1 Samuel 21:8 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then David said to Ahimelech, "Then have you not here a spear or a sword at hand? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king 's business required haste."

NIV: David asked Ahimelek, "Don’t you have a spear or a sword here? I haven’t brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king’s mission was urgent."

NASB: David said to Ahimelech, 'Now is there no spear or sword on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s matter was urgent.'

CSB: David said to Ahimelech, "Do you have a spear or sword on hand? I didn’t even bring my sword or my weapons since the king’s mission was urgent."

NLT: David asked Ahimelech, 'Do you have a spear or sword? The king’s business was so urgent that I didn’t even have time to grab a weapon!'

KJV: And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.

NKJV: And David said to Ahimelech, “Is there not here on hand a spear or a sword? For I have brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.”

First Samuel 21:1–9 describes David's first stop when running for his life from King Saul. Arriving at the priestly city of Nob, David tells the chief priest he's on a secret mission and asks for supplies. The priest gives David holy bread and the sword of Goliath. Unfortunately, one of Saul's servants witnessed the conversation (1 Samuel 22:9–10). David then goes to Philistine city and acts like a madman when he realizes what a foolish choice he made (1 Samuel 21:10–15).

In 1 Samuel 21, David runs from King Saul to the city of Nob. There, he convinces the priest Ahimelech into providing bread and weapons for David and his non-existent soldiers. Ahimelech gives David holy bread and allows David to take the sword of Goliath kept in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 17:51). David flees to Gath to seek refuge with the Philistines. When the king's men recognize him, though, David pretends to be out of his mind to convince Achish that he isn't the champion of Israel, after all.

First 1 Samuel 21 sets David up as a paramilitary commander. Jonathan has admitted his father's murderous hatred of David. Jonathan and David part after confirming their covenant of friendship (1 Samuel 20). David runs to the priest Ahimelech and tricks him into providing food and a sword. David then recklessly seeks shelter from a Philistine king and only escapes by acting insane. Alone, David goes to a cave where he's quickly joined by his family and 400 men with their families. After hiding his parents away in Moab, David starts building his army (1 Samuel 22:1–5).

First Samuel introduces the key figures who led Israel after the era of the judges. The books of 1 and 2 Samuel were originally part of a single text, split in certain translations shortly before the birth of Christ. Some of the Bible’s most famous characters are depicted in this book. These including the prophet Samuel, Israel’s first king, Saul, her greatest king, David, and other famous names such as Goliath and Jonathan. By the end of this book, Saul has fallen; the book of 2 Samuel begins with David’s ascension to the throne.