I Shmuel 21: The Sword in the Sanctuary

David escapes from Shaul and runs to Nov, a city of priests. There, David asks Achimelech for bread and a weapon. Achimelech replies that the only bread available is the holy bread and that the only sword available is Goliath’s sword, which has been kept in the sanctuary. This interaction is difficult. Why did David run to Nov if he needed ordinary provisions and weapons? David must have known that a city of priests would be unlikely to have non-sacred bread readily available. He also would have been unlikely to find an ordinary weapon there, particularly in light of God’s command regarding the altar: “And if you make for Me an altar of stones, do not build it of hewn stones; for by wielding your sword upon them you have profaned them” (וְאִם־מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה־לִּי לֹא־תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ) (Exodus 20:22). Presumably, the problem mentioned in chapter 13, that the Philistines had outlawed weapon production in Israel, had already been resolved. Perhaps David went to Nov because he expected the priests to serve as neutral arbiters. As religious leaders, they might have offered him protection or at least a way to explain his sudden flight from the king. Yet this possibility is undermined by the fact that David lies to Achimelech about his mission. If David truly viewed Nov as a sanctuary where he could safely reveal what happened, why conceal the truth? Perhaps the request for the sword was precipitated by David seeing Doeg. The text introduces Doeg immediately before David asks for a weapon: “Now one of Saul’s officials was there that day, detained before the LORD; his name was Doeg the Edomite, Saul’s chief herdsman” (וְשָׁם אִישׁ מֵעַבְדֵי שָׁאוּל בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא נֶעְצָר לִפְנֵי ה׳ וּשְׁמוֹ דֹּאֵג הָאֲדֹמִי אַבִּיר הָרֹעִים אֲשֶׁר לְשָׁאוּל). “David said to Ahimelech, ‘Haven’t you got a spear or sword on hand? I didn’t take my sword or any of my weapons with me, because the king’s mission was urgent’” (וְעַתָּה יֵשׁ תַּחַת־יָדְךָ חֲנִית אוֹ־חָרֶב כִּי גַם־חַרְבִּי וְכֵלַי לֹא־לָקַחְתִּי בְיָדִי כִּי־הָיָה דְבַר־הַמֶּלֶךְ נָחוּץ) (verses 8–9). David may have been speaking calmly to Achimelech when he suddenly noticed Doeg. David may have remained outwardly composed; inside David may have been panicking. David quickly asks for a weapon so that David would not be defenseless if Doeg attempted to capture or kill him. In this reading, however, David’s conduct is deeply troubling. David should have realized that if Doeg returned to Shaul, Achimelech and the entire city of Nov would be placed in danger. Instead of quietly allowing Doeg to leave as a witness against the priests, David might have confronted Doeg immediately, even if that required violence. Perhaps, however, David’s original goal was never simply to obtain food. David may have gone to Nov specifically to retrieve Goliath’s sword. The request for bread would then have been a way to test Achimelech and create a justification for approaching the sacred objects. After receiving the bread, David could ask innocently whether any weapon was available, knowing that Goliath’s sword was the only suitable weapon in the sanctuary. Unfortunately, David does not notice Doeg until it is too late. Doeg has already seen David, and David’s attempt to obtain food and a weapon has unintentionally placed Achimelech and the entire priestly city in mortal danger. The scene therefore marks a painful change in David’s character. The hero who once trusted God’s protection against Goliath now survives through deception, and those around David suffer the consequences of David’s decisions