David Flees from Saul

Saul spoke to Jonathan and his servants regarding the killing of David, prompting Jonathan to inform David of his father's intent. Jonathan interceded for David, and David returned to Saul's presence for a time. However, an evil spirit from the Lord came upon Saul while David played music, and Saul attempted to pin David to the wall with a spear (1 Samuel 19:9-10). David escaped to his house, where Michal his wife warned him that his life was in danger. Michal let David down through a window and placed an image in the bed with a pillow of goats' hair to deceive Saul’s messengers (1 Samuel 19:12-16). David fled to Samuel in Ramah, and when Saul sent messengers to seize him, the Spirit of God came upon them and they prophesied. Saul eventually traveled to Ramah himself and also prophesied, stripping off his clothes (1 Samuel 19:23-24).

David subsequently met Jonathan to determine Saul's ultimate intentions. They devised a signal involving the shooting of arrows to communicate whether it was safe for David to remain at court. During the feast of the New Moon, Saul became angry at David’s absence and cast a javelin at Jonathan. Jonathan informed David that the king determined to kill him, and the two men wept together before David departed (1 Samuel 20:33-42). David went to Nob to Ahimelech the priest, where he claimed to be on a secret mission from the king. The text does not say why he chose this specific explanation. He received the holy bread and the sword of Goliath before fleeing to Achish, the king of Gath. Fearing the servants of Achish, David changed his behavior and feigned madness, scrabbling on the doors of the gate (1 Samuel 21:12-13).

David escaped from Gath and went to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s house heard of it, they went down to him there. Additionally, everyone who was in distress, in debt, or discontented gathered to him, and he became captain over about four hundred men (1 Samuel 22:1-2). David then went to Mizpah of Moab to seek protection for his parents from the king of Moab. After receiving a word from the prophet Gad, David departed for the forest of Hereth. Meanwhile, Saul learned that David had been discovered and ordered the execution of the priests at Nob because Ahimelech had assisted David. Doeg the Edomite carried out the command, killing eighty-five persons (1 Samuel 22:18).