Bible Commentaries
1 Samuel 22

Verses 1-23

1 Samuel 22:1-4 David Flees to Moab - David’s entire family was now in danger from King Saul, so he takes them out of the territory of Israel.

1 Samuel 22:1 David 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.

1 Samuel 22:2 And 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.

1 Samuel 22:2 Comments - How broken David must have been when David heard this horrible news, him being a man easily moved with emotion (See Psalms 52:0).

1 Samuel 22:3 And 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.

1 Samuel 22:3 Comments - Note that David's great grandmother was Ruth, who was from Moab (Ruth 1:4). So there must have been family ties that brought David to this nation of Moab.

Ruth 1:4, “And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.”

1 Samuel 22:7 Then 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;

1 Samuel 22:7 Comments - Samuel had warned Israel that their king would take from them fields and vineyards (1 Samuel 8:14). This is exactly what Saul did, giving it to his Benjamite relatives and friends in order to maintain their loyalty so that he could remain in power against opposition.

1 Samuel 8:14, “And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.”

1 Samuel 22:8 That 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?

1 Samuel 22:8 “to lie in wait” Comments - Saul was accusing David of preparing to kill him and get the kingdom (1 Samuel 24:9). Instead, David spared Saul’s life twice.

1 Samuel 24:9, “And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?”

1 Samuel 22:15 Did 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.

1 Samuel 22:15 “Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Be it far form me.” - Comments - Note that Doeg lied to Saul in 1 Samuel 22:10 by saying, “He inquired of the Lord.”

1 Samuel 22:17 And 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.

1 Samuel 22:17 “But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the Lord” Comments - Neither would Saul’s servants kill Jonathan in 1 Samuel 14:44-45

1 Samuel 14:44-45, “And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan. And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.”