1 Samuel 21:8

And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
David	דָּוִד֙ da.Vid	H1732	David · proper noun, a man's name
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Ahimelech	לַאֲחִימֶ֔לֶךְ la.'a.chi.Me.lekh	H288	Achimelek · preposition + proper noun, a man's name
there	יֶשׁ yesh-	H3426	there is or are (or any other form of the verb to be · cardinal number, both genders singular absolute
not	וְאִ֛ין ve.'In	H371	is it not? · conjunction + interrogative particle
hand	יָדְךָ֖ ya.de.Kha	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine singular
spear	חֲנִ֣ית cha.Nit	H2595	a lance (for thrusting · noun, common feminine singular absolute
sword	חָ֑רֶב Cha.rev	H2719	drought · noun, common feminine singular absolute
brought	לָקַ֣חְתִּי la.Kach.ti	H3947	to take (in the widest variety of applications) · verb, qal perfect, 1st person common singular
sword	חַרְבִּ֤י char.Bi	H2719	drought · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix
weapons	כֵּלַי֙ ke.Lai	H3627	something prepared · noun, common masculine plural construct + pronominal suffix
me	בְיָדִ֔י ve.ya.Di	H3027	a hand (the open one (indicating power · preposition + noun, common both genders singular construct + pronominal suffix
king’s	הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ ha.Me.lekh	H4428	a king · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
business	דְבַר de.var-	H1697	a word · noun, common masculine singular construct
required	הָיָ֥ה ha.Yah	H1961	to exist · verb, qal perfect, 3rd person masculine singular
haste	נָחֽוּץ na.Chutz	H5169	to be urgent · verb, qal passive participle, masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 21:1-9

Here, I. David, in distress, flies in the tabernacle of God, now pitched at Nob, supposed to be a city in the tribe of Benjamin. Since Shiloh was forsaken, the tabernacle was often removed, though the ark still remained at Kirjath-jearim. Hither David came in his flight from Saul's fury (Sa1 21:1), and applied to Ahimelech the priest. Samuel the prophet could not protect him, Jonathan the prince could not. He therefore has recourse next to Ahimelech the priest. He foresees he must now be an exile, and therefore comes to the tabernacle, 1. To take an affecting leave of it, for he knows not when he shall see it again, and nothing will be more afflictive to him in his banishment than his distan…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 21:7

Doeg, an Edomite--who had embraced the Hebrew religion. detained before the Lord--at the tabernacle, perhaps, in the performance of a vow, or from its being the Sabbath, which rendered it unlawful for him to prosecute his journey. the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul--Eastern monarchs anciently had large possessions in flocks and herds; and the office of the chief shepherd was an important one.

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 21:7

Detained before the Lord - Probably fulfilling some vow to the Lord, and therefore for a time resident at the tabernacle. And his name was Doeg - From Sa1 22:9 we learn that this man betrayed David's secret to Saul, which caused him to destroy the city, and slay eighty-five priests. We learn from its title that the fifty-second Psalm was made on this occasion; but titles are not to be implicitly trusted.

John Gill on 1 Samuel 21:8

And David said unto Ahimelech,.... After he had given him some of the loaves of the shewbread: and is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? any weapon, meaning in the tabernacle, and in his keeping, and at his disposal; he knew the sword of Goliath was there, and perhaps had a principal view to it, and put this question in order to get that in his possession: for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me; neither his sword, nor any part of his armour, but was come quite naked and unarmed and, as he pretended: because the king's business required haste; still continuing his lie; whereas the true reason was, he was let down in haste by his wife through a window of his…

The Church Fathers

But David said to Ahimelech, "If you have a spear or a sword here at hand, etc." The Savior urges the apostles to train their listeners not only to learn but also to teach the word of life, by which He Himself can conquer the world, because He delayed sending preachers of the Gospel throughout the world, who would always fight for the Church against the aerial powers, instead of the angelic virtues through which the law was ordained in the hand of the Mediator. For the word of the king was pressing, that is, the enormity of human depravity, which preferred to reign by neglecting God, compelled that not angels, whose spiritual glory they could not see due to habitual carnal life, but mortal men alike to them should be sent to instruct them, who would proclaim to them to turn from vanity to the living God; who, if they had never sinned, would now rejoice in the familiar fellowship of angelic light.
— Bede, Commentary on Samuel

The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).

Dictionary and topics

Ahimelech — Brother of the king, the son of Ahitub and father of Abiathar (1 Sam. 22:20-23). He descended from Eli in the line of Ithamar. In 1 Chr. 18:16 he is called Abimelech, and is probably the same as…
Judges, Book of — Is so called because it contains the history of the deliverance and government of Israel by the men who bore the title of the “judges.” The book of Ruth originally formed part of this book, but about…
Arms, Military · Not worn in ordinary times — Not worn in ordinary times
Betrayal · Of David, by Doeg — Of David, by Doeg
Confidence · .Ahimelech, by David — .Ahimelech, by David

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

1 Samuel 21:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 21:1-9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 21:7

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 21:7

John Gill on 1 Samuel 21:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

1 Samuel 21:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 21:1-9

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 21:7

Adam Clarke on 1 Samuel 21:7

John Gill on 1 Samuel 21:8

The Church Fathers

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 1 Samuel 21:1-9

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 1 Samuel 21:7

Rashi on 1 Samuel 21:8