1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel · Chapter 22

1 Samuel 22:20

1David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.2And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.3And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me.4And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.5And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth.6When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)7Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;8That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?9Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.10And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.11Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.12And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.13And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?14Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?15Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.16And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.17And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD: because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.18And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.19And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.20And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.21And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD’s priests.22And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.23Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
20And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.And one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
and he escapedוַיִּמָּלֵ֣טvai-yi-ma-LETH4422
to escape

מָלַט (ma.lat) 1) to slip away, escape, deliver, save, be delivered 1a)(Niphal) 1a1) to slip away 1a2) to escape 1a3) to be delivered 1b) (Piel) 1b1) to lay, let slip out (of eggs) 1b2) to let escape 1b3) to deliver, save (life) 1c) (Hiphil) 1c1) to give birth to 1c2) to deliver 1d) (Hithpael) 1d1) to slip forth, slip out, escape 1d2) to escape

a sonבֵּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

oneאֶחָ֗ד'e-CHADH0259
one

אֶחָד (e.chad) 1) one (number) 1a) one (number) 1b) each, every 1c) a certain 1d) an (indefinite article) 1e) only, once, once for all 1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one 1g) first 1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

of Ahimelechלַאֲחִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙la-'a-chi-ME-lekhH0288G
Ahijah

אֲחִיָּ֫הוּ (a.chiy.yah) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.3; son of: Ahitub (H0285); father of: Abiathar (H0054); also called Ahijah (KJV: Ahiah) at 1Sa.14.3,18; Another name of a.chi.me.lekh (אֲחִימֶ֫לֶךְ "Ahimelech" H0288G) § Ahiah or Ahijah = "brother of Jehovah (Yahu)" 1) grandson of Phinehas 2) scribe of Solomon 3) a prophet who predicted the revolt of the Northern tribes 4) father of Baasha, who usurped the Northern throne 5) grandson of Hezron (or mother of 1-4 above) 6) a Benjamite, son of Ehud 7) one of David's heroes 8) a Levite during David's time …

[the] son ofבֶּן־ben-H1121A
son: child

בֵּן (ben) : child/son

Ahitubאֲחִט֔וּב'a-chi-TUVH0285G
Ahitub

אֲחִיטוּב (a.chi.tuv) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.14.3; son of: Phinehas (H6372H); brother of: Ichabod (H0350); father of: Ahimelech (H0288) § Ahitub = "my brother is good (goodness)" 1) a grandson of Eli 2) the father of Zadok the priest

and name hisוּשְׁמ֖וֹu-she-MOH8034
name

שֵׁם (shem) 1) name 1a) name 1b) reputation, fame, glory 1c) the Name (as designation of God) 1d) memorial, monument Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

[was] Abiatharאֶבְיָתָ֑ר'ev-ya-TARH0054
Abiathar

אֶבְיָתָר (ev.ya.tar) A man living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Sa.22.20; son of: Ahimelech (H0288); father of: Ahimelech (H0288I), Jonathan (H3083I) Also named: Abiathar (Ἀβιαθάρ "Abiathar" G0008) § Abiathar = "my father is great" priest, son of Ahitub (Ahimelech), faithful to David, but later rebelled with Adonijah

and he fledוַיִּבְרַ֖חvai-yiv-RACHH1272
to flee

בָּרַח (ba.rach) 1) to go through, flee, run away, chase, drive away, put to flight, reach, shoot (extend), hurry away 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to go, pass through 1a2) to flee 1a3) to hasten, come quickly 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to pass through 1b2) to cause to flee, put to flight 1b3) to drive away

afterאַחֲרֵ֥י'a-cha-REIH0310A
after

אַחַר (a.char) 1) after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time) 1a) as an adverb 1a1) behind (of place) 1a2) afterwards (of time) 1b) as a preposition 1b1) behind, after (of place) 1b2) after (of time) 1b3) besides 1c) as a conjunction 1c) after that 1d) as a substantive 1d1) hinder part 1e) with other prepositions 1e1) from behind 1e2) from following after

Davidדָוִֽד׃da-VIDH1732
David

דָּוִד (da.vid) A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of United Monarchy, first mentioned at Rut.4.17; son of: Jesse (H3448) and Nahash (H5176I); brother of: Eliab (H0446I), Abinadab (H0041I), Shimeah (H8093), Zeruiah (H6870), Abigail (H0026H)(?), Nethanel (H5417H), Raddai (H7288), Ozem (H0684) and Elihu (H0453J); married to Michal (H4324), Abigail (H0026), Ahinoam (H0293H), Maacah (H4601I), Haggith (H2294), Abital (H0037), Eglah (H5698) and Bathsheba (H1339); …

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.