1 Samuel 22:9
in 1 Samuel 22But 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
KJV
Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 22
Commentary
6 notes on this verseDoeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul - In 1Sa 21:7 he is said to be the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul, and the Septuagint intimate that he was over the mules of Saul. Probably he was what we call the king’s equery or groom.
This site's exposition
the son of Jesse coming to Nob
on 1 Samuel 22:9-10
Doeg the Edomite alone answers Saul's demand, reporting that he saw David at Nob with Ahimelech, who enquired of the Lord for him and gave him bread and the sword of Goliath. This is one of the enquired of the Lord beats that marks both books, and here Doeg turns a priest's ordinary office into evidence of treason. The title standing over Psalm 52 names Doeg as the occasion of that psalm, though this database stores psalm titles apart from the verses themselves and the link cannot be shown from the floor by query.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
Gregory of NyssaON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2.13.179-82 · Written before 395.
proposed
I am taught through these words that whenever understanding guides my life like it did the life of the great David, that this carries me through to the end of the victory.
The Medieval Church1 voice
But Doech the Edomite, replying, etc. Doech, as we said above, means agitated or anxious; Edomite, bloodthirsty; Nobe, barking; Ahimelech, my brother's kingdom; Ahitub, my brother is good in interpretation. Therefore, he will respond to the persecuting Jews who are agitated for shedding innocent blood, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
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 Saul had in his power, and would have thrown all the blame upon David, who was out of his reach.
Then answered Doeg the Edomite,....
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֜עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| דֹּאֵ֣ג | doeg | Doeg | H1673 → | 5 times |
| הָאֲדֹמִ֗י | haadomi | the Edomite | H130 → | 11 times |
| וְה֛וּא | vehu' | and he | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| נִצָּ֥ב | nitzav | [was] standing | H5324 → | 75 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עַבְדֵֽי־ | ʾavdei- | [the] servants of | H5650 → | 799 times |
| שָׁא֖וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| וַיֹּאמַ֑ר | vaiyomar | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| רָאִ֙יתִי֙ | raiti | I saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשַׁ֔י | yishai | Jesse | H3448 → | 42 times |
| בָּ֣א | ba' | coming | H935 → | 2568 times |
| נֹ֔בֶה | noeh | Nob towards | H5011 → | 6 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְ | ʾachimelekh | Ahimelech | H288 → | 16 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| אֲחִטֽוּב׃ | ʾachituv | Ahitub | H285 → | 15 times |
וַיַּ֜עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
דֹּאֵ֣גDoeg
doegH1673 →5 times
הָאֲדֹמִ֗יthe Edomite
haadomiH130 →11 times
וְה֛וּאand he
vehu'H1931 →1879 times
נִצָּ֥ב[was] standing
nitzavH5324 →75 times
עַל־with
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עַבְדֵֽי־[the] servants of
ʾavdei-H5650 →799 times
שָׁא֖וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
וַיֹּאמַ֑רand he said
vaiyomarH559 →5305 times
רָאִ֙יתִי֙I saw
raitiH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יִשַׁ֔יJesse
yishaiH3448 →42 times
בָּ֣אcoming
ba'H935 →2568 times
נֹ֔בֶהNob towards
noehH5011 →6 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲחִימֶ֖לֶךְAhimelech
ʾachimelekhH288 →16 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
אֲחִטֽוּב׃Ahitub
ʾachituvH285 →15 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
Proverbs 19:5A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who utters lies will not escape.
it leads to
- Proverbs 21:28
A lying witness will perish, but the man who listens to truth will speak forever.
- Exodus 23:1
“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
- Proverbs 6:19
a false witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up discord among brothers.
- Proverbs 19:9
A false witness will not go unpunished, and one who pours out lies will perish.
- Proverbs 21:28
Through
Ezekiel 22:9Among you are slanderous men bent on bloodshed; within you are those who eat on the mountain shrines and commit acts of indecency.
it leads to
- Hosea 4:14
I will not punish your daughters when they prostitute themselves, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery. For the men themselves go off with prostitutes and offer sacrifices with shrine prostitutes. So a people…
- Hosea 4:14
Through
1 Samuel 14:3including Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod. He was the son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli the priest of the LORD in Shiloh. But the troops did not…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I…
- 1 Samuel 22:20
But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
- 1 Samuel 4:21
And she named the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” because the ark of God had been captured and her father-in-law and her husband had been killed.
- 1 Samuel 2:28
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonEarly monarchyAhimelechPriest of Nob who gave the fugitive David the showbread and Goliath's sword, not knowing the king's quarrel; slain with eighty-fiv…
- PlaceBenjaminNobThe town of the priests near Jerusalem where David ate the showbread, the precedent Jesus cited, and which Saul put to the sword.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Gregory of Nyssa, ON THE INSCRIPTIONS OF THE PSALMS 2.13.179-82; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
