1 Samuel 21

1 Then David came [to visit, to see] to Nob, to Ahimelech [the high priest, the spiritual leader] the priest. And when Ahimelech met [encountered, came face to face with] David, he trembled [was afraid, shaken with fear] and asked him, “Why are you alone [by yourself, without companions]? Why is no one [no man, no attendant] with you [accompanying you, in your company]?” word study 2 “The king [ruler, sovereign] has given me a mission [assignment, task],” David replied. “He told me no one [not a single person, anyone] is to know [be aware, informed] about the mission [business, charge] or [what it entails, its purpose] charge. And I have directed [appointed, commanded] my young men [servants, attendants] to meet me at a certain [specific, designated] place [location, spot]. word study 3 Now then, what do you have [at your disposal] on hand? Give me five loaves of bread [or whatever is available, present], or whatever can be found [present, at hand].” word study 4 “There is no common [ordinary, unhallowed] bread on hand,” the priest replied, “but there is some consecrated [holy, set apart] bread—provided that the young men have kept themselves [pure, clean] from women [physical intimacy, sexual relations].” word study 5 David answered [responded to the priest], “Women [females, wives] have indeed been kept from us [separated, abstained], as is usual [customary, a common practice] when I set out [go to war, embark on a mission]. And the equipment [vessels, arms] of the young men [youth, soldiers] is holy [set apart, consecrated], as it is even on common [ordinary, mundane] missions [journeys, military campaigns], and all the more [even more, to a greater extent] at this time [on this occasion, in this situation].” word study 6 So the priest [minister of God, spiritual leader] gave him the consecrated [set apart, holy] bread, since there was no bread there but the Bread of the Presence [showbread, sacred loaves], which had been removed [taken away, replaced] from before the LORD [the divine Presence, Yehovah] and replaced with hot [freshly baked, warm] bread on the day it was taken away [removed, set aside]. word study 7 Now one of Saul’s servants [a certain man, an attendant] was there that day, detained [kept back, set apart] before the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord of all] [in the Holy Place, before God’s presence]. And his name was Doeg [a man of Edom, an Edomite] the Edomite, the chief [best, most prominent] shepherd [herdsman, one who cares for the flock] for Saul [as his overseer, in his service]. word study 8 Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not [under your hand, in your possession] a spear [or any weapon] or sword [for battle, for defense] on hand here? For I have brought neither my sword [my personal weapon, my armor] nor my weapons [my instruments of war] with me, because the king’s [Shaul’s, the ruler’s] business [affair, matter] was [required haste, of great importance] urgent.” word study 9 The priest replied, “The sword [cutting instrument, knife] of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed [slew, put to death] in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod [sacred vest, ceremonial garment]. If you want [are willing, desire], you may take it. For there is no other [none like it, no alternative] but this one.” And David said, “There is none like it [no other sword comparable]; give it to me [hand it over, provide].” word study 10 That day [in the same moment, immediately] David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] fled [ran away, escaped] from Saul [the first king of Israel, who was seeking to kill him] and went [traveled, journeyed] to Achish [a king of the Philistines, ruler of Gath] king [ruler, sovereign] of Gath [a city in the land of the Philistines, a region of ancient Palestine]. word study 11 But the servants [officials, attendants] of Achish [a Philistine king] said to him, “Is this not David [the king of Israel, a man after God’s heart], the king [ruler, monarch] of the land [the territory, the nation]? Did they not sing [praise, extol] about him in their dances [songs, celebrations], saying: ‘Saul [Shaul, the first king of Israel] has slain [killed, defeated] his thousands [a large number, a multitude], and David [the future king] his tens of thousands’?” word study 12 Now David [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] took these words [and considered them deeply, laid them up in his heart] to heart and was very much afraid [sore afraid, exceedingly afraid] of Achish [a Philistine king] the king [a royal person, a ruler] of Gath [a city in the land of the Philistines]. word study 13 So he changed [altered, transformed] his behavior [conduct, actions] before them and feigned [pretended, simulated] madness [insanity, craziness] in their hands [presence, power]; he scratched [scribbled, scrabbled] on the doors [gates, entrances] of the gate [city entrance, town gate] and let his saliva [spittle, spit] run down [flow, fall] his beard [facial hair, chin]. word study 14 Then Achish [the king of Gath] said to his servants, “Look, you can see that the man [appearing to be] is insane [mad, beside himself]! Why have you brought him [to my presence, before me] to me? word study 15 Am I in need of [unbalanced, insane] madmen, that you have brought this man [to play the madman, act crazy] to rave [be mad, act insanely] in my presence? Must this man [fellow, individual] come into my [own, royal] house?” word study