Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 21:8

"And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thy hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king`s business required haste." — 1 Samuel 21:8 (ASV)

Spear or sword? —We may well suppose to what David pointed when he made his request—the famous sword, the trophy of the combat which had forever made his name illustrious.

In the first flush of gratitude to the invisible One who had stood by him in the hour of peril, he had doubtless taken and presented it to the sanctuary guardians as an offering to be kept forever, a memorial of Israel’s victory over the uncircumcised.

But now, in his hour of need and humiliation, he needed all the credentials he could gather of his ability and power to lead men, so he trusts the priest will let him have his glorious prize back.

This indeed seems to have been the meaning of his petition to Ahimelech, and evidently the priest understood David, for at once he suggested restoring the well-known, treasured sword. The sanctuary, he said, possesses no weapon of war except that one which hangs among us, a votive offering.