וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד מִשָּׁם וַיִּמָּלֵט אֶל מְעָרַת עֲדֻלָּם וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶחָיו וְכָל בֵּית אָבִיו וַיֵּרְדוּ אֵלָיו שָׁמָּה

David understood that he could not remain among the Philistines, yet his life was in danger in Saul’s kingdom as well; he therefore fled and found a hiding spot. David went from there, and he escaped to the cave of Adulam.Adulam is in the southern part of the territory of David’s tribe, Judah, and one could survive in the large caves there. His brothers and all his father’s household heard, and they went down to him there. David’s family heard that despite his earlier stunning success, he was now a refugee fleeing from the king. Due to their kinship, and concern for their own safety, they came to David. Apparently, some remained with him on a permanent basis while others remained only temporarily.

וַיִּתְקַבְּצוּ אֵלָיו כָּל אִישׁ מָצוֹק וְכָל אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לוֹ נֹשֶׁא וְכָל אִישׁ מַר נֶפֶשׁ וַיְהִי עֲלֵיהֶם לְשָׂר וַיִּהְיוּ עִמּוֹ כְּאַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אִישׁ

Any man who was distressed, any man who had a creditor from whom he was fleeing, trying to evade the law, and any man who was embittered at home gathered to him; he became a leader over them. Since David had become a fugitive who was living outside the law, these people who had been shunned by the establishment accepted him as their leader. And there were some four hundred men with him. Over time, a large regiment of men gathered to him. These were not trained soldiers, but they were willing to fight, as they had nothing left to lose.

וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד מִשָּׁם מִצְפֵּה מוֹאָב וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב יֵצֵא נָא אָבִי וְאִמִּי אִתְּכֶם עַד אֲשֶׁר אֵדַע מַה יַּעֲשֶׂה לִּי אֱלֹהִים

David went from there to Mitzpe of Moav, a place in or close to Moav, and he said to the king of Moav: Please, let my father and my mother go with you until I know what God will do with me. David was concerned that Saul would exact vengeance on his parents, who were no longer young and were unable to remain with David as he fled from Saul, and so he asked the king of Moav to allow them to seek refuge in his land. He may have turned specifically to Moav because he and his family were descendants of Ruth the Moavite. According to the Sages, Ruth was a member of the royal family of Moav.

וַיַּנְחֵם אֶת פְּנֵי מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב וַיֵּשְׁבוּ עִמּוֹ כָּל יְמֵי הֱיוֹת דָּוִד בַּמְּצוּדָה

He led them before the king of Moav, and they stayed with him all the days that David was in the citadel, a fortified area from where he could defend himself against attack.

וַיֹּאמֶר גָּד הַנָּבִיא אֶל דָּוִד לֹא תֵשֵׁב בַּמְּצוּדָה לֵךְ וּבָאתָ לְּךָ אֶרֶץ יְהוּדָה וַיֵּלֶךְ דָּוִד וַיָּבֹא יַעַר חָרֶת

The prophet Gad said to David: Do not stay in the citadel in this foreign land, as though you were an enemy of Israel; go, come yourself to the land of Judah, and endure whatever might occur there. In Judah you will also have some degree of protection by the local population. Since this was a prophecy, David went, and he came to the forest of Heret, in the land of Judah.

וַיִּשְׁמַע שָׁאוּל כִּי נוֹדַע דָּוִד ואֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וְשָׁאוּל יוֹשֵׁב בַּגִּבְעָה תַּחַת הָאֶשֶׁל בָּרָמָה וַחֲנִיתוֹ בְיָדוֹ וְכָל עֲבָדָיו נִצָּבִים עָלָיו

Saul heard that David and the men who were with him had become known. Reports had spread that David refused to submit to the authority of Saul, and people had become aware that David was accompanied by a band of men. And Saul was sitting in Giva, Givat Shaul, under the tamarisk in Rama, an elevated spot in Giva, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him, as befitting a king.

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל לַעֲבָדָיו הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו שִׁמְעוּ נָא בְּנֵי יְמִינִי גַּם לְכֻלְּכֶם יִתֵּן בֶּן יִשַׁי שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים לְכֻלְּכֶם יָשִׂים שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת

Saul said with bitter sarcasm, to his close servants who stood around him, the majority of whom were from the tribe of Benjamin: Hear now, Benjamites: Will the son of Yishai give you all fields and vineyards when he ascends to the throne? Perhaps you hope that he will give all of you property. Will he appoint you all leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds?

