English Standard Version
1 Samuel 21:1
1Then 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?"
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?”
- 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?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)David went to the town of Nob to see Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he saw him. “Why are you alone?” he asked. “Why is no one with you?”
Context of 1 Samuel 21:1
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?" 2And David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, 'Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.' I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here."
Read all of 1 Samuel 211 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 Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.
- Nehemiah 11:32Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,
- Isaiah 10:32This very day he will halt at Nob; he will shake his fist at the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.
- 1 Samuel 14:3including Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, the priest of the Lord in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people did not know that Jonathan had gone.
- 1 Samuel 22:9Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,
- Mark 2:26how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?"
- 1 Samuel 16:4Samuel did what the Lord commanded and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said, "Do you come peaceably?"
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
In the dictionaries
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries