The United Kingdom of Israel:
Saul, David & Solomon
Foreshadow Christ the King

Lesson 7 The Priest Ahimelech Helps David Flee from Saul
the First Book of Samuel 20:1—22:23

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for The United Kingdom of Israel
cross references in The United Kingdom of Israel
next lesson: David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness

This material coordinates with Lesson 7 on pages 43–49 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

“When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.”
—the Second Book of Samuel 7:12–13

welcome to our in-depth study of Saul, David & Solomon
We invite interested groups and individuals to check out the sample first lesson from this 28-lesson Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study. These online study pages link to our free lesson videos, as well as to a glossary and cross references in the biblical text. Other study aids include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King has been granted an imprimatur and may be purchased from our website shop. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the First Book of Samuel 18:1—19:24
In Lesson 6 David & Jonathan: Two Best Friends, David becomes fast friends with Saul’s son Jonathan, but Saul is jealous of David. An evil spirit overtakes Saul, who now fears David. Saul makes David a commander in his army, and David experiences great military success. As David’s reputation grows, so does Saul’s jealousy. Saul devises a plan in which he hopes to have David killed in battle. Saul promises David his daughter Merab as a wife if David continues to fight the nation’s enemies, but Saul later reneges. Saul suggests that David can marry his second daughter, Michal, if he brings Saul the foreskins of 100 Philistines killed in battle. David delivers twice that number, and the marriage to Michal takes place. Saul seeks to have David killed, but Jonathan warns David. Jonathan then speaks to Saul, who agrees not to harm David. More war breaks out, and David again is successful in battle. Saul again attempts to kill David, but David escapes with the help of Michal. David goes to Samuel at Ramah, and the two of them go to Naioth. Saul sends messengers to apprehend David, but the messengers are overcome by religious fervor and enthusiasm when they arrive at Naioth. More messengers react the same way. Finally Saul himself goes to Naioth, and he also is overcome by religious fervor.

map notes—Nob isn’t a Levitical city
Because Nob is a city of priests, it’s easy to mistake it as one of the 48 cities allotted to the Levites in lieu of other real estate in the land of Canaan. The book of Numbers 35:1–8 specifies that these cities are to be taken from the tribes receiving land. The Levites were dispersed in order to instruct all of the people regarding  law and worship. Levites also lived in places that weren’t designated as Levitical cities, and they appear to have been regarded as attached to the tribe with which they resided. Elkanah, the father of Samuel, undoubtedly is a Levite. You can read about the relevant lineage in the First Book of the Chronicles 6:16–28. In the First Book of Samuel 1:1, however, Elkanah is called an Ephraimite. This is similar to the way we might say that there are many Irish people who are Bostonians. Everyone understands that by this is meant people of Irish descent now living in Boston. Because Elkanah is identified as an Ephraimite, present-day readers often assume this means that he belongs to the half-tribe of Ephraim. This then would make his son Samuel an Ephraimite, but Samuel is eligible to offer sacrifices as a hereditary priest because he’s a Levite. Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 48 in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

why is the covenant between David & Jonathan significant? (28:56)
In the overview for this lesson, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps looks at the far-reaching implications of the First Book of Samuel 20:42, in which David and Jonathan make a permanent covenant before the LORD, binding their descendants together forever. Consider the effect of this covenant on Christians in terms of later salvation history. Are there any of your non-familial relationships that you feel strongly enough about that you’d be willing to enter into an agreement binding upon your descendants for all time? Consider why God might be willing to agree to such a commitment to humanity. What might possibly cement such a strong relationship?


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the Scripture ranges for the sets of questions in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. You can follow along as author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 7, “The Priest Ahimelech Helps David Flee from Saul,” on pages 43–49 in the study book.

Samuel’s protection of David is temporary
Although Samuel anointed David and was able to help him avoid capture when David came to him at Naioth at Ramah, Samuel’s ability to protect David from Saul appears to have run its course. The First Book of Samuel 20:1 records that David flees from Naioth in Ramah to consult with Jonathan.

pray with the Psalms—new moon festival
The new moon in the First Book of Samuel 20:5 celebrates a new month on the lunar calendar. This practice, which was religious in nature, first is mentioned in the book of Numbers 28:11–15. It’s significance for the descendants of Jacob is described in Psalm 81:1–4: “Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song, sound the timbrel, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob.” Prayed at Thursday Lauds (Week I), Psalm 81 is included as part of Lesson 10 Awake, My Soul! in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers.

Jonathan doesn’t trust his father
Although Jonathan expresses doubts about whether Saul really intends to have David killed, in the First Book of Samuel 20:11, Jonathan takes David out into a field to avoid being overheard so that they can discuss David’s perilous situation.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about David lying to the priest at Nob?
The picture of David that emerges from a close reading of the First and Second Books of Samuel can be somewhat shocking. Although we haven’t yet encountered David’s sin with Bathsheba, that’s one of the events in David’s life with which most readers already are familiar. David commonly is regarded as someone whose strong love for the LORD prevents him from committing other serious sins.

