PERSPECTIVES ON I SAMUEL 21

This chapter actually contains the first two episodes in David's life when he begins fleeing Saul's wrath. They are separate but also somewhat related, at least structurally. Here is how they may be diagrammed:

                                                            Organization of I Samuel 21

                A. David gets the sacred bread from Ahimelech

                                B. Doeg the Edomite is present.

                A'. David gets sword from Ahimelech

                                --------------------------------

                A''. David goes for shelter with King Achish of Gath

                                B'. Achish's servants recognize David's identity

                A'''. David is afraid of King Achish

David uses subterfuge in all four “A” sections in order to get help from others. However, Evans suggests that David may have had a noble motive in fibbing to Ahimelech in order to provide him with “plausible deniability” if he should be questioned by Saul. If so, that ploy was obviously unsuccessful, as subsequent event demonstrate.

And in both “B” sections there is someone present who recognizes David and informs to a superior regarding him. We see a reversal between the situations in A and A''' in that it is Ahimelech who is afraid of David (thus his “trembling” when David approaches him alone) whereas later it is David who is afraid of King Achish.

This chapter cannot truly be appreciated when treated in a vacuum since it not only echoes earlier biblical passages, it also serves as a foreshadowing of later episodes.

Starting with a backward look, note that the song “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands” first appears in 18:7 as part of a victory celebration in honor of a defeat of the Philistine forces. Thus, when King Achish's people repeat it to him in 21:11, David knows that he has been recognized as one of their historical enemies. No wonder David becomes afraid and has to resort to playing the madman in order to escape their wrath. The reason behind this action is due to the superstitious attitude many ancient peoples felt toward those “touched” in such a manner, so that they were often considered taboo.

To make things even worse, David has had the gall to march into the Philistine camp in Gath wearing the very sword he had used earlier to decapitate Goliath, the warrior from Gath. I am sure that would have really raised their ire if they had recognized it.

Going further back in the biblical accounts, there is significance in the request of David for some of the sacred bread to eat. Watts detects a double meaning to David's words concerning a “king” (God) who is sending him and “his men” (as the true king himself) on a “secret mission” (fleeing Saul). And the validity of such a request is also in question since Leviticus 24:5-9 states that only the priests could partake of that bread. Watts says, “The question then becomes not only what constitutes a legitimate exception [to the levitical law], but also whose interpretation is valid” since there was actually some leeway in understanding the OT law concerning non-priests eating the sacred bread.

This is a good place to start looking forward in time to Jesus' interaction with the Jewish authorities in Matthew 12:1-8 regarding his plucking and eating grain on the Sabbath along with his followers. Jesus replies by citing I Samuel 21:1-6 and making the argument that if David was allowed to do this, then how much more should He (the Son of David) have that right.

But the most immediate result arising from I Samuel 21 is that Doeg informs on David to Saul in 22:9 and then goes even further by volunteering to kill the priests in 22:18-19.

The foreshadowing present in Doeg's actions in I Samuel 21 also prepares us for the aftermath of the David and Bathsheba story in II Samuel, but with a twist. Whereas in I Samuel 21 it is an unscrupulous non-Israelite who does King Saul's dirty work by executing a number of innocent Jewish priests and their families, in II Samuel 12 it is an unscrupulous Israelite, Joab, who does King David's dirty work by luring the innocent Hittite Uriah to his death. It is a sad reversal, but may prepare us in a strange and subtle way for the later betrayal and killing of Jesus and accompanying persecution by the Jews of the early Christians while, in contrast, the Gentiles began to embrace Christianity.

Another echo of I Samuel 21 is seen in Uriah's absolute refusal to cohabit with his wife Bathsheba since he feels he is still on military duty. This harks back to David's earlier testimony to Ahimelech that his soldiers had abstained from any sexual relationships since they were on duty (which may or may not have been another lie on David's part).

Finally, there is even a closer parallel to the events in I Samuel 21 found in I Samuel 27 when David approaches King Achish for a second time. Unlike the previous occasion, David is accepted as an ally and serves over a year as Achish's vassal. However, true to form David again fools the king by lying about the nations he has attacked during this time period. At last, Achish's other allies again recite the old ditty about David killing his ten thousands, and David is forced to leave Achish's protection one more time.

I will close with an illustration of I Samuel 21 I created years ago. You can decide for yourself which episode in this chapter is being pictured: