nob, the city of the priests, Doeg struck down men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep—all with the sword.

20 But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped and fled to David. His name was Abiathar. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew that day when Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul! I am guilty[m] of all the deaths in your father’s house. 23 Stay with me. Don’t be afraid. Whoever[n] seeks my life is seeking your life as well. You are secure with me.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:6 tn Heb “and Saul heard that David and the men who were with him were known.”
  2. 1 Samuel 22:7 tc The MT has “to all of you.” If this reading is correct, we have here an example of a prepositional phrase functioning as the equivalent of a dative of advantage, which is not impossible from a grammatical point of view. However, the LXX, the Syriac Peshitta, and Vulgate all have “and.” A conjunction rather than a preposition should probably be read on the front of this phrase.
  3. 1 Samuel 22:7 tn Heb “officers of a thousand and officers of a hundred.”
  4. 1 Samuel 22:8 tn Heb “uncovers my ear.”
  5. 1 Samuel 22:13 tn Heb “by giving.”
  6. 1 Samuel 22:13 tn Heb “rises up against.”
  7. 1 Samuel 22:15 tn Heb “set a matter against.”
  8. 1 Samuel 22:15 tn Heb “small or great.”
  9. 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “runners.”
  10. 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “their hand is.”
  11. 1 Samuel 22:17 tn Heb “to extend their hand to harm.”
  12. 1 Samuel 22:18 tc The number is confused in the Greek ms tradition. The LXX, with the exception of the Lucianic recension, has the number 305. The Lucianic recension, along with a couple of Old Latin mss, has the number 350.
  13. 1 Samuel 22:22 tc The translation follows the LXX, which reads “I am guilty,” rather than the MT, which has “I have turned.”
  14. 1 Samuel 22:23 tn Or “the one who.” This may refer specifically to Saul, in which case David acknowledges that Abiathar’s life is endangered because of his allegiance to David. The translation assumes that the statement is more generalized, meaning that any enemy of Abiathar is an enemy of David. In other words, David promises that he will protect Abiathar with his very own life.
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1 Samuel 22:6-23
Lexham English Bible

6 Now Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had been located. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree at Ramah. Now his spear was in his hand and all his servants were stationed around him. 7 Then Saul said to the servants who were standing around him, “Please listen, Benjaminites![a] Will the son of Jesse give you all fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8 For all of you have conspired against me, and no one discloses to me[b] the making[c] of an agreement between my son and the son of Jesse! None of you have had sympathy for me or disclosed to me[d] that my son commissioned my servant against me to ambush me[e] as has been done this day!”

9 But Doeg the Edomite, who was stationed among the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. 10 And he inquired of Yahweh for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11 So the king sent to summon Ahimelech the son of Ahitub the priest, and all his father’s household, the priests who were at Nob. So all of them came to the king. 12 Saul said, “Listen please, son of Ahitub.” He said, “Here I am, my lord.” 13 Then Saul said to him, “Why did you conspire against me, you and the son of Jesse, when you gave to him bread and a sword, and by inquiring of God for him so that he might arise against me to ambush me as has been done this day?” 14 But Ahimelech answered the king and said, “And who among all your servants is as faithful as David? He is the son-in-law of the king who moves quickly to safeguard you and is honored in your house. 15 Only today I began to inquire of God for him. Far be it from me that the king should impute anything against his servant[f] or against my father’s household, for your servant has not known any of this matter, little or much.” 16 Then the king said, “You must certainly die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s household!” 17 So the king said to the runners who were stationed around him, “Turn and kill the priests of Yahweh, because they also support David[g] and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not disclose it to me.”[h] But the servants of the king were not willing to raise their hand to attack the priests of Yahweh. 18 Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and attack the priests!” So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. 19 And he put to the sword[i] Nob, the city of the priests, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep;[j] all to the sword.[k]

20 But, one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, whose name was Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21 Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of Yahweh. 22 Then David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day that Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would certainly tell Saul. I am responsible for the deaths of all your father’s household![l] 23 Stay with me! Do not fear, because he who seeks my life seeks your life. You are in good care with me.”

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 22:7 Literally “children of Benjamin”
  2. 1 Samuel 22:8 Literally “there is no one revealing to my ear”
  3. 1 Samuel 22:8 Literally “cutting”
  4. 1 Samuel 22:8 Literally “revealing to my ear”
  5. 1 Samuel 22:8 Literally “my son has raised my servant against me to an ambush”
  6. 1 Samuel 22:15 Literally “the king will not put against his servant a matter”
  7. 1 Samuel 22:17 Literally “also their hand is with David”
  8. 1 Samuel 22:17 Literally “did not reveal it to his ear”; the Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) reads “his,” but the reading tradition (Qere) has “my”
  9. 1 Samuel 22:19 Literally “he killed with the mouth of the sword”
  10. 1 Samuel 22:19 Or “goats”; literally, “small livestock animals”
  11. 1 Samuel 22:19 Literally “with the mouth of the sword”
  12. 1 Samuel 22:22 Literally “I have turned against all the life of your father’s house”
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