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1 Samuel, 21

1. David then got up and left, and Jonathan went back to the town.

1. Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why [art] thou alone, and no man with thee?

2. David then went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came out trembling to meet David and said, 'Why are you alone? Why is nobody with you?'

2. And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed [my] servants to such and such a place.

3. David replied to Ahimelech the priest, 'The king has given me an order and said to me, "Do not let anyone know anything about the mission on which I am sending you, or about the order which I have given you." I have arranged to meet the guards at such and such a place.

3. Now therefore what is under thine hand? give [me] five [loaves of] bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

4. Meanwhile, if you have five loaves of bread to hand, give them to me, or whatever there is.'

4. And the priest answered David, and said, [There is] no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

5. The priest replied to David, 'I have no ordinary bread to hand; there are only consecrated loaves of permanent offering -- provided that the men have kept themselves from women?'

5. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women [have been] kept from us about these three days, since I came out, and the vessels of the young men are holy, and [the bread is] in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel.

6. David replied to the priest, 'Certainly, women have been forbidden to us, as always when I set off on a campaign. The men's things are clean. Though this is a profane journey, they are certainly clean today as far as their things are concerned.'

6. So the priest gave him hallowed [bread]: for there was no bread there but the shewbread, that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

7. The priest then gave him what had been consecrated, for the only bread there was the loaves of permanent offering, which is taken out of Yahweh's presence, to be replaced by warm bread on the day when it is removed.

7. Now a certain man of the servants of Saul [was] there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name [was] Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that [belonged] to Saul.

8. Now one of Saul's servants happened to be there that day, detained in Yahweh's presence; his name was Doeg the Edomite and he was the strongest of Saul's shepherds.

8. And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

9. David then said to Ahimelech, 'Have you no spear or sword here to hand? I did not bring either my sword or my weapons with me, because the king's business was urgent.'

9. And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it [is here] wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take [it]: for [there is] no other save that here. And David said, [There is] none like that; give it me.

10. The priest replied, 'The sword of Goliath the Philistine whom you killed in the Valley of the Terebinth is here, wrapped in a piece of clothing behind the ephod; if you care to take it, do so, for that is the only one here.' David said, 'There is nothing like that one; give it to me.'

10. And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

11. David journeyed on and that day fled out of Saul's reach, going to Achish king of Gath.

11. And the servants of Achish said unto him, [Is] not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?

12. Achish's servants said to him, 'Is not this David, the king of the country? Was it not of him that they sang as they danced: Saul has killed his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?'

12. And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

13. David pondered on these words and became very frightened of Achish king of Gath.

13. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

14. When their eyes were on him, he played the madman and, when they held him, he feigned lunacy. He drummed his feet on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.

14. Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore [then] have ye brought him to me?

15. Achish said to his servants, 'You can see that this man is mad. Why bring him to me?

15. Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this [fellow] to play the mad man in my presence? shall this [fellow] come into my house?

16. Have I not enough madmen, without your bringing me this one to weary me with his antics? Is he to join my household?'

16.



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Notas al pie:

21:1-2 - David seeks refuge in Nob with the priest Ahimelech and lies about being on a mission for the king. This passage highlights David's vulnerability as he flees from Saul and the difficulty of maintaining righteousness in times of great pressure (see also Psalm 34:19 and Proverbs 12:22).

21:3-6 - Ahimelech gives David the showbread, which was intended for the priests. This action demonstrates the flexibility of ceremonial laws in times of need, emphasizing compassion over ritualism (see also Matthew 12:3-4 and Mark 2:25-26).

21:8-9 - David asks for and receives Goliath's sword, which he had kept as a trophy. The sword symbolizes David's past victories and God's continued protection, even in times of uncertainty (see also 1 Samuel 17:50-51 and Psalm 18:32-34).

21:10-12 - David flees to Gath, a Philistine city, but is recognized as the killer of Goliath. This incident reveals David's desperation, seeking refuge even among Israel's enemies (see also 1 Samuel 18:7-9 and Psalm 56:1-2).

21:13-15 - David feigns madness to escape the wrath of Achish, the king of Gath. This cunning strategy demonstrates David's wisdom and survival instinct, which relies on cunning in times of danger (see also Psalm 34:4-6 and Luke 16:8).

Versos relacionados con 1 Samuel, 21:

1 Samuel chapter 21 recounts David's escape from Saul. How does David survive in desperate circumstances? This tense text recounts David's visit to the priest Ahimelech in Nob, where he obtains consecrated bread and Goliath's sword. The chapter highlights the conflict between loyalty and survival, showing David resorting to half-truths. It also introduces Doeg the Edomite, whose presence foreshadows future tragedies. Examine with us five biblical passages that illuminate the moral dilemmas and divine providence present in this crucial chapter.

Matthew 12:3-4: "He replied, 'Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the bread of the Presence, which they were not permitted to do, but only the priests.'" - Jesus directly refers to the event in 1 Samuel 21, where David eats the consecrated bread, to illustrate that human need sometimes overrides ceremonial regulations.

Mark 2:25-26: "He answered them, 'Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were needy and hungry? He entered the house of God, when Abiathar was high priest, ate the bread of the Presence, which only the priests were allowed to eat, and he also gave them to his companions.'" - Another reference to the event in 1 Samuel 21, used by Jesus to defend his disciples when they were accused of breaking the Sabbath.

Psalms 34:1: "From David. When he pretended to be mad before Abimelech, who cast him out, and he went away." - This title of Psalm 34 directly references the events of 1 Samuel 21, where David feigns madness before Achish (also called Abimelech).

Psalms 56:1: "To the music master. To the tune of 'The dove in distant oaks'. From David. Mictão. When the Philistines arrested him in Gath." - The title of this psalm also refers to the events of 1 Samuel 21, when David was in Gath.

Hebrews 9:2-4: "A tabernacle was prepared. In its first part, called the Holy Place, were the candelabrum, the table and the bread of the Presence. Behind the second curtain was the part called the Holy of Holies, which contained the golden altar for incense and the ark of the covenant, completely overlaid with gold. In this ark were the golden vessel containing the manna, Aaron's rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant." - This passage describes the bread of the Presence, which David ate in 1 Samuel 21, in the context of the tabernacle, highlighting its ceremonial importance.

FAQ:

What did David ask the priest Ahimelech?

David asked for bread and a weapon, claiming to be on a royal mission. The priest gave him the showbread and Goliath's sword. (1 Samuel 21:1-9)

Why did David flee to Gath?

He sought refuge among the Philistines, Israel's enemies, to escape Saul. (1 Samuel 21:10)

How did David escape from the king of Gath?

He pretended to be mad, because the Philistines did not kill people with mental disorders. (1 Samuel 21:12-15)

What do the showbread symbolize?

They represent God’s provision and the holiness of food dedicated to the Lord. (1 Samuel 21:6; Matthew 12:3-4)

How important was Goliath's sword to David?

It symbolized the victory God had already given him, reinforcing his confidence in divine protection. (1 Samuel 21:9)


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