וַיָּקָם וַיֵּלַךְ וִיהוֹנָתָן בָּא הָעִיר

He, David, rose and went from that place; and Yehonatan came to the city.

וַיָּבֹא דָוִד נֹבֶה אֶל אֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַכֹּהֵן וַיֶּחֱרַד אֲחִימֶלֶךְ לִקְרַאת דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה לְבַדֶּךָ וְאִישׁ אֵין אִתָּךְ

David came to Nov, the spiritual center at the time, where what remained of the Tabernacle of Shilo stood, and where the priests dwelled, to Ahimelekh the priest, and Ahimelekh hastened toward David; Ahimelekh was excited to see David, as important figures did not often visit Nov. Alternatively, the verse means that Ahimelekh went toward David trembling. And he, Ahimelekh, said to him: Why are you alone and no one is with you? David was generally accompanied by an entourage, but now he had arrived alone.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ הַכֹּהֵן הַמֶּלֶךְ צִוַּנִי דָבָר וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי אִישׁ אַל יֵדַע מְאוּמָה אֶת הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי שֹׁלֵחֲךָ וַאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ וְאֶת הַנְּעָרִים יוֹדַעְתִּי אֶל מְקוֹם פְּלֹנִי אַלְמוֹנִי

David said to Ahimelekh the priest: The king charged me with a matter, and he said to me: Let no man know anything about the matter for which I am sending you and with which I have charged you, and I informed the lads to be at the place of such and such. I am on a secret mission and have arranged to meet up with my men at a secret location.

וְעַתָּה מַה יֵּשׁ תַּחַת יָדְךָ חֲמִשָּׁה לֶחֶם תְּנָה בְיָדִי אוֹ הַנִּמְצָא

Now, what is there on hand with you? Are there five loaves of bread? Give them into my hand, or whatever is to be found. It would seem that David did not have much to eat during the three days that he hid in the field, and he was very hungry.

וַיַּעַן הַכֹּהֵן אֶת דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין לֶחֶם חֹל אֶל תַּחַת יָדִי כִּי אִם לֶחֶם קֹדֶשׁ יֵשׁ אִם נִשְׁמְרוּ הַנְּעָרִים אַךְ מאִשָּׁה

The priest answered David, and said: There is no non-sacred bread on hand with me, but there is only sacred bread, the showbread, which was supposed to be eaten only by priests. However, since this was a situation of great need, which seemed to involve potentially life-threatening circumstances, the priest agreed to give it to David. However, he stipulated: I will give you the bread provided the lads have withheld themselves from women; only if you and your men are pure, and have not contracted ritual impurity, e.g., due to seminal emission, so that the bread will not be eaten in a state of impurity.

וַיַּעַן דָּוִד אֶת הַכֹּהֵן וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ כִּי אִם אִשָּׁה עֲצֻרָה לָנוּ כִּתְמוֹל שִׁלְשֹׁם בְּצֵאתִי וַיִּהְיוּ כְלֵי הַנְּעָרִים קֹדֶשׁ וְהוּא דֶּרֶךְ חֹל וְאַף כִּי הַיּוֹם יִקְדַּשׁ בַּכֶּלִי

David answered the priest and said to him: Indeed, women have been withheld from us since yesterday and the day before. when I departed; we have had no contact with women for several days. And the vessels of the lads are pure, such that they may be used for sacred items, though it is a non-sacred mission; all the more so that today it will have been consecrated in the vessel. If we are careful to eat even non-sacred bread in a high level of purity, we will certainly be careful to eat sacred food in ritual purity. Alternatively, the latter sentence may be interpreted to mean: Although the bread was sanctified today in a holy vessel in the Tabernacle, give it to me nonetheless due to the pressing need we have for bread. Or, although the bread was sanctified, since it has been removed from the table of the showbread, its level of sanctity has been reduced, as its purpose has been fulfilled.

וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ הַכֹּהֵן קֹדֶשׁ כִּי לֹא הָיָה שָׁם לֶחֶם כִּי אִם לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים הַמּוּסָרִים מִלִּפְנֵי ה'לָשׂוּם לֶחֶם חֹם בְּיוֹם הִלָּקְחוֹ

The priest gave him that which was sacred, as there was no bread there other than the showbread, which is removed from before the Lord to place warm, fresh bread on the day of its removal. It appears that this incident took place on the Sabbath or on Saturday night, as the bread is removed from the table on the Sabbath and replaced with fresh bread.

