Rashi on Tanakh1 Samuel 21

And as for the youths, I have sent them ahead. An expression of troubling; the young men who came out with me, I have troubled them to go before me to a secret, hidden place.

I have troubled. Similar to, 'And with them he broke [וַידַׁע] the men of Succos.'¹ Shoftim 8:16.

Certain secret. [אַלְמֹנִי is derived from] 'אַלְמוֹן' [=widower], bereft of a name; for I do not want to mention it, because it is a secret matter.

Hidden. Similar to כִּי יִפָּלֵא [=will be concealed],²Devarim 17:8. will be hidden.

Or whatever there is. If there are not five,³Talmud Yerushalmi Succah 5:8 explains why Dovid asked for five loaves of bread. Dovid asked for bread from Achimelech who was a member of the family of kohanim that had just completed its service; and their share was five loaves of the showbread. give me whatever is in your possession.

From women. With difficulty, I give them to non-kohanim to eat, but it is impossible to give it to unclean people to eat.

Have been kept from us. Withheld from us.⁴They seem to have treated even ordinary food as if it were holy food as in above 20:26.

The garments of the youths were pure. [Literally 'holy'] pure.

Even though it is an ordinary mission. And the bread, once it has been removed from the table, and they have burned the spoonfuls [of frankincense], it is almost common, because it has been excluded from [the prohibition of] מְעִילָה as soon as it becomes permitted for the kohanim [to eat].⁵The phrase וְהוּא דֶרֶךְ הֹל can then be translated as ‘it has already been made non-sacred’ referring to the showbreads [not to the mission], that they had lost some of their sanctity once the frankincense had been burnt.

Even more so today it will remain sacred in the vessel. Even if today were the beginning of its sanctity on the table, I would be obliged to take it from there and feed ourselves, for a ravenous hunger has seized us, and our lives are in danger. Thus it is explained in [Maseches] Menachos.⁶

In order to put hot bread. Other warm bread on the day this was removed. Our Rabbis said, that it was warm on the day it was taken, i.e., it was as warm on the day it was removed as it was on the day it was arranged.⁷See Maseches Menachos 96a and Chagigah 26b which describes the miracle of the showbread; it retained its warmth and freshness after lying on the table more than a week. The preservation of warmth and freshness symbolized that ה׳ preserves the strength of the Bnei Yisroel and never allows it to fully dissipate.

Who remained before Adonoy. He tarried before the Tent of Meeting to engage in the study of Torah.

Chief of Shaul's shepherds. The head of the tribunal.

Perhaps you have in your possession. And if there is here.

Urgent. Hurried.

Wrapped. It was wrapped, and similarly, 'and he wrapped [וַיָלֶט] his face in his mantle.'⁸I Melachim 19:13.

Behind the eiphod. After having consulted the Urim and Tumim he said this [statement]. And so did Targum Yonoson render, 'after he had consulted the eiphod for him.'⁹I.e., אַחֲרֵי הָאֵפוֹד is not part of Achimelech’s reply to Dovid, rather it relates to the sequence of events. Only after asking the Urim and Tumim did Achimelech tell Dovid to take the sword.

Is this not Dovid, the king of the land. They said to Achish, "There was a stipulation between us: 'If he will be able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your slaves.'¹⁰Above 17:9. You have no choice but to get off your throne and let him become king of this land."

His behavior. His words.

And feigned madness. He acted insane.¹¹The Midrash relates that Dovid said to ה׳ that he understood all creation of ה׳ with the exception of madness, for which he saw no purpose. ה׳ then responded that He will demonstrate to him the value of madness and that Dovid will need it.¹²I.e., he wrote in a normal handwriting, irrational statements.

He scribbled. He wrote.¹³He wrote, ‘Ochish the King of Gas owes me one hundred thousand gold coins and his wife owes me fifty.’

His saliva. His saliva; anything which drips is called 'ריר' as in, 'in saliva [בְּרִיר] of health',¹⁴Iyov 6:6. and as in, '[whether] his flesh run [דָר]'.¹⁵Vayikra 15:3.

Should such [a person] come into my house. This is in the form of a question; it is [i.e., the 'ה'] therefore punctuated by a חֲטַף פַּתָּח and [the ז] is not punctuated by a דָגֵּשׁ.