HOW DAVID FLED TO AHIMELECH AND AFTERWARDS TO THE KINGS OF THE PHILISTINES AND OF THE MOABITES, AND HOW SAUL SLEW AHIMELECH AND HIS FAMILY, FJAJ 6.74
1. BUT David fled from the king, and that death he was in danger of
by him, and came to the city Nob, to Ahimelech the priest, who, when he
saw him coming all alone, and neither a friend nor a servant with him,
he wondered at it, and desired to learn of him the cause why there was
nobody with him
To which David answered, That the king had commanded him
to do a certain thing that was to be kept secret, to which, if he had a
mind to know so much, he had no occasion for any one to accompany him;
"however, I have ordered my servants to meet me at such and such a
place." So he desired him to let him have somewhat to eat; and that
in case he would supply him, be would act the part of a friend, and be
assisting to the business he was now about: and when he had obtained what
he desired, he also asked him whether he had any weapons with him, either
sword or spear
Now there was at Nob a servant of Saul, by birth a Syrian,
whose name was Doeg, one that kept the king's mules
The high priest said
that he had no such weapons; but, he added, "Here is the sword of
Goliath, which, when thou hadst slain the Philistine, thou didst dedicate
to God." FJAJ 6.75
2. When David had received the sword, he fled out of the country of
the Hebrews into that of the Philistines, over which Achish reigned; and
when the king's servants knew him, and he was made known to the king himself,
the servants informing him that he was that David who had killed many ten
thousands of the Philistines, David was afraid lest the king should put
him to death, and that he should experience that danger from him which
he had escaped from Saul; so he pretended to be distracted and mad, so
that his spittle ran out of his mouth; and he did other the like actions
before the king of Gath, which might make him believe that they proceeded
from such a distemper
Accordingly the king was very angry at his servants
that they had brought him a madman, and he gave orders that they should
eject David immediately [out of the city]. FJAJ 6.76
3. So when David had escaped in this manner out of Gath, he came to
the tribe of Judah, and abode in a cave by the city of Adullam
Then it
was that he sent to his brethren, and informed them where he was, who then
came to him with all their kindred, and as many others as were either in
want or in fear of king Saul, came and made a body together, and told him
they were ready to obey his orders; they were in all about four hundred.
Whereupon he took courage, now such a force and assistance was come to
him; so he removed thence and came to the king of the Moabites, and desired
him to entertain his parents in his country, while the issue of his affairs
were in such an uncertain condition
The king granted him this favor, and
paid great respect to David's parents all the time they were with him. FJAJ 6.77
4. As for himself, upon the prophet's commanding him to leave the desert,
and to go into the portion of the tribe of Judah, and abide there, he complied
therewith; and coming to the city Hareth, which was in that tribe, he remained
there
Now when Saul heard that David had been seen with a multitude about
him, he fell into no small disturbance and trouble; but as he knew that
David was a bold and courageous man, he suspected that somewhat extraordinary
would appear from him, and that openly also, which would make him weep
and put him into distress; so he called together to him his friends, and
his commanders, and the tribe from which he was himself derived, to the
hill where his palace was; and sitting upon a place called Aroura, his
courtiers that were in dignities, and the guards of his body, being with
him, he spake thus to them: - "You that are men of my own tribe, I
conclude that you remember the benefits that I have bestowed upon you,
and that I have made some of you owners of land, and made you commanders,
and bestowed posts of honor upon you, and set some of you over the common
people, and others over the soldiers; I ask you, therefore, whether you
expect greater and more donations from the son of Jesse? for I know that
you are all inclinable to him; (even my own son Jonathan himself is of
that opinion, and persuades you to be of the same); for I am not unacquainted
with the oaths and the covenants that are between him and David, and that
Jonathan is a counselor and an assistant to those that conspire against
me, and none of you are concerned about these things, but you keep silence
and watch, to see what will be the upshot of these things." When the
king had made this speech, not one of the rest of those that were present
made any answer; but Doeg the Syrian, who fed his mules, said, that he
saw David when he came to the city Nob to Ahimelech the high priest, and
that he learned future events by his prophesying; that he received food
from him, and the sword of Goliath, and was conducted by him with security
to such as he desired to go to. FJAJ 6.78
5. Saul therefore sent for the high priest, and for all his kindred;
and said to them, "What terrible or ungrateful tiring hast thou suffered
from me, that thou hast received the son of Jesse, and hast bestowed on
him both food and weapons, when he was contriving to get the kingdom? And
further, why didst thou deliver oracles to him concerning futurities? For
thou couldst not be unacquainted that he was fled away from me, and that
he hated my family." But the high priest did not betake himself to
deny what he had done, but confessed boldly that he had supplied him with
these things, not to gratify David, but Saul himself: and he said, "I
did not know that he was thy adversary, but a servant of thine, who was
very faithful to thee, and a captain over a thousand of thy soldiers, and,
what is more than these, thy son-in-law, and kinsman
Men do not choose
to confer such favors on their adversaries, but on those who are esteemed
to bear the highest good-will and respect to them
Nor is this the first
time that I prophesied for him, but I have done it often, and at other
times as well as now
And when he told me that he was sent by thee in great
haste to do somewhat, if I had furnished him with nothing that he desired
I should have thought that it was rather in contradiction to thee than
to him; wherefore do not thou entertain any ill opinion of me, nor do thou
have a suspicion of what I then thought an act of humanity, from what is
now told thee of David's attempts against thee, for I did then to him as
to thy friend and son-in-law, and captain of a thousand, and not as to
thine adversary." FJAJ 6.79
6. When the high priest had spoken thus, he did not persuade Saul, his
fear was so prevalent, that he could not give credit to an apology that
was very just
So he commanded his armed men that stood about him to kill
him, and all his kindred; but as they durst not touch the high priest,
but were more afraid of disobeying God than the king, he ordered Doeg the
Syrian to kill them
Accordingly, he took to his assistance such wicked
men as were like himself, and slew Ahimelech and all his family, who were
in all three hundred and eighty-five
Saul also sent to Nob, (21)
