How does Doeg’s report lead to the killing of Nobe’s priests, and what does David say to Abiathar?

Atlas of Saints · Chapter summary

Saul summons the priests, accuses Achimelech and orders their deaths despite his defence. Saul’s servants refuse to strike them, but Doeg kills eighty-five linen-ephod wearers and strikes Nobe. Abiathar escapes to David, who says he was the occasion of the household’s deaths and promises safety with him because they share the same pursuer.

Chapter breakdown

David leaves and flees to Odollam’s cave. His brothers and all his father’s house hear and come down to him. Those in distress, oppressed with debt and afflicted in mind gather to him. He becomes their prince, with about four hundred men. He goes to Maspha of Moab and asks its king to let his father and mother stay until he knows what God will do for him. He leaves them under the king’s eyes, and they stay all the days David is in the hold. Challoner separately identifies the hold as Maspha’s stronghold or fortress. Gad the prophet tells David not to remain there but to go into Juda. David departs to Haret’s forest.

Saul hears David and his men have been seen. In Gabaa, in the wood by Rama, Saul has a spear in hand and all his servants stand about him. He addresses the sons of Jemini, asking whether Isai’s son will give every one fields and vineyards and make them all tribunes and centurions. He accuses all of conspiracy and none of informing him, especially about his son’s league with Isai’s son. He says nobody pities or informs him and claims his son has raised his servant against him to plot to that day. These accusations remain Saul’s words. Doeg the Edomite, standing there as chief among Saul’s servants, says he saw Isai’s son in Nobe with the priest Achimelech, son of Achitob. He reports that Achimelech consulted the Lord for David, gave him food and Goliath the Philistine’s sword.

Saul summons the priest Achimelech, son of Achitob, and all his father’s house, the priests in Nobe; all come. He calls Achimelech son of Achitob, and Achimelech answers that he is there, my lord. Saul asks why he and Isai’s son conspired, giving bread and a sword and consulting the Lord so David would rise against him, continuing a traitor that day. Achimelech asks who among Saul’s servants is as faithful as David, the king’s son-in-law, going out at his command and honoured in his house. He asks whether he began consulting the Lord for David that day, rejects the suspicion and asks Saul not to suspect his servant or anyone in his father’s house. He says he knew nothing of the matter, little or great.

Saul sentences Achimelech and all his father’s house to death. He orders the messengers standing around him to turn and kill the Lord’s priests, saying they sided with David because they knew he fled and did not tell him. Saul’s servants refuse to put their hands against the Lord’s priests. He orders Doeg to turn and fall on them. Doeg the Edomite does so, killing eighty-five men wearing linen ephods that day. He strikes Nobe, the priests’ city, with the sword: men and women, children and sucklings, oxen, asses and sheep.

Abiathar, one of the sons of Achimelech, son of Achitob, escapes to David and reports that Saul has slain the Lord’s priests. David says he knew that day Doeg the Edomite was there that he would certainly tell Saul, and that he has been the occasion of the death of all souls in Abiathar’s father’s house. He tells Abiathar to remain with him and not fear, because the one seeking David’s life also seeks his, and with David he will be saved.

The story inside

David’s family and the distressed gather at Odollam, and his parents stay with Moab’s king while he is in the hold. Gad directs him to Juda. Saul’s speech about rewards and alleged conspiracy leads to Doeg’s report. The priests are summoned, and Achimelech replies to Saul’s accusation by naming David’s faithful service and his own lack of knowledge. Saul orders death; his servants refuse, so he directs Doeg, who kills the ephod wearers and strikes the city. Abiathar escapes and reports to David. David names his expectation of Doeg’s report, accepts being the occasion of the household’s deaths and gives the shared-pursuer reason for staying safely with him.

Lessons worth keeping

1
The gathering has a stated number and conditions. About four hundred distressed, indebted and troubled men come to David with his family. The account does not call them criminals or describe a disciplined new army.
2
Accusations and defence are kept in their speakers’ voices. Saul alleges conspiracy and knowledge of flight; Achimelech names David’s service and denies knowing the matter. The refusal is recorded without a supplied account of each servant’s conscience.
3
David gives a specific admission and promise. He expected Doeg to tell Saul and says he occasioned all the household’s deaths. Abiathar is told to stay because the same person seeks both their lives, without importing the ephod or a new priestly-lineage interpretation into this chapter.

