1 Samuel 16-22
16:6-13
Even Samuel was prejudiced by outward appearance in the choice of a king (6) apparently supposing that height was of key importance. He is corrected with the words ‘...the Lord looks on the heart’.
16:14-23
The lengthy story of David and Saul’s relationship starts well, as David’s music proves to be the spiritual/psychological medicine that Saul needs when God sent a harmful spirit to torment him (14) so that …Saul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him. (23)
Verse 14 is consistent with other passages (eg. Jdg 9:23, 1 Sam 18:10, 1 Sam 19:9) confirming that though God himself never does evil, he sometimes uses evil agents to accomplish his purposes (such as the Babylonians conquering Israel, or sinners crucifying Christ). [Global Study Bible note on 16:14]
17:12-16
Verse 12 is surprising, given David’s role in the previous chapter. But the New Bible Commentary says: David now comes back into the story. Vs 12–19 explain how it happened that he was not with the Israelite army when Goliath first uttered his challenge, and why he came on the scene some forty days later. The author means us to understand that God overruled these events. David did not come as a warrior, it is evident. (Probably the events of ch. 17 took place before those of 16:21.)
17:22
David - back in his job as shepherd of his Father’s flock - is sent to get news from his sons who were in Israel’s army preparing for battle, taking various supplies for the brothers with him (17-18). He is evidently keen to see them and discover how battle preparations are going. Then verse 22 says that when David arrived on the scene he …left the things in charge of the keeper of the baggage and ran to the ranks and went and greeted his brothers. The same Hebrew word translated here in the ESV as ‘baggage’, is used in 10:22 when Saul hides among the baggage to avoid being proclaimed King. Although it’s quite a common OT word (kel-ee') its use in chapter 17 might signal the sharp contrast between Saul and David who left his baggage and ran to the ranks in his enthusiasm.
17:24-48
David’s faith and zeal for the honour of God is obvious. He is undeterred by his brother’s jealous rebuke (28-29) and affronted by this uncircumcised Philistine who had ...defied the armies of the living God (36). His bold declaration to Goliath in 45-47 is fired by a determination that …all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel… For the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hand.
18:6-16
After killing Goliath, David’s fame (6-7) soon becomes a threat to the insecure Saul. In 10-11 David’s music is evidently unable to quiet the torment of the harmful spirit that comes back to Saul and David has to avoid two assassination attempts by Saul (10-11).
Saul then makes David a commander so that he is exposed to being killed by the Philistines in battle, apparently regardless of Saul’s own conviction that …the Lord was with him (12) and with the result only of more military success for David.
18:17-27
The plot to kill David then turns more deceptive, as Saul aims to make David a prime target for the Philistines, as his Son-in-Law and an heir to the throne of Israel. It’s not clear whether Saul changed his mind about giving his oldest daughter Merab to David, or whether David declined because he was unable to afford the dowry, or bride-price, that was expected (23). The younger Daughter Michal then becomes the snare… that the hand of the Philistines may be against him. (21). A fuller treatment of the background to the passage can be seen here Saul’s indirect attempts to kill David 18:17-30.
18:28-30
Saul’s plans are frustrated by David’s continued military success, such that Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually (29).
19:1-7
The plans for David to be killed in battle having failed, Saul becomes openly hostile telling Jonathan and his servants that they should kill David for him (1). But Jonathan decides to try and change Saul’s mind and apparently succeeds (6).
19:8-17
But following more military success for David, the harmful spirit returns and this time fails to pacify Saul, who attempts to pin David to the wall with his spear as he is playing the lyre. David is too quick, however, and eludes Saul and makes his escape. Then Michal, David’s wife (and Saul’s daughter) conspires against her father by deception to assist David in escaping from his own house.
19:18-24
As we might expect in the circumstances in which David found himself, he goes to consult Samuel, which proves helpful in a very unexpected way, as Saul discovers where David is, and sends ‘messengers’ (the Hebrew word mal'āḵ can also mean representative or deputy) to capture him.
