John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 5. And David answered the priest, and said unto him , etc.] In reply to the case of the young men his servants, and of himself too, who also was intended by the priest, though out of reverence to him not mentioned: of a truth women [have been] kept from us these three days since I came out ; reckoning either from the time he fled from Saul at Naioth, or from the time he left Jonathan, during which time both he and his men could have no converse with women, and receive no pollution by them; and this was the time which according to the law was required for the sanctifying of persons in this way, ( Exodus 19:15); and the vessels of the young men are holy ; their garments, as Kimchi, not being defiled with any ceremonial uncleanness, as by the touch of any unclean person: or what instruments soever they were provided with for their journey; or rather their bodies; (see 2 Corinthians 4:7 Thessalonians 4:4); and with respect to the priest’s saying that the bread he had was hallowed or sacred, and so not for common use, David replies, and [the bread] is in a manner common ; inasmuch as it was taken off of the shewbread table, and was now common to the priest and his family, though not to others, yet in case of necessity through hunger might be allowed to strangers: yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel ; even though it had been set but that day on the shewbread table, and so became holy to the Lord; and yet even in such a case and circumstances as David and his men were in, it might be taken from thence and eaten of; for, as Abendana observes, nothing stands in the way of preservation of life, but idolatry, adultery, and murder; everything else may be done for the sake of that but them: or as in the margin of our Bibles, “especially when there is this day other sanctified bread”; that is, since other bread is this day put upon the shewbread table, in the room of that which has been taken away, whereby it is become holy to the, Lord; then that which is removed may be eaten, and be allowed to us in our circumstances. It seems by this that this was the sabbath day; for on that day the removal of the shewbread loaves was made, ( Leviticus 24:8); and R. Isaiah says, that it was at the going out of the sabbath that David came there; and which still makes it a more appropriate case, as produced by our Lord to justify his disciples in plucking ears of corn on the sabbath day, ( Matthew 12:1-4).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - David, in distress, fled to the tabernacle of God. It is great comfor in a day of trouble, that we have a God to go to, to whom we may ope our cases, and from whom we may ask and expect direction. David tol Ahimelech a gross untruth. What shall we say to this? The Scriptur does not conceal it, and we dare not justify it; it was ill done, an proved of bad consequence; for it occasioned the death of the priest of the Lord. David thought upon it afterward with regret. David ha great faith and courage, yet both failed him; he fell thus foull through fear and cowardice, and owing to the weakness of his faith. Ha he trusted God aright, he would not have used such a sorry, sinfu shift for his own preservation. It is written, not for us to do the like, no, not in the greatest straits, but for our warning. David aske of Ahimelech bread and a sword. Ahimelech supposed they might eat the shew-bread. The Son of David taught from it, that mercy is to be preferred to sacrifice; that ritual observances must give way to mora duties. Doeg set his foot as far within the tabernacle as David did. We little know with what hearts people come to the house of God, nor what use they will make of pretended devotion. If many come in simplicity of heart to serve their God, others come to observe their teachers and to prove accusers. Only God and the event can distinguish between a Davi and a Doeg, when both are in the tabernacle. (1Sa 21:10-15)
Original Hebrew ויען6030 דוד1732 את853 הכהן3548 ויאמר559 לו כי3588 אם518 אשׁה802 עצרה6113 לנו כתמול8543 שׁלשׁם8032 בצאתי3318 ויהיו1961 כלי3627 הנערים5288 קדשׁ6944 והוא1931 דרך1870 חל2455 ואף637 כי3588 היום3117 יקדשׁ6942 בכלי׃3627
