## Rashi on I Samuel Chapter 21 ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:3:1) **וְאֶת הַנְּעָרִים יוֹדַעְתִּי.** לְשׁוֹן טֹרַח, הַנְּעָרִים אֲשֶׁר יָצְאוּ עִמִּי, הִטְרַחְתִּים לָרוּץ לְפָנַי אֶל מָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי אַלְמוֹנִי: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **And as for the youths, I have sent them ahead.** An expression of troubling; the young men who came out with me, I have troubled them to go before me to a secret, hidden place. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:2 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:3:2) **יוֹדַעְתִּי.** כְּמוֹ ״וַיֹּדַע בָּהֶם אֶת אַנְשֵׁי סֻכּוֹת״ (שופטים ח:טז): **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **I have troubled.** Similar to, 'And with them he broke [וַידַׁע] the men of Succos.'¹ footnotes: ¹ Shoftim 8:16. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:3 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:3:3) **פְּלֹנִי אַלְמֹנִי.** ׳אַלְמוֹן׳ מֵאֵין שֵׁם, שֶׁאֵינִי חָפֵץ לְהַזְכִּיר, כִּי דְבַר סֵתֶר הוּא: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Certain secret.** [אַלְמֹנִי is derived from] 'אַלְמוֹן' [=widower], bereft of a name; for I do not want to mention it, because it is a secret matter. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:4 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:3:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:3:4) **פְּלֹנִי.** כְּמוֹ ״כִּי יִפָּלֵא״ (דברים יז:ח), יִתְכַּסֶּה: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Hidden.** Similar to כִּי יִפָּלֵא [=will be concealed],² will be hidden. footnotes: ² Devarim 17:8. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:4:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:4:1) **אוֹ הַנִּמְצָא.** אִם אֵין חֲמִשָּׁה, תֵּן לִי מַה שֶּׁנִּמְצָא בְּיָדְךָ: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Or whatever there is.** If there are not five,³ give me whatever is in your possession. footnotes: ³ Talmud Yerushalmi Succah 5:8 explains why Dovid asked for five loaves of bread. Dovid asked for bread from Achimelech who was a member of the family of kohanim that had just completed its service; and their share was five loaves of the showbread. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:5:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:5:1) **אַךְ מֵאִשָּׁה.** בְּקֹשִׁי אֲנִי מַאֲכִילָן לְזָרִים, אַךְ זֶה אִי אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁאַאֲכִילֶנּוּ לִטְמֵאִים: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **From women.** With difficulty, I give them to non-kohanim to eat, but it is impossible to give it to unclean people to eat. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:6:1) **עֲצוּרָה לָנוּ.** עֲצוּרָה מִמֶּנּוּ: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Have been kept from us.** Withheld from us.⁴ footnotes: ⁴ They seem to have treated even ordinary food as if it were holy food as in above 20:26. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:2 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:6:2) **וַיִּהְיוּ כְלֵי הַנְּעָרִים קֹדֶשׁ.** טְהוֹרִים: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **The garments of the youths were pure.** [Literally 'holy'] pure. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:3 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:6:3) **וְהוּא דֶּרֶךְ חֹל.** וְהַלֶּחֶם מִשֶּׁנִּסְתַּלֵּק מֵעַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן וְהִקְטִירוּ הַבָּזִיכִין, קָרוֹב הוּא לִהְיוֹת חֻלִּין, שֶׁיָּצָא מִידֵי מְעִילָה מִשֶּׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ שְׁעַת הֶתֵּר לַכֹּהֲנִים: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Even though it is an ordinary mission.** And the bread, once it has been removed from the table, and they have burned the spoonfuls [of frankincense], it is almost common, because it has been excluded from [the prohibition of] מְעִילָה as soon as it becomes permitted for the kohanim [to eat].⁵ footnotes: ⁵ The phrase וְהוּא דֶרֶךְ הֹל can then be translated as ‘it has already been made non-sacred’ referring to the showbreads [not to the mission], that they had lost some of their sanctity once the frankincense had been burnt. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:4 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:6:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:6:4) **וְאַף כִּי הַיּוֹם יִקְדַּשׁ בַּכֶּלִי.** וַאֲפִלּוּ אִם הַיּוֹם הָיְתָה תְּחִלַּת קְדֻשָּׁתוֹ עַל הַשֻּׁלְחָן, הָיִיתִי זָקוּק לִטְּלוֹ מִשָּׁם וּלְהַאֲכִילֶנּוּ, שֶׁאֲחָזוֹ בּוּלְמוּס וּמְסֻכָּן הוּא, כָּךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בִּמְנָחוֹת: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Even more so today it will remain sacred in the vessel.** Even if today were the beginning of its sanctity on the table, I would be obliged to take it from there and feed ourselves, for a ravenous hunger has seized us, and our lives are in danger. Thus it is explained in [Maseches] Menachos.⁶ ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:7:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:7:1) **לָשׂוּם לֶחֶם חֹם.** אַחֵר, בְּיוֹם הִלָּקַח זֶה וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ (יומא כא א): חֹם בְּיוֹם הִלָּקְחוֹ, גַּם בְּיוֹם סִלּוּקוֹ, חֹם כְּיוֹם סִדּוּרוֹ: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **In order to put hot bread.