1 Samuel 22:1 kjv
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.
1 Samuel 22:1 nkjv
David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.
1 Samuel 22:1 niv
David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there.
1 Samuel 22:1 esv
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him.
1 Samuel 22:1 nlt
So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there.
1 Samuel 22 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Psa 57:1 | Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast. | David's prayer for refuge in a cave. |
| Psa 142:1-2 | I cried unto the LORD with my voice... I poured out my complaint before him; I shewed before him my trouble. | Prayer when he was in the cave. |
| 1 Sam 21:10 | And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. | Preceding flight from Saul to Gath. |
| 1 Sam 21:14-15 | And Achish said unto his servants... Have I need of mad men...? | David feigning madness to escape Gath. |
| 1 Sam 20:42 | And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD... | Jonathan's final warning, signaling David's exile. |
| Matt 8:20 | And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. | Parallel to Jesus' homeless state and need for refuge. |
| Heb 11:38 | (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. | Persecution of God's faithful, including cave dwelling. |
| Nah 1:7 | The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. | God as a stronghold/refuge. |
| Deut 33:27 | The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. | God provides ultimate refuge. |
| Psa 91:1-2 | He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. | God as ultimate shelter and fortress. |
| Isa 9:2 | The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. | Foreshadows Jesus gathering the outcast. |
| Luke 4:18 | The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor...to set at liberty them that are bruised. | Jesus' ministry attracting the distressed, like David. |
| Gen 38:1 | And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. | Early mention of Adullam, a significant location. |
| 1 Sam 23:13 | Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. | David's growing number of followers seeking refuge. |
| 2 Sam 5:17 | But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David went down into the hold. | David again taking refuge, now with followers. |
| 1 Sam 22:2 | And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him... | The "school" of Adullam and those who join David. |
| Psa 27:5 | For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. | God hiding David in times of trouble. |
| Psa 18:2 | The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower. | God as David's ultimate protector. |
| Isa 32:2 | And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. | A king (like David/Christ) as refuge for the weary. |
| Matt 12:46-50 | While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. | Jesus’ family identifying with Him in ministry, albeit with different contexts. |
| Ruth 1:16-17 | Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go... | Loyalty and commitment demonstrated by family. |
| Pro 18:10 | The name of the LORD is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. | God as a secure refuge. |
| John 15:20 | Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. | Persecution as a mark of true discipleship. |
1 Samuel 22 verses
1 Samuel 22 1 Meaning
David, fleeing King Saul's relentless persecution following the incident at Nob, sought refuge in the cave of Adullam. Upon learning of his vulnerable state, David’s biological brothers and all the extended members of his paternal household decisively joined him there. This act signifies their commitment to his divinely ordained future and their readiness to share in his suffering and separation from the established order.
1 Samuel 22 1 Context
Chapter 22 of 1 Samuel opens with David at his lowest point, truly an outcast. It directly follows his flight from King Saul (who repeatedly sought his life), his desperate, short-lived stay in Gath (where he feigned madness to escape the Philistine king Achish), and the tragic massacre of the priests of Nob and their families orchestrated by Saul due to their unwitting aid to David. David's previous support structures—Jonathan's loyalty and Saul's favor—had crumbled. He is a solitary fugitive. The verse sets the stage for the formation of David's loyal, albeit unconventional, following, laying the groundwork for his future kingdom, not from strength but from shared suffering and vulnerability. Historically, a cave provided crucial temporary shelter in the hilly terrain, a common hiding place for those avoiding capture. The family's move also underscores the escalating danger: anyone associated with David became an enemy of King Saul.
1 Samuel 22 1 Word analysis
- David: The anointed of the LORD, marked for kingship, now in flight. This highlights the paradox of God's chosen one being a refugee, emphasizing divine faithfulness even in adversity.
- therefore departed thence: Signifies a rapid, urgent, and desperate flight from the danger zones, specifically from the Philistine city of Gath, where he had nearly been captured, following his recent escape from King Saul’s immediate reach after the incident at Nob. It shows his forced displacement.
- escaped (מָלַט, malaṭ): The Hebrew word implies a narrow, close shave, emphasizing the immediate danger and God's hand in his deliverance. David was literally "slipped away" or "saved" from dire peril, highlighting divine protection even when human resources failed.
- to the cave Adullam (מְעָרַת עֲדֻלָּם, mə‘ārat ‘Ăḏullām):
- Cave: A natural stronghold, often used as refuge for outlaws and marginalized individuals. Symbolizes protection, but also isolation and hardship.
- Adullam: A historical city in the Shephelah (lowlands) of Judah, near the border with Philistia. Its geographic location made it a strategic but isolated hiding place, providing a degree of security from both Saul (further from his direct authority) and the Philistines (within Israelite territory but close enough to escape into Philistia if needed). It had earlier associations (Gen 38) and now becomes crucial to David's story.
- and when his brethren: Refers to David's direct siblings. Their decision to join him indicates strong familial bonds and a willingness to defy Saul, choosing loyalty to David. It suggests they perceived the severity of the situation and their own safety was compromised.
- and all his father's house: Encompasses his broader paternal relatives. This expands the scope of commitment and implies a collective move, demonstrating the extent to which Saul's persecution threatened not just David, but his entire clan. They severed ties with Bethlehem's conventional life to align with God's rejected anointed one.
- heard it: Information travelled. The "it" likely refers to David's precarious situation, his being on the run, and perhaps the massacre at Nob, which implicated all those connected to him.
- they went down thither to him: This "going down" could refer to a literal descent in elevation to the cave, but it also spiritually signifies a solidarity—choosing to descend into his shared plight rather than remaining in perceived safety under Saul's regime.
1 Samuel 22 1 Bonus section
The cave of Adullam is often viewed by scholars as "David's school," or "David's college," a crucial period for his leadership development. It's where he first consolidates a core group of followers who share his desperate circumstances, and it provides an isolated environment for reflection, prayer (leading to Psalms like Psa 57 and 142), and the refining of his leadership skills. This gathering of the "distressed," "in debt," and "discontented" (mentioned in the next verse) around David in his weakness foreshadows Christ gathering the marginalized and downtrodden, transforming unlikely individuals into instruments of God's purpose. It’s a powerful illustration that God builds His kingdom not always from places of strength and influence, but from humility, vulnerability, and radical commitment to His chosen one, regardless of current societal standing.
1 Samuel 22 1 Commentary
1 Samuel 22:1 marks a crucial turning point in David's journey. From a valiant warrior and respected servant of Saul, David becomes a complete outcast, finding refuge in a cave. This immediate and desperate escape underscores the intense persecution he faced and his complete reliance on God's provision for his very survival. The family's decision to join him in the cave of Adullam is highly significant. It represents a radical act of faith and loyalty, not just to David their kin, but implicitly to God's purpose for David as king. Their vulnerability under Saul's increasingly tyrannical rule forced them to cast their lot with God’s anointed, illustrating the cost of allegiance to a divinely chosen, yet currently suffering, leader. Adullam becomes not just a hiding place, but a foundational site where David’s "house"—both family and followers—begins to truly coalesce around him, forming the embryo of his future kingdom in a crucible of adversity.