1 Samuel 23:6

6 1When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.

1 Samuel 23:6 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:6

And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled
to David to Keilah
Either when he was there, or near the place:

[that] he came down with an ephod in his hand;
not with a linen ephod on his back, which the priests in common wore, but the ephod with the Urim and Thummim in his hand, which was peculiar to the high priest; and his father the high priest being dead, it belonged to him, and therefore he took care to bring it with him; though the words may be literally rendered, "the ephod came down in his hand" F11, as it were by chance, and not with design; and so some Jewish interpreters F12 understand it, that in his fright and flight, among his garments and other things he took hold of to carry with him, and not minding well what he took, this happened to be, being so ordered by the providence of God; though the Targum renders it,

``the ephod he made to descend in his hand,''

or brought it in his hand; and so Kimchi and Abarbinel observe it may be interpreted, though they seem to incline to the other sense.


FOOTNOTES:

F11 (wdyb dry dwpa) "ephod descendit in manu sua", Pagninus, Montanus; "ephod descendebat in manu sua", Munsterus; so Tigurine version and Piscator.
F12 Kimchi & Ben Melech.

1 Samuel 23:6 In-Context

4 Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, "Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.
5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines and brought away their livestock and struck them with a great blow. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
6 When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech had fled to David to Keilah, he had come down with an ephod in his hand.
7 Now it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God has given him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars."
8 And Saul summoned all the people to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.

Cross References 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.