** Other warm bread on the day this was removed. Our Rabbis said, that it was warm on the day it was taken, i.e., it was as warm on the day it was removed as it was on the day it was arranged.⁷ footnotes: ⁷ See Maseches Menachos 96a and Chagigah 26b which describes the miracle of the showbread; it retained its warmth and freshness after lying on the table more than a week. The preservation of warmth and freshness symbolized that ה׳ preserves the strength of the Bnei Yisroel and never allows it to fully dissipate. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:8:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:8:1) **נֶעְצָר לִפְנֵי ה׳.** עוֹצֵר עַצְמוֹ לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Who remained before Adonoy.** He tarried before the Tent of Meeting to engage in the study of Torah. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:8:2 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:8:2) **אֲבִיר הָרֹעִים.** אַב בֵּית דִּין: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Chief of Shaul's shepherds.** The head of the tribunal. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:9:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:9:1) **וְאֵין יֵשׁ פֹּה.** וְאִם יֵשׁ פֹּה: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Perhaps you have in your possession.** And if there is here. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:9:2 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:9:2) **נָחוּץ.** בִּבְהִילוּת: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Urgent.** Hurried. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:10:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:10:1) **לוּטָה.** כְּרוּכָה, וְכֵן ״וַיָּלֶט פָּנָיו בְּאַדַּרְתּוֹ״ (מלכים א יט:יג): **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Wrapped.** It was wrapped, and similarly, 'and he wrapped [וַיָלֶט] his face in his mantle.'⁸ footnotes: ⁸ I Melachim 19:13. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:10:2 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:10:2) **אַחֲרֵי הָאֵפוֹד.** ״אַחַר שֶׁשָּׁאֲלוּ בָּאוּרִים וְתֻמִּים, אָמַר לוֹ כֵּן וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן: ״בָּתַר דְּשָׁאִיל לֵיהּ בְּאֵפוֹדָא: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Behind the *eiphod.*** After having consulted the Urim and Tumim he said this [statement]. And so did Targum Yonoson render, 'after he had consulted the eiphod for him.'⁹ footnotes: ⁹ I.e., אַחֲרֵי הָאֵפוֹד is not part of Achimelech’s reply to Dovid, rather it relates to the sequence of events. Only after asking the Urim and Tumim did Achimelech tell Dovid to take the sword. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:12:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:12:1) **הֲלֹא זֶה דָוִד מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ.** אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְאָכִישׁ, תְּנַאי הָיָה בֵּינֵינוּ (שמואל א יז:ט): ״אִם יוּכַל לְהִלָּחֵם אִתִּי וְהִכָּנִי וְהָיִינוּ לָכֶם לַעֲבָדִים״, אֵין לְךָ אֶלָּא שֶׁתֵּרֵד מִכִּסְאֲךָ, וְיִהְיֶה מֶלֶךְ הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Is this not Dovid, the king of the land.** They said to Achish, "There was a stipulation between us: 'If he will be able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your slaves.'¹⁰ You have no choice but to get off your throne and let him become king of this land." footnotes: ¹⁰ Above 17:9. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:14:1) **אֶת טַעְמוֹ.** אֶת דְּבָרָיו: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **His behavior.** His words. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:2 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:14:2) **וַיִּתְהֹלֵל.** נִשְׁתַּטָּה: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **And feigned madness.** He acted insane.¹¹¹² footnotes: ¹¹ The Midrash relates that Dovid said to ה׳ that he understood all creation of ה׳ with the exception of madness, for which he saw no purpose. ה׳ then responded that He will demonstrate to him the value of madness and that Dovid will need it. ¹² I.e., he wrote in a normal handwriting, irrational statements. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:3 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:14:3) **וַיְתָו.** וַיִּכְתֹּב: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **He scribbled.** He wrote.¹³ footnotes: ¹³ He wrote, ‘Ochish the King of Gas owes me one hundred thousand gold coins and his wife owes me fifty.’ ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:4 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:14:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:14:4) **רִירוֹ.** רוֹקוֹ, דָּבָר הַנּוֹטֵף קָרוּי רִיר, וְכֵן ״בְּרִיר חַלָּמוּת״ (איוב ו:ו); וְכֵן ״רָר בְּשָׂרוֹ״ (ויקרא טו:ג): **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **His saliva.** His saliva; anything which drips is called 'ריר' as in, 'in saliva [בְּרִיר] of health',¹⁴ and as in, '[whether] his flesh run [דָר]'.¹⁵ footnotes: ¹⁴ Iyov 6:6. ¹⁵ Vayikra 15:3. ###### Rashi on I Samuel 21:16:1 [Rashi on I Samuel 21:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Rashi%20on%20I%20Samuel/r/21:16:1) **הֲזֶה יָבֹא אֶל בֵּיתִי.** לְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָה, וּלְכָךְ נָקוּד חֲטַף פַּתָּח, וְרָפֵי: **The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J:** **Should such [a person] come into my house.** This is in the form of a question; it is [i.e., the 'ה'] therefore punctuated by a חֲטַף פַּתָּח and [the ז] is not punctuated by a דָגֵּשׁ.