Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword.
But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father’s house. Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”
Comment: Doeg was from Edom, which was another country on the south-east border of Israel. He had presumably no commitment to the God of the Jews. As a foreigner I suspect that he saw real personal advantages to doing what Saul wanted. So he killed 85 in the priestly line and all that were in the city of Nob, people and animals. But one escaped and fled to David. David accepted the blame for the slaughter of the priests and asked Abiathar to stay with his group. If Saul heard that one of the sons of Ahimelech had escaped he would certainly have been after him!
Prayer: You look at the heart behind the spoken words. Help me to walk in integrity, O God.
As I read it! 
Thank you Barry for your comments on this passage. Reading these words today makes one feel very sad that this had to happen. But I am sure that it still happens today, when people who desire to be seen as loyal to the cause of their leader will do much he same thing to “get into the leader’s good books” as it were. As you said, God looks on the heart, and we need to keep our hearts right with God. God bless you.
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