This city Nob was not a city allotted to the priests, nor had the prophets,
that we know of, any particular cities allotted them. It seems the tabernacle
was now at Nob, and probably a school of the prophets was here also. It
was full two days' journey on foot from Jerusalem, 1 Samuel 21:5. The number
of priests here slain in Josephus is three hundred and eighty-five, and
but eighty-five in our Hebrew copies; yet are they three hundred and five
in the Septuagint. I prefer Josephus's number, the Hebrew having, I suppose,
only dropped the hundreds, the other the tens. This city Nob seems to have
been the chief, or perhaps the only seat of the family of Ithamar, which
here perished, according to God's former terrible threatenings to Eli,
1 Samuel 2:27-36; 3:11-18. See ch. 14. sect. D, hereafter.
the city of the priests, and slew all that were there, without sparing
either women or children, or any other age, and burnt it; only there was
one son of Ahimelech, whose name was Abiathar, who escaped
However, these
things came to pass as God had foretold to Eli the high priest, when he
said that his posterity should be destroyed, on account of the transgression
of his two sons. FJAJ 6.80
7. (22)
This section contains an admirable reflection of Josephus concerning the
general wickedness of men in great authority, and the danger they are in
of rejecting that regard to justice and humanity, to Divine Providence
and the fear of God, which they either really had, or pretended to have,
while they were in a lower condition. It can never be too often perused
by kings and great men, nor by those who expect to obtain such elevated
dignities among mankind. See the like reflections of our Josephus, Antiq.
B. VII. ch. 1. sect. 5, at the end; and B. VIII. ch. 10. sect. 2, at the
beginning. They are to the like purport with one branch of Agur's prayer:
"One thing have I required of thee, deny it me not before I die: Give
me not riches, lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord
?" Proverbs 30:7-9.
Now this king Saul, by perpetrating so barbarous a crime, and murdering
the whole family of the high-priestly dignity, by having no pity of the
infants, nor reverence for the aged, and by overthrowing the city which
God had chosen for the property, and for the support of the priests and
prophets which were there, and had ordained as the only city allotted for
the education of such men, gives all to understand and consider the disposition
of men, that while they are private persons, and in a low condition, because
it is not in their power to indulge nature, nor to venture upon what they
wish for, they are equitable and moderate, and pursue nothing but what
is just, and bend their whole minds and labors that way; then it is that
they have this belief about God, that he is present to all the actions
of their lives, and that he does not only see the actions that are done,
but clearly knows those their thoughts also, whence those actions do arise.
But when once they are advanced into power and authority, then they put
off all such notions, and, as if they were no other than actors upon a
theater, they lay aside their disguised parts and manners, and take up
boldness, insolence, and a contempt of both human and Divine laws, and
this at a time when they especially stand in need of piety and righteousness,
because they are then most of all exposed to envy, and all they think,
and all they say, are in the view of all men; then it is that they become
so insolent in their actions, as though God saw them no longer, or were
afraid of them because of their power: and whatsoever it is that they either
are afraid of by the rumors they hear, or they hate by inclination, or
they love without reason, these seem to them to be authentic, and firm,
and true, and pleasing both to men and to God; but as to what will come
hereafter, they have not the least regard to it
They raise those to honor
indeed who have been at a great deal of pains for them, and after that
honor they envy them; and when they have brought them into high dignity,
they do not only deprive them of what they had obtained, but also, on that
very account, of their lives also, and that on wicked accusations, and
such as on account of their extravagant nature, are incredible
They also
punish men for their actions, not such as deserve condemnation, but from
calumnies and accusations without examination; and this extends not only
to such as deserve to be punished, but to as many as they are able to kill.
This reflection is openly confirmed to us from the example of Saul, the
son of Kish, who was the first king who reigned after our aristocracy and
government under the judges were over; and that by his slaughter of three
hundred priests and prophets, on occasion of his suspicion about Ahimelech,
and by the additional wickedness of the overthrow of their city, and this
is as he were endeavoring in some sort to render the temple [tabernacle]
destitute both of priests and prophets, which endeavor he showed by slaying
so many of them, and not suffering the very city belonging to .them to
remain, that so others might succeed them. FJAJ 6.81
8. But Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech, who alone could be saved out
of the family of priests slain by Saul, fled to David, and informed him
of the calamity that had befallen their family, and of the slaughter of
his father; who hereupon said, He was not unapprised of what would follow
with relation to them when he saw Doeg there; for he had then a suspicion
that the high priest would be falsely accused by him to the king, and he
blamed himself as having been the cause of this misfortune
But he desired
him to stay there, and abide with him, as in a place where he might be
better concealed than any where else. FJAJ 6.82