The Word Am I

The First Book of Samuel

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- Chapter 21 -

(Matthew 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)
1
Then David went into Nob, to the priest Ahimelech. And Ahimelech was astonished that David had arrived. And he said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”(a)
2
And David said to the priest Ahimelech: “The king has instructed to me a word, and he said: ‘Let no one know the matter about which you have been sent by me, and what type of instructions I have given to you. For I have also summoned servants to one and another place.’
3
Now therefore, if you have anything at hand, even five loaves of bread, or whatever you may find, give it to me.”
4
And the priest, responding to David, said to him: “I have no common bread at hand, but only holy bread. Are the young men clean, especially from women?”(b)
5
And David responded to the priest, and said to him: “Indeed, as concerns being with women, we have abstained since yesterday and the day before, when we departed, and so the vessels of the young men have been holy. And although, this journey has been defiled, it will also be sanctified today as concerns the vessels.”(c) (d) (e)
6
Therefore, the priest gave to him sanctified bread. For there was no bread there, but only the bread of the Presence, which had been taken away from before the face of the Lord, so that fresh loaves might be set up.
7
Now a certain man among the servants of Saul was there on that day, inside the tabernacle of the Lord. And his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the most powerful among the shepherds of Saul.

David Flees to Gath

(Psalm 34:1–22; Psalm 56:1–13)
8
Then David said to Ahimelech: “Do you have, here at hand, a spear or a sword? For I did not take my own sword, or my own weapons with me. For the word of the king was urgent.”
9
And the priest said: “Behold, here is the sword of Goliath, the Philistine, whom you struck down in the Valley of Terebinth. It is wrapped up in a cloak behind the ephod. If you wish to take this, take it. For there is nothing else here except this.” And David said, “There is nothing else like this, so give it to me.”
10
And so, David rose up, and he fled on that day from the face of Saul. And he went to Achish, the king of Gath.
11
And the servants of Achish, when they had seen David, said to him: “Is this not David, the king of the land? Were they not singing about him, while dancing, saying, ‘Saul has struck down a thousand, and David ten thousand?’ ”
12
Then David took these words to his heart, and he became exceedingly afraid before the face of Achish, the king of Gath.
13
And he altered his mouth before them, and he slipped down between their hands. And he stumbled against the doors of the gate. And his spit flowed down his beard.
14
And Achish said to his servants: “You saw that the man is insane. Why did you bring him to me?
15
Or do we have need of those who are mad, so that you would bring in this one, to behave madly in my presence? How did this man get into my house?”

Footnotes

(a)21:1 Nobe:A city in the tribe of Benjamin, to which the tabernacle of the Lord had been translated from Silo.(Challoner)
(b)21:4 If the young men be clean, etc:If this cleanness was required of them that were to eat that bread, which was a figure of the bread of life which we receive in the blessed sacrament; how clean ought Christians to be when they approach to our tremendous mysteries. And what reason has the church of God to admit none to be her ministers to consecrate and daily receive this most pure sacrament, but such as devote themselves to a life of perpetual purity.(Challoner)
(c)21:5 The vessels:i. e., the bodies, have been holy, that is, have been kept from impurity.(Challoner)
(d)21:5 Is defiled:Is liable to expose us to dangers of uncleanness.(Challoner)
(e)21:5 Be sanctified, etc:That is, we shall take care, notwithstanding these dangerous circumstances, to keep our vessels holy, that is, to keep our bodies from every thing that may defile us.(Challoner)
(Matthew 12:1–8; Mark 2:23–28; Luke 6:1–5)
1
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?”
2
David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commanded me to do something, and has said to me, ‘Let no one know anything about the business about which I send you, and what I have commanded you. I have sent the young men to a certain place.’
3
Now therefore what is under your hand? Please give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever is available.”
4
The priest answered David, and said, “I have no common bread, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women.”
5
David answered the priest, and said to him, “Truly, women have been kept from us as usual these three days. When I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was only a common journey. How much more then today shall their vessels be holy?”
6
So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the show bread that was taken from before the LORD, to be replaced with hot bread in the day when it was taken away.
7
Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

David Flees to Gath

(Psalm 34:1–22; Psalm 56:1–13)
8
David said to Ahimelech, “Isn’t there here under your hand spear or sword? For I haven’t brought my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”
9
The priest said, “Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it, for there is no other except that here.” David said, “There is none like that. Give it to me.”
10
David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.
11
The servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David the king of the land? Didn’t they sing to one another about him in dances, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
12
David laid up these words in his heart, and was very afraid of Achish the king of Gath.
13
He changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands, and scribbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down on his beard.
14
Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why then have you brought him to me?
15
Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?”
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