1 Samuel 22 21

1 Samuel 22:21 kjv

And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD's priests.

1 Samuel 22:21 nkjv

And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the LORD's priests.

1 Samuel 22:21 niv

He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.

1 Samuel 22:21 esv

And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD.

1 Samuel 22:21 nlt

When he told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD,

1 Samuel 22 verses

1 Samuel 22 21 Meaning

David expresses deep regret and takes personal responsibility for the massacre of the priests of Nob and their families. He acknowledges that he recognized Doeg the Edomite as a malicious individual on the day he sought aid from Ahimelech, and foresaw Doeg's intention to betray the priests to King Saul. Consequently, David confesses that his actions, or lack thereof, directly precipitated the slaughter of "all the persons of your father’s house" belonging to Abiathar's lineage. This verse marks David's profound lament and admission of culpability in a horrific tragedy, burdened by guilt over his failure to protect the innocent.

1 Samuel 22 21 Context

1 Samuel 22:21 is spoken by David to Abiathar, the sole surviving priest of the Nob massacre. Earlier, in 1 Samuel 21, David, fleeing from King Saul, visited the tabernacle at Nob and obtained holy bread and Goliath’s sword from Ahimelech the high priest, using a deceptive story. Present at the tabernacle that day was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman, who witnessed the encounter. When Saul discovered that Ahimelech and the priests of Nob had aided David, his paranoia and rage consumed him. Despite Ahimelech's protests of innocence and ignorance of David's true circumstances, Saul ordered the entire priestly line at Nob to be killed. When his own guards refused, Doeg, an Edomite (traditionally an enemy of Israel, descended from Esau), willingly executed Saul's command, slaughtering 85 priests and destroying the entire town of Nob, including women, children, and livestock. Abiathar, Ahimelech's son, managed to escape the carnage and fled to David in the wilderness, bringing the ephod (a priestly garment used for divine inquiry). Verse 21 occurs as David responds to Abiathar's terrifying account of the slaughter.

Historically, this event reflects Saul's extreme descent into tyranny and paranoia, contrasting sharply with David's initial integrity (though compromised by deception at Nob) and ultimate brokenness over sin. It signifies the complete rupture between Saul and God’s established order, particularly his contempt for God’s priests and sacred space. The slaughter of Nob fulfills part of the judgment pronounced against the house of Eli (Ahimelech's ancestor) due to the corruption of Eli’s sons (1 Sam 2:31-34, 1 Sam 3:12-14), yet it is carried out by the hands of a tyrannical king and a malevolent servant, prompted by David's unwitting deception.

1 Samuel 22 21 Word analysis

• And David said: Signals a direct address, marking a moment of personal revelation and profound admission.
• to Abiathar: The recipient is significant; Abiathar is the lone survivor, bringing the news of immense tragedy directly caused by events surrounding David. This makes David’s confession personal and immediate.
• I knew it that day: (Hebrew: Yada'tiy bay-yōm ha-hū' - יָדַעְתִּי בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא).
  • 'Yada'tiy' (יָדַעְתִּי): From the root yada' (to know, perceive, understand). It signifies a definite understanding or conviction, not merely a suspicion. David recognized Doeg's inherent wickedness and potential for treachery. This highlights the weight of his guilt, as he foresaw the danger.
  • 'bay-yōm ha-hū' (בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא): "on that very day," referring specifically to the encounter in 1 Samuel 21:7 where Doeg is first mentioned being detained before the Lord, indicating he was there and observed David and Ahimelech.
• when Doeg the Edomite: Doeg is specifically named and identified by his ethnicity.
  • Doeg: His name itself, possibly related to "fear" or "anxious." His actions perfectly align with a malicious and opportunistic character.
  • Edomite: Descendant of Esau, Jacob's brother. Edom was often an adversary of Israel (Num 20:14-21, Obadiah 1). This designation emphasizes his outsider status, loyalty to Saul over Israelite kinsmen, and capacity for ruthless brutality. He epitomizes the "ungodly" element serving Saul.
• was there: Confirms Doeg's presence as a witness to David’s interaction with Ahimelech.
• that he would surely tell Saul: (Hebrew: kî haghged yaggîd lə-Šā'ūl - כִּי הַגֵּד יַגִּיד לְשָׁאוּל).
  • 'haghged yaggîd': An infinitive absolute construct with an imperfect verb from nagad (to tell, report). This construction is a strong intensifier, conveying absolute certainty: "he would surely, indeed tell" or "he would certainly inform." David knew, without a doubt, Doeg’s intentions. This makes his inaction more grievous in his own eyes.
• I have occasioned the death: (Hebrew: 'ānōkhiy sabōthî - אָנֹכִי סַבֹּתִי).
  • 'ānōkhiy': The emphatic first-person singular pronoun "I," reinforcing David’s personal acceptance of responsibility.
  • 'sabōthî': From the verb sabab (to turn, to go about, to encompass, to surround, to cause to happen). Here, it carries the sense of "I caused," "I was responsible for," "I was the occasion of," or "I encompassed." David doesn't say he killed them, but that he set in motion the chain of events that inevitably led to their death. He understands his indirect culpability. This is a powerful confession of enabling a tragedy through his deceit and presence.
• of all the persons: Emphasizes the utter completeness of the massacre, not just some, but everyone, reinforcing the horrific scale of the tragedy.
• of your father’s house: Refers to the entire priestly family of Abiathar, a branch of the priestly line of Eli, descendants of Aaron. This signifies the wiping out of a prominent and ancient priestly lineage, a direct blow to the spiritual fabric of Israel and a shocking act of impiety.

1 Samuel 22 21 Bonus section

• This confession by David aligns with a common biblical theme that even those favored by God are not immune to making grave errors with severe consequences. David’s brokenness here is part of his training to be a shepherd-king who truly cares for his flock.
• The event at Nob, initiated by David's deception and concluded by Doeg's treachery and Saul's brutality, underscores the precariousness of life and the immense danger posed by an ungodly king in authority. It also ironically fulfills a part of the prophetic judgment against the house of Eli (1 Sam 2-3), though not through divine execution directly, but through the sin of man.
• David's willingness to confess responsibility, even when his culpability is indirect, demonstrates a higher spiritual character than Saul's. This capacity for repentance and accountability is a cornerstone of David’s kingship and contrasts sharply with Saul's persistent refusal to acknowledge his own sin (e.g., 1 Sam 13, 15). It shows what differentiates a "man after God's own heart" from a self-serving leader.

1 Samuel 22 21 Commentary

1 Samuel 22:21 encapsulates a moment of profound repentance and accountability in David's life. Rather than making excuses for his deception at Nob or blaming Doeg or Saul, David takes personal ownership for the ensuing catastrophe. His admission "I knew it" reveals a burden of guilt from a prior, conscious foresight of Doeg’s malignant character and the potential for betrayal. He admits that his seeking refuge and provisions from Ahimelech, albeit under duress, inadvertently provided the spark for Saul's horrific decree. David’s acknowledgment, "I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house," is not a declaration of direct murder but a sorrowful acceptance that his actions, even born of necessity and fear, set in motion the chain of events leading to the innocent priests' slaughter. This distinguishes David sharply from Saul, who persistently refused to admit his wrongdoing (e.g., 1 Sam 15). David's capacity for genuine sorrow and self-incrimination, despite being in a vulnerable fugitive state, foreshadows his future as "a man after God's own heart," characterized by repentance rather than self-justification. This episode would remain a scar on David's conscience, informing his later laments and reliance on God's protection. It underscores the destructive ripple effect of one's choices, particularly those made out of fear or desperation, impacting not just oneself but innocent others.