וְשָׁם אִישׁ מֵעַבְדֵי שָׁאוּל בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נֶעְצָר לִפְנֵי ה'וּשְׁמוֹ דֹּאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי אַבִּיר הָרֹעִים אֲשֶׁר לְשָׁאוּל

A man, one of Saul’s servants, was there on that day, lingering before the Lord; he had remained there in order to sanctify himself via contemplation and meditation. And his name was Doeg the Edomite, and he was the chief of Saul’s shepherds, in charge of the other herdsmen. At that time this was considered an honorable position with the status of an officer of the king. David must not have been happy with his presence. In any event, Doeg witnessed the unfolding events.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ וְאִין יֶשׁ פֹּה תַחַת יָדְךָ חֲנִית אוֹ חָרֶב כִּי גַם חַרְבִּי וְגַם כֵּלַי לֹא לָקַחְתִּי בְיָדִי כִּי הָיָה דְבַר הַמֶּלֶךְ נָחוּץ

David said to Ahimelekh: Is there here on hand with you a spear or sword? For neither my sword nor my weapons did I take with me, as the king’s matter was urgent. My mission was so pressing that I had to depart immediately without even taking weapons, but I do not want to be without means of defense.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַכֹּהֵן חֶרֶב גָּלְיָת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי אֲשֶׁר הִכִּיתָ בְּעֵמֶק הָאֵלָה הִנֵּה הִיא לוּטָה בַשִּׂמְלָה אַחֲרֵי הָאֵפוֹד אִם אֹתָהּ תִּקַּח לְךָ קָח כִּי אֵין אַחֶרֶת זוּלָתָהּ בָּזֶה וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֵין כָּמוֹהָ תְּנֶנָּה לִּי

The priest said: There is only the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you smote in the Valley of Ela; behold, it is wrapped in the cloth behind the ephod. If you will take it for you, take it, for there is no other weapon here except that one. There were no weapons in the Tabernacle; Goliath’s sword was located there in commemoration of the great event of Israel’s victory over the Philistines. David said: There is none like it; give it to me. Although Goliath’s sword was exceptionally large and was not comfortable for David to use, he saw symbolic significance in taking it.

וַיָּקָם דָּוִד וַיִּבְרַח בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא מִפְּנֵי שָׁאוּל וַיָּבֹא אֶל אָכִישׁ מֶלֶךְ גַּת

David, now armed with a huge sword, rose and fled from Saul on that day, and he came to Akhish king of Gat, one of the Philistine cities. David fled to a location that was most secure from Saul; however, he did not know how he would be welcomed by the Philistines.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ עַבְדֵי אָכִישׁ אֵלָיו הֲלוֹא זֶה דָוִד מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ הֲלוֹא לָזֶה יַעֲנוּ בַמְּחֹלוֹת לֵאמֹר הִכָּה שָׁאוּל בַּאֲלָפָיו וְדָוִד בְּרִבְבֹתָיו

The servants of Akhish said to him: Is this not David, king of the land, the mighty warrior of Israel? Is it not of this one that they proclaimed with dances, saying: Saul smote his thousands and David, his tens of thousands? (See 18:7)

וַיָּשֶׂם דָּוִד אֶת הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בִּלְבָבוֹ וַיִּרָא מְאֹד מִפְּנֵי אָכִישׁ מֶלֶךְ גַּת

David took these words to heart, and he feared greatly because of Akhish king of Gat. He had been recognized as the man who had fought successfully against the Philistines for years, and now he was alone and vulnerable in their midst. He could not simply explain to them the circumstances that led him to flee to Gat. The Philistines were suspicious of him and would continue to be suspicious of him whenever he had contact with them (see 29:4–5).

וַיְשַׁנּוֹ אֶת טַעְמוֹ בְּעֵינֵיהֶם וַיִּתְהֹלֵל בְּיָדָם וַיְתָיו עַל דַּלְתוֹת הַשַּׁעַר וַיּוֹרֶד רִירוֹ אֶל זְקָנוֹ

He changed his demeanor in their eyes, and he feigned madness while he was in their charge, and he marked, placed marks, on the doors of the gate, and he let his spittle run down onto his beard.

וַיֹּאמֶר אָכִישׁ אֶל עֲבָדָיו הִנֵּה תִרְאוּ אִישׁ מִשְׁתַּגֵּעַ לָמָּה תָּבִיאוּ אֹתוֹ אֵלָי

Akhish said to his servants: Behold, you see a man going mad; why, then, do you bring him to me?

חֲסַר מְשֻׁגָּעִים אָנִי כִּי הֲבֵאתֶם אֶת זֶה לְהִשְׁתַּגֵּעַ עָלָי הֲזֶה יָבוֹא אֶל בֵּיתִי

Am I lacking madmen that you have brought this one to go mad before me? Should this one come into my house? The Philistines did not detain David or harm him, and he was able to escape.