1 Samuel 22:15
in 1 Samuel 22Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Far be it from me! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of my father’s household, for your servant knew nothing of this whole affair—not in part or in whole.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Have I to-day begun to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knoweth nothing of all this, less or more.
KJV
Did I then begin to enquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 22
Commentary
7 notes on this verseDid I then begin to inquire of God for him?.... Was this the first time of inquiring of God for him? no; I have done this many a time, when he has been going upon the king's business, engaging in war with his enemies; he has then consulted the Lord by me, and I have inquired of the Lord for him, as I now did; and which I did as innocently, and as much for the king's service, as ever I did any.
This site's exposition
call Ahimelech the priest
on 1 Samuel 22:11-15
Saul summons Ahimelech and all his father's house from Nob and charges them by name with conspiracy for the bread, the sword, and the enquiry of God given to David. Ahimelech answers that David was, and so far as he knew still was, the most faithful of all Saul's servants, the king's own son in law who went at his bidding and was honourable in his house. He denies this was any new act of allegiance against Saul, for he had enquired of the Lord for David many times before on the king's own business, and knew nothing of a quarrel between them.
This site's exposition
the first time I inquired of God for him
Gill and Clarke read the question as a claim that such inquiries for David were routine on the king's business. Barnes reads it the other way. He hears a solemn denial that Ahimelech inquired for David at all, a duty the priest owed to Saul alone as king.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
For your servant did not know, etc. He responded to what he was accused of by Saul, having helped David, knowing that he was weaving deceit and traps for him, because he knew nothing of this business at that time. But Christian faith also denies …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
Could any man plead with more evidences of sincerity? Had he been tried by a jury of honest Israelites, he would certainly have been acquitted, for who can find any fault in him? Saul himself gives judgment against him (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Did I then begin ... - Some lay the stress upon the word “begin,” as though Ahimelech’s justification was that he had often before inquired of the Lord for David when employed on the king’s affairs. But it is much better to understand the words as Ahimelech’s solemn denial of having inquired of the Lord for David, a duty which he owed to Saul alone as king of Israel. The force of the word “begin” lies in this, that it would have been his first act of allegiance to David and defection from Saul.
Did I then begin to inquire of God - He probably means that his inquiring now for David was no new thing, having often done so before, and without ever being informed it was either wrong in itself, or displeasing to the king. Nor is it likely that Ahimelech knew of any disagreement between Saul and David. He knew him to be the king’s son-in-law, and he treated him as such.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
Who bows to your bidding. As in "And they turned [ וַיָסֻרוּ ] to him," 6 Bereishis:3. meaning that he is near to service you and to obey your orders. How then was I to know that he was not going on your mission?
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
25 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַיּ֧וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַחִלֹּ֛תִי | hachiloti | did I begin? | H2490 → | 143 times |
| לִשְׁאָל | leshaol- | to enquire | H7592 → | 171 times |
| ל֥וֹ | lo | for <the> him | ||
| בֵאלֹהִ֖ים | velohim | by God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| חָלִ֣ילָה | chalilah | far be it | H2486 → | 21 times |
| לִּ֑י | li | to <the> me | ||
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יָשֵׂם֩ | yasem | he put | H7760 → | 584 times |
| הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בְּעַבְדּ֤וֹ | beavdo | against servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| דָבָר֙ | davar | anything | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | against all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אָבִ֔י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כִּ֠י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יָדַ֤ע | yada' | he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֙ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| זֹ֔את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| דָּבָ֥ר | davar | anything | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| קָטֹ֖ן | katon | small | H6996 → | 101 times |
| א֥וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| גָדֽוֹל׃ | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
הַיּ֧וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
הַחִלֹּ֛תִיdid I begin?
hachilotiH2490 →143 times
לִשְׁאָלto enquire
leshaol-H7592 →171 times
ל֥וֹfor <the> him
lo
בֵאלֹהִ֖יםby God
velohimH430 →2601 times
חָלִ֣ילָהfar be it
chalilahH2486 →21 times
לִּ֑יto <the> me
li
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יָשֵׂם֩he put
yasemH7760 →584 times
הַמֶּ֨לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בְּעַבְדּ֤וֹagainst servant his
beavdoH5650 →799 times
דָבָר֙anything
davarH1697 →1440 times
בְּכָל־against all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
אָבִ֔יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
כִּ֠יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יָדַ֤עhe knew
yada'H3045 →945 times
עַבְדְּךָ֙servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
זֹ֔אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
דָּבָ֥רanything
davarH1697 →1440 times
קָטֹ֖ןsmall
katonH6996 →101 times
א֥וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
גָדֽוֹל׃great
gadolH1419 →526 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
2 Corinthians 1:12And this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in relation to you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God—not in worldly wisdom,…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God.
- 1 Corinthians 2:13
And this is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.
- James 3:13–18
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good conduct, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
- 1 Thessalonians 2:10
You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous, and blameless our conduct was among you who believed.
- 2 Corinthians 8:8
I am not making a demand, but I am testing the sincerity of your love in comparison to the earnestness of others.
- 2 Corinthians 2:17
Through
1 Samuel 25:36When Abigail returned to Nabal, there he was in the house, holding a feast fit for a king, in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until morning light.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 13:23
Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:7–8
For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.
- 2 Samuel 13:23
Through
2 Samuel 15:11Two hundred men from Jerusalem accompanied Absalom. They had been invited as guests and they went along innocently, for they knew nothing about the matter.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 9:13
As soon as you enter the city, you will find him before he goes up to the high place to eat. The people will not eat until he comes, because he must bless the…
- 1 Samuel 9:13
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Commentary on Samuel; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
