1 Samuel 22 18

1 Samuel 22:18 kjv

And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.

1 Samuel 22:18 nkjv

And the king said to Doeg, "You turn and kill the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck the priests, and killed on that day eighty-five men who wore a linen ephod.

1 Samuel 22:18 niv

The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests." So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod.

1 Samuel 22:18 esv

Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and strike the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod.

1 Samuel 22:18 nlt

Then the king said to Doeg, "You do it." So Doeg the Edomite turned on them and killed them that day, eighty-five priests in all, still wearing their priestly garments.

1 Samuel 22 verses

1 Samuel 22 18 Meaning

1 Samuel 22:18 records the brutal execution of eighty-five priests of Nob by Doeg the Edomite, at the direct command of King Saul. This heinous act signifies the extreme depths of Saul's paranoia, tyranny, and rebellion against God, as he indiscriminately slaughters those consecrated to the Lord based on a false accusation and Doeg's cruel eagerness. It stands as an profound desecration of sacred life and the holy office of priesthood.

1 Samuel 22 18 Context

1 Samuel chapter 22 highlights King Saul's descent into paranoia and spiritual darkness. After his outright rejection by God for disobedience (1 Sam 15), Saul became obsessed with David, whom he perceived as a threat to his kingship. Following David's brief encounter with Ahimelech, the priest in Nob (1 Sam 21), where Ahimelech unwittingly provided David with consecrated bread and Goliath's sword, Saul received a distorted account from Doeg the Edomite. Saul's irrational fear translated this assistance into an act of treason. In a fit of vengeful rage, he ordered his own servants to kill Ahimelech and all the priests of Nob. When Saul's loyal guard refused to obey, demonstrating a vestige of reverence for divine law, Doeg the Edomite, already known for his malice and cunning (Psa 52), willingly stepped forward to carry out the abhorrent command, culminating in the tragedy described in verse 18. This incident demonstrates Saul's complete disregard for God's laws, highlighting his tyranny and spiritual apostasy.

1 Samuel 22 18 Word analysis

• Then the king said to Doeg,: "The king" refers to Saul, emphasizing his direct, authoritative command. Saul's choice of Doeg, an outsider with a questionable reputation, reveals his moral bankruptcy and isolation from his own loyal Israelite servants who refused to comply.
• 'You turn and strike the priests.':
  • 'You turn' (וְסֹב - v'sov): An imperative indicating a specific and immediate redirection of action. It underscores Doeg's readiness and perhaps unique position (as he had initially informed on David) to execute the command after others refused.
  • 'strike' (וּפְגַע - u'fga'): From the Hebrew root paga', which can mean to meet, to assault, or to strike decisively. In this context, given the outcome, it unequivocally means to kill. This verb captures the ruthless and murderous intent.
• And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests,:
  • Doeg the Edomite (דֹּאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי - Do'egh ha'Ediy): His ethnicity is specifically noted. Edomites, descendants of Esau, were often hostile to Israel (Num 20:14-21), suggesting his willing complicity stemmed partly from national animosity and inherent wickedness, rather than coerced obedience.
  • struck down (וַיִּפְגַּע - vaiyipga'): The repeated verb affirms Doeg's full compliance and the deadly nature of the action. It's a swift, violent act.
  • the priests (הַכֹּהֲנִים - hak-kōhănîm): These were the legitimate priests serving at Nob, direct descendants of Aaron. Their sacred office made their murder an act of sacrilege against God and a direct assault on His appointed ministers (Lev 21:12; Num 35:33).
• and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod.
  • he killed (וַיָּמֶת - vayyāmet): Explicitly states the lethal outcome.
  • on that day (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא - bayyôm hahûʾ): Emphasizes the swiftness and immediacy of this horrific, unprecedented massacre.
  • eighty-five persons (שְׁמֹנִים וַחֲמִשָּׁה אִישׁ - sh'monim vakhamosha ish): A precise and substantial number, quantifying the enormity of the atrocity. This was a widespread, deliberate slaughter, not merely an isolated act.
  • who wore the linen ephod (נֹשֵׂא אֵפוֹד בָּד - nōsēʾ ēphōḏ bāḏ): The "linen ephod" was a distinctive priestly garment (Ex 28:4; 1 Sam 2:18), identifying these individuals unambiguously as those consecrated to serve the Lord. This detail emphasizes that the victims were identifiable servants of God, further magnifying the sacrilege and confirming the calculated nature of their murder.

1 Samuel 22 18 Bonus section

The extreme detail regarding the number "eighty-five persons" killed underscores the deliberate nature and shocking scale of the massacre. This level of specificity contrasts with more generalized biblical accounts, highlighting the precise, widespread nature of Saul's wrath and Doeg's compliance. The reluctance of Saul's Israelite guards to harm the priests, mentioned in the preceding verse (1 Sam 22:17), sharpens the moral contrast with Doeg's immediate and willing obedience to Saul's murderous command. This implies that Doeg, as an Edomite, held no reverence for Israel's God or His priests, or that his ambition far outweighed any moral constraint. The entire incident contributes to the biblical theme of innocent blood crying out for justice, a concept that reverberates through the Old and New Testaments.

1 Samuel 22 18 Commentary

1 Samuel 22:18 portrays a horrifying testament to Saul's complete spiritual and moral degradation. His unhinged rage against perceived threats led him to target God's own priests, a profoundly blasphemous act that even his personal guard found morally repugnant. The readiness of Doeg the Edomite, an enemy of Israel's God, to commit this sacrilege highlights his own depravity and serves as a chilling example of someone who thrives on malicious opportunism. The murder of eighty-five priests, clearly identified by their sacred "linen ephods," was not just political execution but an assault on the divinely established priesthood and, by extension, God Himself. This event foreshadows the total collapse of Saul's kingship and the transfer of divine favor to David. It stands as a stark biblical reminder that unchecked power combined with spiritual rebellion leads to immense evil and invites divine judgment.