Test your recall

What does Doeg report, how does Achimelech answer Saul’s accusation, how do the servants’ refusal and Doeg’s obedience differ, and what reason does David give Abiathar for staying with him?

Source edition and notes

Douay–Rheims, revised by Richard Challoner (1749–1752). Project Gutenberg no. 1581. Locators refer to lines in the admitted pg1581.txt edition. Source notes may include Challoner commentary.

Lines 30650–30674
1 Kings Chapter 22 Many resort to David. Doeg accuseth Achimelech to Saul. He ordereth him and all the other priests of Nobe to be slain. Abiathar escapeth. 22:1. David therefore went from thence, and fled to the cave of Odollam. And when his brethren, and all his father’s house, had heard of it, they went down to him thither. 22:2. And all that were in distress, and oppressed with debt, and under affliction of mind, gathered themselves unto him: and he became their prince, and there were with him about four hundred men. 22:3. And David departed from thence into Maspha of Moab: and he said to the king of Moab: Let my father and my mother tarry with you, I beseech thee, till I know what God will do for me. 22:4. And he left them under the eyes of the king of Moab, and they abode with him all the days that David was in the hold. The hold.... The strong hold, or fortress of Maspha. 22:5. And Gad the prophet said to David: Abide not in the hold, depart, and go into the land of Juda. And David departed, and came into the forest of Haret.
Lines 30676–30696
22:6. And Saul heard that David was seen, and the men that were with him. Now whilst Saul abode in Gabaa, and was in the wood, which is by Rama, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him, 22:7. He said to his servants that stood about him: Hear me now, ye sons of Jemini: will the son of Isai give every one of you fields, and vineyards, and make you all tribunes, and centurions: 22:8. That all of you have conspired against me, and there is no one to inform me, especially when even my son hath entered into league with the son of Isai? There is not one of you that pitieth my case, nor that giveth me any information: because my son hath raised up my servant against me, plotting against me to this day. 22:9. And Doeg, the Edomite, who stood by, and was the chief among the servants of Saul, answering, said: I saw the son of Isai, in Nobe, with Achimelech, the son of Achitob, the priest. 22:10. And he consulted the Lord for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath, the Philistine.
Lines 30698–30717
22:11. Then the king sent to call for Achimelech, the priest, the son of Achitob, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nobe, and they came all of them to the king. 22:12. And Saul said to Achimelech: Hear, thou son of Achitob. He answered: Here I am, my lord. 22:13. And Saul said to him: Why have you conspired against me, thou, and the son of Isai, and thou hast given him bread and a sword, and hast consulted the Lord for him, that he should rise up against me, continuing a traitor to this day. 22:14. And Achimelech answering the king, said: And who amongst all thy servants is so faithful as David, who is the king’s son in law, and goeth forth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thy house? 22:15. Did I begin to day to consult the Lord for him? far be this from me: let not the king suspect such a thing against his servant, or any one in all my father’s house: for thy servant knew nothing of this matter, either little or great.
Lines 30719–30734
22:16. And the king said: Dying thou shalt die, Achimelech, thou and all thy father’s house. 22:17. And the king said to the messengers that stood about him: Turn, and kill the priests of the Lord, for their hand is with David, because they knew that he was fled, and they told it not to me. And the king’s servants would not put forth their hands against the priests of the Lord. 22:18. And the king said to Doeg: Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg, the Edomite, turned, and fell upon the priests, and slew in that day eighty-five men that wore the linen ephod. 22:19. And Nobe, the city of the priests, he smote with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and ox, and ass, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
Lines 30736–30748
22:20. But one of the sons of Achimelech, the son of Achitob, whose name was Abiathar, escaped, and fled to David, 22:21. And told him that Saul had slain the priests of the Lord. 22:22. And David said to Abiathar: I knew that day when Doeg, the Edomite, was there, that without doubt he would tell Saul: I have been the occasion of the death of all the souls of thy father’s house. 22:23. Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life also, and with me thou shalt be saved.