Saul kills the priests of Nob
Saul was desperately seeking David and reproahed his servants for not disclosing his whereabouts in the land
He was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree where court sections were held his royal spear in his hand
His servants were standing with him he said to those who stood by him hear now all you people of Benjamin
Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards and will he make you commanders of thousands or commanders of many
That you have conspired against me my own son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse of the tribe of Judah
None of you feel sorry for me or discloses to me my own son has stirred my servants against my agenda
Then Doeg the Edomite said I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob to Ahimelech the priest
He inquired of the Lord for him and gave him food and the sword of Goliath the Philistine that is deceased
Saul called Ahimelech and the priests to give him an account of what they had done
Ahimelech said yes I helped David is he not your loyal servant and son-in-law Saul did not trust the Lord and now trusted no one
Saul was enraged and said you and all your household shall die and he commanded his guard to kill them
But the servants of the king refused to strike the priests of the Lord and Saul turned to Doeg an outsider his command to defend
Then Doeg turned and struck down the priests who wore the ephod all eighty five men
The city of Nob he killed with the sword man woman child infant and all their animals he allowed Doeg to kill everything
But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub named Abiathar escaped the massacre and brought David the ephod
He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord and David said I knew on that day that Doeg would tell Saul
This day the true priesthood had moved from Saul to David and Abiathar remained with David until his death
But David felt grief for the destruction of Nob and all its people for he blamed himself
It was with satisfaction that Saul had Doeg to wipe out the entire city of Nob which was a part of his own kingdom
But did not follow the instructions and command of the Lord to annihilate the Amalekites with complete destruction