Matthew Henry

Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.

“Observe how God brought good to David out of Saul's project against him. Saul gave him his daughter to be a snare to him, but in this respect that marriage was a kindness to him, that his being Saul's son-in-law made his succeeding him much…”

Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.”

“But, as bad as Saul was, we can scarcely think so ill of him; and therefore we suppose that he spoke as he thought for the present, but the convictions soon wore off and his corruptions prevailed and triumphed over them. [2.]”

But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,

“Saul continues his malice against David. He that but the other day had sworn by his Maker that David should not be slain now endeavors to slay him himself.”

Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning.

“Josephus says the design was to seize him and to hurry him before a court of justice that was ordered to condemn him and put him to death as a traitor; but we are here told it was a shorter way they were to take…”

Then Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him and kill him in the morning.

“Often is the devil out-shot with his own bow. How Michal came to know the danger her husband was in does not appear; perhaps she had notice sent her from court, or rather was herself aware of the soldiers about the house, when they were…”

But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”

“It was base and barbarous thus to triumph over a sick man; and to vow the death of one who for aught that he knew was dying by the hand of nature.”

And Saul said to Michal, “Why did you deceive me like this? You sent my enemy away and he has escaped!”

“What a base spirit was Saul of, to expect that, because Michal was his daughter, she must therefore betray her own husband to him unjustly. Ought she not to forsake and forget her father and her father's house, to cleave to her husband?”

So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

“This was only amazing, but that sanctifying--this for a day, that for ever. Note, Many have great gifts and yet no grace, prophesy in Christ's name and yet are disowned by him, Matt. vii. Now the proverb recurs, Is Saul among the prophets?”

If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’

“They kept a day of thanksgiving in their family for the comforts they enjoyed, and of prayer for the continuance of them. By this it appears that the family David was of was a very religious family, a house that had a church in it.”

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”

“Note, True friends cannot but covet to transmit to theirs after them their mutual affections. Thy own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not.”

But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to…

“It is a bad thing for us, except in case of necessity, to omit an opportunity of statedly attending on God in solemn ordinances. Thomas lost a sight of Christ by being once absent from a meeting of the disciples.”

Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman!

“It will prove to our advantage at last, however for the present it may be thought a disparagement, and a prejudice to our secular interest.”

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingship shall be established.

“How necessary it is to put a hook in its nose and a bridle in its jaws! Jonathan was fully satisfied that evil was determined against David, which put him out of frame exceedingly: he rose from table, thinking it high time when his life…”

When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”

“): Is not the arrow beyond thee? That word [ beyond ] David knew the meaning of better than the lad.”

When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times.

“The separation of two such faithful friends was equally grievous to them both, but David's case was the more deplorable; for, when Jonathan was returning to his family and friends, David was leaving all his comforts, even those of God's sanctuary, and therefore his grief…”

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

“Ahimelech the priest is surprised to see him in so poor an equipage; having heard that he had fallen into disgrace at court, he looked shy upon him, as most are apt to do upon their friends when the world frowns upon them.”

Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”

“To enquire of the Lord there, and to beg direction from him in the way both of duty and safety, his case being difficult and dangerous. That this was his business appears ch. xxii.”

“The king has given me a mission,” David replied. “He told me no one is to know about the mission or charge.

“People should be free with their faithful ministers. David was a man of great faith and courage, and yet now both failed him, and he fell thus foully through fear and cowardice, and both owing to the weakness of his faith.”

Then David asked Ahimelech, “Is there not a spear or sword on hand here?

“There was not a sword to be found about the tabernacle but the sword of Goliath, which was laid up behind the ephod, as a monument of the glorious victory David obtained over him.”

The priest replied, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod.

“Note, What we devote to God's praise, and serve him with, is most likely to redound, one way or other, to our own comfort and benefit.”

From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab, where he said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother stay with you until I learn what God…

“It was at this time that David penned Psalm cxlii. , which is entitled, A prayer when David was in the cave; and there he complains that no man would know him and that refuge failed him, but hopes that shortly the righteous would compass…”

Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?

“That his son Jonathan stirred him up to do so, and was confederate with him in compassing and imagining the death of the king. This also was notoriously false.”

But Doeg the Edomite, who had stationed himself with Saul’s servants, answered: “I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech son of Ahitub at Nob.

“He ought to have told Saul further that David had made Ahimelech believe he was then going upon the king's business; so that what service he did to David, however it proved, was designed in honour to Saul, and this would have cleared Ahimelech, whom…”

And Saul asked him, “Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me?

“"His design" (says Saul) "was to rise up against me, and thou didst assist him with victuals and arms." See what bad constructions the most innocent actions are liable to, how unsafe those are that live under a tyrannical government, and what reason we have…”

But the king replied, “You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house!”

“What could be more unjust? I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there, Eccl. iii. (1.)”