כִּי קְשַׁרְתֶּם כֻּלְּכֶם עָלַי וְאֵין גֹּלֶה אֶת אָזְנִי בִּכְרָת בְּנִי עִם בֶּן יִשַׁי וְאֵין חֹלֶה מִכֶּם עָלַי וְגֹלֶה אֶת אָזְנִי כִּי הֵקִים בְּנִי אֶת עַבְדִּי עָלַי לְאֹרֵב כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה

For all of you have conspired to rebel against me. Even if you did not actually do so in practice, this was your true intention. And no one discloses it to my ear when my son Yehonatan makes a pact with the son of Yishai, and none of you are pained and distressed for me, or disclose to my ear that my son has established my servant as an ambush against me, waiting to depose me, as is clear like this day. You all support David, or at the very least you trust him, and it has now become clear that you are all insensitive to my situation. As part of Saul’s obsessive pursuit of David, the king suspected all of his men of turning against him. Of course, this feeling only increased upon his discovery that his beloved son had developed a relationship with David. Some of Saul’s close relatives and friends would certainly have been insulted upon hearing this claim. After all, there was no conspiracy against him from within the royal house, or among the tribe of Benjamin. His difficult situation stemmed solely from the problematic personal relationship between him and David.

וַיַּעַן דֹּאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי וְהוּא נִצָּב עַל עַבְדֵי שָׁאוּל וַיֹּאמַר רָאִיתִי אֶת בֶּן יִשַׁי בָּא נֹבֶה אֶל אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִטוּב

When Saul complained about his servants’ indifference to him, Doeg the Edomite, who was appointed over the servants of Saul, answered, and he said: I saw the son of Yishai come to Nov, to Ahimelekh son of Ahituv, the High Priest.

וַיִּשְׁאַל לוֹ בַּה' וְצֵידָה נָתַן לוֹ וְאֵת חֶרֶב גָּלְיָת הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי נָתַן לוֹ

He inquired of the Lord for him. It is uncertain whether David actually asked Ahimelekh to inquire of the Urim and the Tumim for guidance about his next steps. Doeg, who wished to placate his master, and was not particularly fond of David, may have reported the events inaccurately. And Ahimelekh gave him provisions, and he gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Doeg informed Saul that Ahimelekh was clearly a supporter of David.

וַיִּשְׁלַח הַמֶּלֶךְ לִקְרֹא אֶת אֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב הַכֹּהֵן וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִיו הַכֹּהֲנִים אֲשֶׁר בְּנֹב וַיָּבֹאוּ כֻלָּם אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ

The king sent to summon Ahimelekh son of Ahituv, the priest, and all his father’s household, the priests who were in Nov, and they all came to the king.

וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁאוּל שְׁמַע נָא בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב וַיֹּאמֶר הִנְנִי אֲדֹנִי

Saul said: Hear now, son of Ahituv. Once again Saul condescendingly refuses to call the priest by his first name, as was the case with David (verse 7). He said: Here I am, my lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו שָׁאוּל לָמָּה קְשַׁרְתֶּם עָלַי אַתָּה וּבֶן יִשָׁי בְּתִתְּךָ לוֹ לֶחֶם וְחֶרֶב וְשָׁאוֹל לוֹ בֵּאלֹהִים לָקוּם אֵלַי לְאֹרֵב כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה

Saul said to him: Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Yishai, in your giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, to rise against me as an ambush like this day?

וַיַּעַן אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמַר וּמִי בְכָל עֲבָדֶיךָ כְּדָוִד נֶאֱמָן וחֲתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ וְסָר אֶל מִשְׁמַעְתֶּךָ וְנִכְבָּד בְּבֵיתֶךָ

Ahimelekh answered the king, and he said: But why would I not do so? Who among all your servants is as loyal as David, and he is also the king’s son-in-law, responds to your authority and is honored in your household?

הַיּוֹם הַחִלֹּתִי לִשְׁאָל לוֹ בֵאלֹהִים חָלִילָה לִּי אַל יָשֵׂם הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּעַבְדּוֹ דָבָר בְּכָל בֵּית אָבִי כִּי לֹא יָדַע עַבְדְּךָ בְּכָל זֹאת דָּבָר קָטֹן אוֹ גָדוֹל

