John Gill's Exposition on 1 Samuel 22:19

A historical reference excerpt for this verse. Read it alongside the biblical text and other available sources.

Exposition of the Old and New Testament
John Gill (1697–1771) · 18th-century historical commentary
Source: BibleWord.ai's local reference edition of this named work.

And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, etc.] Either Doeg or Saul; who, as Josephus f460 says, sent men thither to slay all the inhabitants of it: both men and women, children and sucklings; not sparing sex nor age: and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword; Saul, who was so tender hearted and merciful in the case of the Amalekites, when his orders from the Lord were utterly to destroy them, (<091502>1 Samuel 15:2,3), that he spared their king, and the best of their cattle, (<091507>1 Samuel 15:7-9); yet now so cruel to a city of the priests, as to destroy all the inhabitants of it, and cattle in it; and yet this bloody affair of Saul’s is not taken notice of afterwards, only his slaughter of the Gibeonites, (<102101>2 Samuel 21:1); and Abarbinel is of opinion, that the inhabitants of this place were Gibeonites, who were hewers of wood, and drawers of water, to the house of the Lord here, (<060923>Joshua 9:23,27). Now Saul was the more severe this city, to deter others from joining with David, who, if they did, must expect the same treatment.

Read 1 Samuel 22:19 →Read the full chapter →Jamieson, Fausset & Brown →Barnes' Notes →Wesley's Explanatory Notes →Tyndale Open Study Notes →Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge →Keil & Delitzsch →

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