Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 21:2

"And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, Let no man know anything of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed the young men to such and such a place." — 1 Samuel 21:2 (ASV)

The king has commanded me. —This is one of the sad episodes in a glorious life. Overwhelmed with dismay at his sudden fall, home and wife, friends and rank, all had been taken from him. He who had been on the very steps of the throne, the darling of the people, and strangely successful in all that he had until then undertaken, was now a proscribed exile, flying for his life. These things must plead as his excuse for his falsehood to Ahimelech, and his flight to and subsequent behaviour among the hereditary enemies of his race, the Philistines.

But here, as in so many places, the Holy Spirit who guided the pen of the compiler of this true history could not lie, but fearlessly tells the repulsive truth which must always be deeply damaging to the favourite hero of Israel. “The Holy Spirit has become the chronicler of men’s foolish, indeed, sinful actions. He has narrated the lies of Abraham, the incest of Lot, the simulation of the man after God’s heart.”— Lange.

I have appointed my servants. —This portion of his words to Ahimelech was, no doubt, strictly true. It is unlikely that one in the high position of David at the court of Saul, also possessing such powers over men’s hearts, would be allowed to go even into exile without any friends or attendants. Those alluded to here probably joined him soon after his parting with Jonathan. Our Lord, in Mark 2:25-26, speaks of the priest giving the shewbread to David and to those that were with him, when both he and they that were with him were an hungred.