And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.”
David has fled beyond Saul's reach at home, and now the secret breaks: someone tells the king where he is. So can any hiding place hold when a king's hatred hunts, and what shelter had David chosen?
Where David Turned
David had family, and he had a nation that had cheered him. He went to neither.
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C KnappSaul drove David out of his court, and he had to flee from his own wife and home. He turns for refuge, but not to his relatives in Bethlehem. Not to the thousands in Israel who had praised him so loudly for what he had done. He goes to his old and trusted friend Samuel.
What Naioth Was
The name Naioth itself tells us what the place was.
Numerical Bible NotesSamuel comes with him to live at Naioth, the collected "dwellings" of the prophets who had gathered around Samuel. The word is plural. It means both "dwellings" and "pastures." That fits well with the idea of a school of prophets, which tradition uses to fill out the few details Scripture gives.
Samuel's Choice
Samuel had anointed David. Taking him in now meant taking sides, and it even changed where Samuel lived.
C KnappHe was in step with God's thoughts. He understood well how matters stood between Saul, whom God had rejected, and David, His anointed. Samuel took David in without hesitation and stood with him, "not fearing the wrath of the king." He moved from Ramah to Naioth. That was probably a suburb of Ramah, and some think it was a school of the prophets.
"It Was Told Saul"
The verse does not name the informer. It only says that word reached the king.
Samuel RidoutDavid flees to Samuel, the man who had anointed him. He turns to him as if by instinct, because Samuel had the word of God that he needed for guidance. Some people are ready enough to tell Saul where he can find the enemy he imagines. So Saul chases him there. His relentless hatred has now become the full expression of his character.
Strengthened, Not Yet Safe
Naioth was the right place for David. But the report to Saul shows that being there did not stop the hunt.
The Bible TreasuryWhere does the path of the man of faith lead now? To the prophet who was in Israel. The prophet lives apart from it all, with God. He is the right companion for the man of Jehovah's choice, and he strengthens him, until judgment sets aside every hindrance in between, or grace overcomes it. All the same, David is not free from Saul's pursuit, even though he is with Samuel at Ramah. Saul first sends messengers to take him, and finally goes there himself.
Even this shelter did not last.
Numerical Bible NotesYet he is driven from there too, to find a better hiding place in God Himself.
What Saul's Report Achieved
Saul acted on the news at once. What happened to his men was the opposite of what he wanted, and it carries a sober warning.
H. L. RossierAgainst their own will these instruments of the enemy feel the influence of the Spirit of God. In His power they prophesy. It is a serious warning, and it neither converts them nor saves them. Even Saul is forced here to prophesy by the Spirit of God... God is able to speak through the mouth of a Saul who at other times is the mouthpiece of Satan. This only proves that God uses someone as an instrument if it suits Him. But we must tell the difference between the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit and His various works of power.
Even the king's rage served God's purpose.
The Bible TreasuryGod knows how to make the wrath of man praise Him, as in this instance.
Summary
- Told. Someone told Saul where David was. There are always people ready to hand a hunted man to his hunter.
- Turned. David passed over his relatives and his fame. He went to the prophet who had anointed him and knew where God stood.
- Sheltered. Naioth was a cluster of dwellings where prophets lived around Samuel. There Samuel took David's side and would not fear the king.
- Pursued. The right place with the right man did not end the chase. Living apart with God strengthens faith; it does not shield faith from attack.
- Kept. The Spirit took hold of Saul's messengers instead of letting them take David. God can use a man as an instrument without changing his heart.