?  In the twenty-first chapter in the First Book of Samuel, what might be causing the priest Ahimelech to tremble when he meets David?
?  David clearly lies to Ahimelech about why he’s come to Nob. What is it that David tells Ahimelech?
?  Consider whether you think that Ahimelech believes David’s story.
?  What concern does Ahimelech express about giving David holy bread?
?  What do you think might be underlying the priest’s concern?
?  What does David tell Ahimelech that might have helped to ease the priest’s mind?
?  Consider whether David is telling the truth when he says that he and his men have kept themselves from women.
?  Do you think it makes any difference whether David is being truthful?
?  Why might David appear to go unpunished for lying to the priest about what he’s doing at Nob?

read the Catechism—do David’s ends justify his means?
Consider whether you think that David’s actions described in the biblical text on which this lesson is based present a valid argument in favor of the popular notion that the ends justify the means. If necessary, refer to paragraph 1754 in the Catechism of the Catholic Church to review Church-related teaching.

1754     The circumstances, including the consequences, are secondary elements of a moral act. They contribute to increasing or diminishing the moral goodness or evil of human acts (for example, the amount of a theft). They can also diminish or increase the agent’s responsibility (such as acting out of a fear of death). Circumstances of themselves cannot change the moral quality of acts themselves; they can make neither good nor right an action that is in itself evil.

pray with the Psalms—God brings forth bread
Psalm 104 praises God for bringing forth bread from the earth for the purpose of strengthening the heart of man. The twenty-first chapter in the First Book of Samuel  recounts David’s reliance on the priests at Nob to provide him with food, emphasizing that David’s help is coming from the LORD. This echoes the theme of Psalm 104:27, which honors God for the loving care he provides for his creatures, all of whom look to the LORD “to give them their food in due season.” Prayed at Sunday Vigils (Week II), Psalm 104 will be included as part of Lesson 15 Let Us Ring Out Our Joy to the LORD in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, which is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.

safety concerns: all in the family
In the First Book of Samuel 22:3–4, worried about what Saul might do to his family, David arranges for his parents to seek safety in Moab. To learn the full story about how David’s family is related to the Moabites, read the relatively short Book of Ruth. That David focuses so much on seeking safety for his parents and himself suggests an underlying emphasis on salvation, a word that means safety. In the First Book of Samuel 22:5, David is advised by the prophet Gad to leave Adullam and seek protection instead in the territory of Judah, the land of his ancestors.

in league: conspiring together
In the First Book of Samuel 22:7–8, Saul complains that none of his servants warned him that his son Jonathan had joined in league with David. Although Saul considers such an alliance to be an offense, it appears that Jonathan and David instead are acting defensively to protect David.

Saul is delusional …
In the First Book of Samuel 22:8 and 22:13, Saul expresses his belief that David is lying in wait to harm him. Nothing else in the biblical text suggests that this is the case, and Saul’s unfounded fears instead reinforce the idea that he’s becoming increasingly paranoid and irrational. This viewpoint is borne out when Saul orders the slaughter of an entire city of priests.

… & there’s a reason why
When Saul deliberately ignores instructions from the LORD, he opens the door to evil passions that previously had been held in check when he was behaving in a righteous manner. Derangement is the consequence of Saul’s disobedience, and his changing moods can be seen as convulsions of spirit brought about by the disorder of sin.

vengeance—you could look it up in our archives
When Saul has priests murdered in the twenty-second chapter of the First Book of Samuel, he oversteps his royal authority. In the book of Deuteronomy 32:35-36, God claims the right to vengeance. Learn more about “vengeance” by reading Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the First Book of Samuel 20:1—22:23.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing extra information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun that appears in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the First Book of Samuel 20:1—22:23 (NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on the biblical text in this lesson in the study book The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King.

O God, it’s impossible for us to understand
the details of your divine plan
for the salvation of humanity. 
Help us to trust in your goodness and wisdom
even when it appears that events 
are conspiring against the establishment of your kingdom.
We ask this in the name of your Son, Jesus, 
whose Crucifixion originally was viewed as his failure
but ultimately represents the ultimate victory over sin and death. Amen. 

Lesson 8 David Eludes Saul in the Wilderness—the First Book of Samuel 23:1—24:22
Lesson 6 David & Jonathan: Two Best Friends—the First Book of Samuel 18:1—19:24

you also may like our study of the Gospel According to John
The Gospel According to John: An Encounter with Grace & Truth, a 25-lesson Catholic Bible study with an imprimatur, examines the Fourth Gospel’s view of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, with special emphasis on the institution of the sacraments of the Church as the means by which Christians are purified and made holy. This recently revised study includes maps and additional commentary, and takes a closer look at the way in which Jesus relates to individual men and women. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King. Information about beginning a Turning to God’s Word Bible study can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I are available to answer questions. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). All Scripture links for the online study pages for The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King are to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) translation. The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. The few significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.