Did I begin today to inquire of God for him? Far be it from me. This is not the first time that I have done this. As he is the person closest to you, David frequently approaches me, and when he needs to inquire of the Urim and the Tumim to plan his next steps, I willingly do so on his behalf. Let the king not attribute anything of guilt to his servant, or to all the household of my father, as your servant knew nothing of all this, small or great. I was unaware of the strain in your relationship with David. How could you possibly accuse us of betrayal? The true nature of the tension between Saul and David was known only to a select group of the king’s closest servants, and Ahimelekh had acted innocently based on the available information. Nevertheless, this honest response did not placate the king. He simply did not believe the priest, and assumed that his reply was an evasion and further evidence of the conspiracy all around him.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ מוֹת תָּמוּת אֲחִימֶלֶךְ אַתָּה וְכָל בֵּית אָבִיךָ

The king said: You shall die, Ahimelekh, you and all your father’s household. You are rebels against the king, which is a capital offense.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לָרָצִים הַנִּצָּבִים עָלָיו סֹבּוּ וְהָמִיתוּ כֹּהֲנֵי ה' כִּי גַם יָדָם עִם דָּוִד וְכִי יָדְעוּ כִּי בֹרֵחַ הוּא וְלֹא גָלוּ אֶת אָזְנִי וְלֹא אָבוּ עַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ לִשְׁלֹחַ אֶת יָדָם לִפְגֹעַ בְּכֹהֲנֵי ה'

The king said to the Runners, the royal guards, who stood around him: Turn and put the priests of the Lord to death, for their hand is with David too, and because they knew that he was fleeing, and that he is rebelling against me, and did not disclose it to my ear. Even if they could not have detained him, they should have informed the king. No one had previously appraised Saul of these developments. However, although Ahimelekh and the other priests may have considered David’s requests somewhat unusual, they presumed that they concerned official matters to which they were not privy. But the king’s servants were unwilling to send forth their hand to smite the priests of the Lord. Although they were Saul’s servants and he had issued them a direct command, they refused to harm the holy priests. Apparently, even the king’s servants did not believe that the priests were involved in any sort of rebellion.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְדוֹאֵג סֹב אַתָּה וּפְגַע בַּכֹּהֲנִים וַיִּסֹּב דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי וַיִּפְגַּע הוּא בַּכֹּהֲנִים וַיָּמֶת בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא שְׁמֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אִישׁ נֹשֵׂא אֵפוֹד בָּד

The king said to Doeg: You, turn and smite the priests. Since you have proven your loyalty, it is fitting that you should kill them. Doeg the Edomite turned, and he smote the priests himself, as best he could, perhaps with the assistance of men who were loyal to him personally, and he put to death on that day eighty-five men who bore a linen ephod, all the males in the family of Ahimelekh.

וְאֵת נֹב עִיר הַכֹּהֲנִים הִכָּה לְפִי חֶרֶב מֵאִישׁ וְעַד אִשָּׁה מֵעוֹלֵל וְעַד יוֹנֵק וְשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר וָשֶׂה לְפִי חָרֶב

And Nov, the city of the priests, which was closely connected to Ahimelekh and his household, he, Doeg and his men, smote by the sword, both men and women, both infants and suckling babes, and oxen, donkeys, and sheep by the sword. They executed a slaughter that went far beyond the boundaries of the authority of the king of Israel.

וַיִּמָּלֵט בֵּן אֶחָד לַאֲחִימֶלֶךְ בֶּן אֲחִטוּב וּשְׁמוֹ אֶבְיָתָר וַיִּבְרַח אַחֲרֵי דָוִד

One son of Ahimelekh son of Ahituv escaped, and his name was Evyatar, and he fled to David, because he too was included in King Saul’s sentence of death.

וַיַּגֵּד אֶבְיָתָר לְדָוִד כִּי הָרַג שָׁאוּל אֵת כֹּהֲנֵי ה'

Evyatar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord.

וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד לְאֶבְיָתָר יָדַעְתִּי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי שָׁם דּוֹאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי כִּי הַגֵּד יַגִּיד לְשָׁאוּל אָנֹכִי סַבֹּתִי בְּכָל נֶפֶשׁ בֵּית אָבִיךָ

David said to Evyatar: I knew on that day that Doeg the Edomite was there, and I should have anticipated that, as one of the king’s servants, he would tell Saul. Through my carelessness I am responsible for all the lives of your father’s household.

שְׁבָה אִתִּי אַל תִּירָא כִּי אֲשֶׁר יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת נַפְשִׁי יְבַקֵּשׁ אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ כִּי מִשְׁמֶרֶת אַתָּה עִמָּדִי

Stay with me; do not fear, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. I consider anyone who seeks to kill you as though he is trying to take my own life; for you are in safekeeping with me. Your life is as precious to me as my own, and I will provide you with protection and full assistance.