11 Then the king sent someone to summon Ahimelech the priest , the son of Ahitub , and all his father's household , the priests who were in Nob ; and all of them came to the king . 12 Saul said , "Listen now , son of Ahitub ." And he answered , "Here I am, my lord ." 13 Saul then said to him, "Why have you and the son of Jesse conspired against me, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he would rise up against me by lying in ambush as it is this day ?" 14 Then Ahimelech answered the king and said , "And who among all your servants is as faithful as David , even the king's son-in-law , who is captain over your guard , and is honored in your house ? 15 "Did I just begin to inquire of God for him today ? Far be it from me! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any of the household of my father , for your servant knows nothing at all e of this whole affair ." 16 But the king said , "You shall surely die , Ahimelech , you and all your father's household !" 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 . 18 Then the king said to Doeg , "You turn around and attack the priests ." And Doeg the Edomite turned around and attacked the priests , and he killed that day eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod . 19 And he struck Nob the city of the priests with the edge of the sword , both men and women , children and infants ; also oxen , donkeys , and sheep he struck with the edge of the sword .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Samuel 22:11-19
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.