25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

26 Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, SomeLev, 7.21. & thing hath befallen him, he is not 15. 5, &c. clean; surely he is not clean.

I ver. 6.

1 Or, Thou 4 Heb. Son

› perverse reb

perverse rebellion.

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem :

29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? | 31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him +Heb is the unto me, for he shall surely die. ra of death.

#ch. 19.5.

Matt 27. 23.
Lake 23.22.

I ch. 18. 11.

! ver. 7.

32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, "Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

35 And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

36 And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot Heb. to pass an arrow beyond him.

ver him.

+

37 And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

David obtaineth hallowed bread.

38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

B. C. about 1062.

40 And Jonathan gave his artillery + Heb. instruunto this lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 T And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

ments. + Heb. that was his.

Or, the LORD be witness of that which, &c. See ver.

42 And Jonathan said to David, Goz ch. 1. 17. in peace, I forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

CHAPTER XXI.

David at Nob obtaineth of Ahimelech hallowed bread.

7 Doeg was present. 8 David taketh Goliath's sword. 10 David fleeth to Gath. 13 He feigneth himself mad.

THEN came David to Nob to

23.

Ahiah. Called also Abiathur, Mark 2. 26.

a Ahimelech the priest and a ch. 14. 3, Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with bch. 16. 4. thee?

2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present. † Heb. found. 4 And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under mine hand, but there is hallowed bread; if the young men have kept themselves at least from women.

16 And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father's house.

17 And the king said unto the Or, guard. 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.

- See Ex. 1.

17.

m

18 And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell See ch. 2. 31. upon the priests, and "slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

19° And 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.

20 And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

21 And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests.

22 And 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

Thold, the folds David, saying net

Josh. 15. 44. Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.

The treachery of the Keilites.

B. C.

4 Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered about 1062. him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.

5 So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants

of Keilah.

7 ¶ And it was told Saul that David about 1061. was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.

8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

9 And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, d Num. 27. 21. Bring hither the ephod.

10 Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.

11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.

12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee

ch. 30. 7.

e ch. 22. 19.

+ Heb. shut up.

25. 13.

up. 13 ¶ Then David and his men, 'which ch. 22. 2. & were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went Whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth.

14 David abode the wilder

ness in strong holds, in remained

h Josh. 15. 55. i Ps. 54. 3, 4.

in a mountain in the wilderness of Ps. 11. 1. Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

15 And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

16 T And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God. 17 And he said unto him, Fear not:

Saul pursueth David.

B. C. about 1061.

k ch. 24. 20.

1 ch. 18. 3. & 20. 16, 42.

2 Sam. 21. 7.

m See ch. 26. 1. Ps. 54, title.

+Heb. on the

right hand. Or, The wil derness.

n Ps. 54. 3.

+ Heb. foot shall be.

o Josh. 15. 55. ch. 25. 2.

rock.

18 And they two 'made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

19 ¶ Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

20 Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and "our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand.

21 And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion

on me.

22 Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his thaunt is, and who hath seen him there for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilely.

23 See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.

24 And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

25 Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: Or, from the wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.

He spareth Saul's life.

CHAPTER XXIV.

David in a cave at En-gedi eutteth off Saul's skirt, but spareth his life. & He sheweth thereby his innocency. 16 Saul, acknowledging his fault, taketh an oath of David, and departeth.

B. C. about 1061.

AND it came to pass, when Saul a ch. 23. 28.

was returned from following + Heb. after. the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of En-gedi.

2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats. 3 And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.

e

b Ps. 38. 12.

© Ps. 141. 6.

d Judg. 3. 24. e Ps. 57, title, & 142, title. f ch. 26. 8.

4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's Heb. the robe privily.

robe which was Sauls.

Prov. 16. 28, & 17. 9.

9 And David said to Saul, *Where- Ps. 141. 6. fore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?

10 Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the LORD'S anointed.

11 Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand: for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither 1 Ps. 7. S. & evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee;

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