Limitless Word
One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
1 Samuel 22:20 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
  • BSB But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
  • NKJV Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
  • NASB But one son of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled to David.
  • NLT Only Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, escaped and fled to David.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, escapes the massacre and flees to David.

Overview

One priest, Abiathar, survives the slaughter at Nob and flees for refuge to David. His escape preserves the line of Eli's priesthood and brings the ephod and priestly ministry into David's company. God's providence keeps a remnant of His priesthood alive even amid Saul's bloody purge.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • 1 Sam 23:6When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
  • 1 Sam 30:7David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
  • 1 Sam 2:33The man of yours, whom I don’t cut off from my altar, will consume your eyes and grieve your heart; and all the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age.
  • 1 Sam 23:9David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”
  • 1 Kgs 2:26–27To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields; for you are worthy of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you bore the Lord Yahweh’s ark before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all in which my father was afflicted.”
  • 1 Sam 4:12A man of Benjamin ran out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day, with his clothes torn, and with dirt on his head.
  • Job 1:19and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”
  • 2 Sam 20:25Sheva was scribe, and Zadok and Abiathar were priests,
  • Job 1:15–17and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (3)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 22:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 22:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.