1 Samuel 21:1

1 Samuel 21:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
• New International Version (NIV)David went to Nob, to Ahimelek the priest. Ahimelek trembled when he met him, and asked, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David, trembling, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one with you?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one is with you?”

Context of 1 Samuel 21:1

Then David went to Nob to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech came trembling [in fear] to meet David and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has commissioned me with a matter and has told me, ‘Let no one know anything about the matter for which I am sending you and with which I have commissioned you. I have directed the young men to a certain place.’ 3Now what [food] do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever can be found.”

1 Samuel 21:1 word by word

וַיָּבֹ֤א דָוִד֙ נֹ֔בֶה אֶל־אֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וַיֶּחֱרַ֨ד אֲחִימֶ֜לֶךְ לִקְרַ֣את דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מַדּ֤וּעַ אַתָּה֙ לְבַדֶּ֔ךָ וְאִ֖ישׁ אֵ֥ין אִתָּֽךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• to Nobנֹבnôb · NobH5011
• to Ahimelechאֲחִימֶ֫לֶךְ'ăchîymelek · AhimelechH288
• the priestכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• was afraidחָרַדchârad · to trembleH2729
• at the meetingקִרְאָהqir'âh · befallH7125
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• thou alone, and no manאִישׁ'îysh · man: anyoneH376

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 21:1

• 1 Samuel 22:19And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and infants; also he struck oxen and donkeys and sheep with the edge of the sword.
• Nehemiah 11:32at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
• Isaiah 10:32Yet today the Assyrian will halt at Nob [the city of priests]; He shakes his fist at the mountain of the Daughter of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
• 1 Samuel 14:3and Ahijah the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest at Shiloh, was wearing the ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
• 1 Samuel 22:9Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul’s servants, replied, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech [the priest] the son of Ahitub.
• Mark 2:26how he went into the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the sacred bread, which is not lawful for anyone but the priests to eat, and how he also gave it to the men who were with him?”
• 1 Samuel 16:4So Samuel did what the Lord said, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in peace?”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Then came David to Nob - There were two places of this name, one on this side, the second on the other side of Jordan; but it is generally supposed that Nob, near Gibeah of Benjamin, is the place here intended; it was about twelve miles from Jerusalem. Why art thou alone - Ahimelech probably knew nothing of the difference between Saul and David; and as he knew him to be the king's son-in-law, he wondered to see him come without any attendants.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Nob was a city of the priests, the high priest resided there, and the tabernacle was pitched there 1 Samuel 21:4, 1Samuel 21:6,1 Samuel 21:9; 1 Samuel 22:10. It was situated on the road from the north to Jerusalem, near Anathoth, and within sight of the holy city Isaiah 10:32; Nehemiah 11:32. But the site has not been identified with certainty.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1David with Ahimelech. (1-9) David at Gath feigns himself mad. (10-15) Verses 1-9 David, in distress, fled to the tabernacle of God. It is great comfort in a day of trouble, that we have a God to go to, to whom we may open our cases, and from whom we may ask and expect direction. David told Ahimelech a gross untruth. What shall we say to this? The Scripture does not conceal it, and we dare not justify it; it was ill done, and proved of bad consequence; for…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Nob was just north of Jerusalem, in southern Benjamin's territory. Ahimelech the priest was a descendant of the condemned family of Eli (1 Samuel 14:3; 22:9). The elders of Bethlehem were afraid when Samuel suddenly came to their city to anoint David as Saul’s replacement (1 Samuel 16:4). A similar fear appears here. In both situations, a well-known person who had problems with Saul arrived without warning. Both Ahimelech and the elders of Bethlehem…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-71Sa 21:1-7. David, at Nob, Obtains of Ahimelech Hallowed Bread. 1. Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech--Nob, a city of the priests (1Sa 22:19), was in the neighborhood of Jerusalem, on the Mount of Olives--a little north of the top, and on the northeast of the city. It is computed to have been about five miles distant from Gibeah. Ahimelech, the same as Ahiah, or perhaps his brother, both being sons of Ahitub (compare 1Sa 14:3, with 1Sa 22:4-11, 20). His…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 21:1

• Betrayal
• Confidence
• David
• Nob
• Tabernacle

In the dictionaries

• David
• Ahimelech
• Bread
• Judges, Book of
• Manner
• Mizpah
• Nob
• Quotations
• Require
• Shewbread

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary