Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 1 Samuel 22:19
And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
19. And Nob, &c.] In the madness of his self-willed fury Saul wreaked upon an innocent city in his own kingdom the vengeance he had failed to execute upon a guilty heathen nation at God’s command (1Sa 15:3). Thus the doom upon the house of Eli (1Sa 2:31) received a fresh fulfilment. So heavy a blow was inflicted upon the family of Ithamar, that when David organized the courses of the priests for the temple service only eight “chief men” could be found in it, against sixteen in the family of Eleazar (1Ch 24:4).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Both men and women … – The language employed in the case of the Amalekites 1Sa 15:3 and of Jericho Jos 6:21. Nothing could be more truculent than Sauls revenge.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 19. And Nob – smote he with the edge of the sword] This is one of the worst acts in the life of Saul; his malice was implacable, and his wrath was cruel, and there is no motive of justice or policy by which such a barbarous act can be justified.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He; either Saul, or Doeg, with the help of some others whom Saul appointed to that work. By this barbarous and bloody fact Saul thought to affright all his subjects from giving any countenance or assistance to David.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
19. Nob, the city of the priests,smote he with the edge of the swordThe barbarous atrocitiesperpetrated against this city seem to have been designed to terrifyall the subjects of Saul from affording either aid or an asylum toDavid. But they proved ruinous to Saul’s own interest, as theyalienated the priesthood and disgusted all good men in the kingdom.
1Sa22:20-23. ABIATHARESCAPES AND FLEESAFTER DAVID.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword,…. Either Doeg or Saul; who, as Josephus i 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, 1Sa 15:2, that he spared their king, and the best of their cattle, 1Sa 15:7; 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, 2Sa 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, Jos 9:23. Now Saul was the more severe this city, to deter others from joining with David, who, if they did, must expect the same treatment.
i Antiqu. l. 6. c. 12. sect. 6.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
But not content with even this revenge, Saul had the whole city of Nob destroyed, like a city that was laid under the ban (vid., Deu 13:13.). So completely did Saul identify his private revenge with the cause of Jehovah, that he avenged a supposed conspiracy against his own person as treason against Jehovah the God-king.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(19) Nob, the city of the priests, smote he.The vengeful king, not content with striking the men, the heads of the priestly houses, in his insane fury proceeded to treat the innocent city where they resided as a city under the ban cherem, as though it had been polluted with idolatry and wickedness, and therefore devoted to utter destruction. The only crime of Nob had been that its venerable chief citizen, Ahimelech the priest, had shown kindness to David, whom Saul hated with a fierce mad hate. In 2Sa. 21:1 we read of a scourge in the form of a famine afflicting Israel during three years. The cause of this God-sent calamity is told us in the Lords words: It was for Saul and his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites. Now, this slaughter of the Gibeonitesevidently a dark crimeis nowhere specially related in the Old Testament books. Was it not this awful sequel to the crime of Gibeah, where the hapless Ahimelech and his eighty-five priests were murdered, that was referred to in the above mentioned passagethe awful sequel when Saul smote Nob, the city of the priests, with the sword? In that terrible catastrophe, were not the Gibeonites, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the Tabernacle (see Jos. 9:21-27), slain? for we read how in the destruction of the ill fated city men, women and children, and all cattle perished. Only once before had so terrible a calamity befallen the sons of Aaron, and that was when the Philistines destroyed Shiloh. But they were enemies, and had been provoked by the people bringing the Ark to battle; and even then the women and children seem to have escaped. It was left to the anointed king of Israel, who had himself settled the priests at Nob and restored Jehovahs worship there, to perpetrate an act unparalleled in Jewish history for its barbarity.Dean Payne Smith.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
‘ And he smote Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.’
Doeg then followed this up by doing the equivalent of ‘devoting’ the city of the priests and all who were in it to destruction (although certainly not to YHWH). But it was not at YHWH’s command, nor of His will. It was rather an act of total barbarism. The writer wants us to see that Saul was doing to God’s holy priests and their possessions what he had refused to do to the Amalekites and their possessions (1 Samuel 15). His unbelief and sacrilege was being emphasised a hundredfold.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
1Sa 22:19 And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.
Ver. 19. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he. ] Josephus saith that he razed it, and burned it, and left the tabernacle of God, as much as lay in him, without a place, or priests to minister.
Both men and women, children and sucklings.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Nob: 1Sa 22:9, 1Sa 22:11, 1Sa 21:1, Neh 11:32, Isa 10:32
men: 1Sa 15:3, 1Sa 15:9, Jos 6:17, Jos 6:21, Hos 10:14, Jam 2:13
with the edge: This is one of the worst acts of Saul’s life: his malice was implacable, and his wrath cruel; and there is no motive of justice or policy by which such a barbarous massacre can be justified.
Reciprocal: 1Sa 23:10 – destroy the city 2Sa 13:29 – servants Est 3:13 – both young Psa 26:9 – bloody men Psa 52:4 – devouring Psa 78:64 – priests Psa 141:7 – bones Pro 24:15 – Lay Pro 27:3 – but Ecc 7:15 – there is a just Jer 44:7 – child
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1Sa 22:19. Both men and women, children and sucklings In all the life of Saul there is no wickedness to be compared to this. He appears now to be wholly under the power of that evil spirit which had long tormented him. And this destruction could not but go to the heart of every pious Israelite, and make them wish a thousand times they had been content with the government of Samuel. Josephus, in relating this, reflects on the depravity of human nature, which, when it is in a private station, often strictly and willingly confines itself within the bounds of right and justice; but when it has gained an uncontrollable power, thinks it has a right to trample upon all laws, as well divine as human. We ought therefore to pray, as Justin Martyr says, that kings and rulers, together with a royal power, may be found having a sober mind. Or, as Le Clerc observes, we ought never to put such a power into any persons hands as to enable them to trample upon all laws and the common rights of mankind. Whether the Israelites assisted in the execution upon the inhabitants of Nob, does not appear; or whether it was performed by Doeg the Edomite, and the rest of Sauls hirelings. But it was sufficiently shameful to the Israelites that they did not even stand up to prevent such a cruel massacre.