What happens to the messengers and later to Saul when they come to where Samuel is with his ‘company of prophets’ (20) brings their pursuit of David to a halt and co-opts them into an episode of apparently ecstatic prophesying which renders them useless for anything else. When Saul arrives he becomes subject to the same kind of visitation from the ‘Spirit of God’ (23) in a way which detains him all night, and robs him of his dignity (24).
20:1-34
At the start of the chapter, David is convinced that Saul is determined to kill him, but following Saul’s agreement with Jonathan about David’s loyalty in ch. 19, Jonathan isn’t yet convinced. He then becomes David’s agent within Saul’s court and learns (30-34) that Saul is indeed resolved that David must die. Jonathan incurs Saul’s wrath (30) as his advocacy for David indicates that he has accepted that David, rather than himself, will succeed Saul as King of Israel (saying, in effect, that his birth was pointless and shaming to his mother). In fact the previous dialogue between David and Jonathan in 13-17 does show that what Saul suspects is indeed the case; the covenant made between the houses (i.e. offspring) of David and Saul/Jonathan is designed to ensure the future of the latter ‘...when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.’ (15)
20:35-42
The somewhat elaborate plan of shooting arrows for Jonathan to signal to David whether his life was in danger shows how important it was for Jonathan to conceal his collaboration with David, but in the event the two meet in person (41-42) and affirm their covenant once more.
21:1-9
From this chapter until the death of Saul in chapter 31 we read about the struggles of David as a refugee. 1-6 is the account of the incident cited by Jesus in all three of the synoptic gospels (Matt 12:4; Mark 2:26; Luke 6:4) when he was disputing with the Pharisees about their legalistic approach to observing the Sabbath, having charged the disciples with what they saw as unlawful eating.
In this passage, Ahimelech, the priest in a place called Nob, shows David mercy by allowing him to eat the ceremonial ‘bread of the presence’, and in the next chapter we read that it cost Ahimelech his life and the lives of the other priests at Nob. This follows Saul’s discovery of David’s appearance at Nob, from Doeg the Edomite (the chief of Saul's herdsmen) who happens to be at Nob (7) when David arrives to seek the help of Ahimelech.
21:10-15
Having eaten, and then received the sword of Goliath from Ahimelech, David’s flight proceeds to Gath which was, ironically, the hometown of Goliath. He goes (possibly to seek employment as a mercenary soldier*) and what follows seems to contrast sharply with the courage and faith he showed when he confronted and killed Goliath in chapter 17. David’s reputation was known to the servants of the King of Gath (10-11) which apparently put David at risk, so he feigns madness in order to deter any hostility from Achish. We read that David …was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath (12).
*Expositor’s Bible Commentary, via BibleGateway.com
22:1-5
The ESV/GSB notes on 22:1-4 say: Adullam is halfway between Gath and Bethlehem… David’s family is in danger from Saul, so they join him. But because life in the wilderness would be too difficult for David’s aged parents, he takes them to Moab (where David’s great-grandmother Ruth had come from).
David’s special force of 400 men, including …everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him, doesn’t sound like the kind of military support anyone would choose. One commentary says: Such bands of malcontents and other social misfits were not uncommon in the ancient Near East (see Jdg 9:4 and 11:3). In any case, under David’s leadership it later expanded to 600 (see 23:13; 27:2; 30:9).
22:6-19
Saul’s pursuit of David intensifies, as Saul becomes more vengeful toward those he perceives as disloyal. Even in his own town of Gibeah he sees enemies and rants at his fellow Benjaminites (6-8) at which point, Doeg the Edomite (the chief of Saul’s herdsmen) who had been at Nob at the same time as David (21:7) tells Saul what he witnessed, which leads to Saul summoning Ahimelech, and eventually to the slaughter of the priests (11-19).
22:20-23
On learning about the killing of the priests, David takes responsibility for the security of Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech who had escaped …for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping (23).
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