1 Samuel 22 · Verse 20

1 Samuel 22:20

And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
1 Samuel 22:20, King James Version

1 Samuel 22:20 in other translations

BSBBut one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub escaped. His name was Abiathar, and he fled to David.
WEBOne of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.
ASVAnd one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
YLTAnd there escapeth one son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, and his name is Abiathar, and he fleeth after David,
DARBYAnd one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.
BBEAnd Abiathar, one of the sons of Ahimelech, the son of Ahitub, got away and went in flight after David;
WebsterAnd one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

What does 1 Samuel 22:20 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 22:20-23
20-23. one of the sons of Ahimelech ... escaped--This was Abiathar, who repaired to David in the forest of Hareth, rescuing, with his own life, the high priest's vestments (1Sa 23:6, 9). On hearing his sad tale, David declared that he had dreaded such a fatal result from the malice and intriguing ambition of Doeg; and, accusing himself as having been the occasion of all the disaster to Abiathar's family, David invited him to remain, because, firmly trusting himself in the accomplishment of the divine promise, David could guarantee protection to him.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 20 Abiathar, escaped - This man carried with him his sacerdotal garments, as we find from 1Sam 23:6, 1Sam 23:9.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 22:20-23
David greatly lamented the calamity. It is great trouble to a good man to find himself any way the cause of evil to others. He must have been much pained, when he considered that his falsehood was one cause of this fatal event. David speaks with assurance of his own safety, and promises that Abiathar should have his protection. With the Son of David, all who are his may be sure they shall be in safeguard, Psa 91:1. In the hurry and distraction David was continually in, he found time for communion with God, and found comfort in it.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

1 Samuel 22:20 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּמָּלֵ֣טvai.yi.ma.Letand he escapedH4422
בֵּן\־ben-a sonH1121
אֶחָ֗ד'e.ChadoneH259
לַאֲחִימֶ֙לֶךְ֙la.'a.chi.Me.lekhof AhimelechH288
בֶּן\־ben-[the] son ofH1121
אֲחִט֔וּב'a.chi.TuvAhitubH285
וּשְׁמ֖וֹu.she.Moand name hisH8034
אֶבְיָתָ֑ר'ev.ya.Tar[was] AbiatharH54
וַיִּבְרַ֖חvai.yiv.Rachand he fledH1272
אַחֲרֵ֥י'a.cha.ReiafterH310
דָוִֽד\׃da.VidDavidH1732

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 22:20

  • 1 Samuel 23:6

    And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

  • 1 Samuel 30:7

    And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

  • 1 Samuel 23:9

    And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.

  • 1 Kings 2:26-27

    And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the Lord; that he might fulfil the word of the Lord, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

  • 1 Samuel 2:33

    And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

  • Job 1:19

    And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

  • 1 Samuel 4:12

    And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

  • Job 1:15-17

    And the Sabeans fell upon them, and took them away; yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The fire of God is fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep, and the servants, and consumed them; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, The Chaldeans made out three bands, and fell upon the camels, and have carried them away, yea, and slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee.

  • 2 Samuel 20:25

    And Sheva was scribe: and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests:

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
one.
23:6; 30:7; 2Sa 20:25; 1Ki 2:26,27
escaped.
2:33; 4:12; Job 1:15-17,19

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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.

  • 1 Samuel 22:20

    And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.

  • 1 Samuel 22:21

    And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the Lord’s priests.

Read all of 1 Samuel 22

1 Samuel 22:20 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Mas uno de los hijos de Ahimelech hijo de Ahitob, que se llamaba Abiathar, escapó, y huyóse á David.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et un des fils d’Akhimélec, fils d’Akhitub, dont le nom était Abiathar, se sauva, et s’enfuit après David.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es entrann ein Sohn Ahimelechs, des Sohnes Ahitubs, sein Name war Abjathar; und er entfloh, David nach.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Evadens autem unus filius Achimelech filii Achitob, cujus nomen erat Abiathar, fugit ad David,