Now it happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.
Parallel translations
- WEB When Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
- KJV And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
- BSB (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
- NASB Now it came about, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
- NLT Now when Abiathar son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, he brought the ephod with him.
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 comes to David at Keilah bringing the priestly ephod for seeking God's will.
Overview
The narrator notes that Abiathar arrived to David with an ephod, the priestly garment used to inquire of the LORD. This provision gives David a direct means of seeking divine guidance throughout his flight. The presence of the ephod underscores that God's guidance now rests with David rather than the rejected Saul.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 5
- 1 Sam 22:20One of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
- 1 Sam 14:36–37Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” They said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near here to God.”
- 1 Sam 14:3including Ahijah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the priest of Yahweh in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. The people didn’t know that Jonathan was gone.
- 1 Sam 14:18Saul said to Ahijah, “Bring God’s ark here.” For God’s ark was with the children of Israel at that time.
- Exod 28:30–31You shall put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before Yahweh: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel on his heart before Yahweh continually.
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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 23:6 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
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