1 Samuel 21:1

Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

2 And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Then David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And when Ahimelech met David, he trembled and asked him, “Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?”
KJV
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
WEB
Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no man with you?”
ASV
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest: and Ahimelech came to meet David trembling, and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
DARBY
And David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest; and Ahimelech trembled at meeting David, and said to him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?
BLB
And David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest, and Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and he said to him, “Why [are] you alone, and no man [is] with you?”
ÅB
David kom til presten Akimelek i Nob, og Akimelek kom David forferdet i møte og sa til ham: Hvorfor er du alene og har ingen med deg?
OTB
David kom til Nob, hvor presten Ahimelek var. Ahimelek kom skjelvende for å møte David og spurte ham: "Hvorfor er du alene, uten noen som følger deg?"
B1930
David kom til presten Akimelek i Nob, og Akimelek kom David forferdet i møte og sa til ham: Hvorfor er du alene og har ingen med dig?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Nehemiah 11:32

    And at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

    Read in context
  • Mark 2:26

    How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 10:32

    As yet shall he remain at Nob that day: he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 14:3

    And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, I-chabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 16:4

    And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 22:9–19

    Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

    Read in context