17 And the king said to the guards who were attending him, "Turn around and put the priests of the Lord to death , because their hand also is with David and because they knew that he was fleeing and did not reveal e it to me." But the servants of the king were not willing to put forth their hands to attack the priests of the Lord .

Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 22:17

Commentary on 1 Samuel 22:6-19

(Read 1 Samuel 22:6-19)

See the nature of jealous malice and its pitiful arts. Saul looks upon all about him as his enemies, because they do not just say as he says. In Ahimelech's answer to Saul we have the language of conscious innocence. But what wickedness will not the evil spirit hurry men to when he gets the dominion! Saul alleges that which was utterly false and unproved. But the most bloody tyrants have found instruments of their cruelty as barbarous as themselves. Doeg, having murdered the priests, went to the city, Nob, and put all to the sword there. Nothing so vile but those may do it, who have provoked God to give them up to their hearts' lusts. Yet this was the accomplishment of the threatenings against the house of Eli. Though Saul was unrighteous in doing this, yet God was righteous in permitting it. No word of God shall fall to the ground.