שמואל א, פרק כ״א, פסוק ט׳

Fleeing for his life, David turns to Ahimelech the priest. Having already secured food for his journey, he now urgently seeks a weapon. While David claims to have arrived empty-handed because he was dispatched on a sudden mission for the king, his true motive is the practical need for protection while traveling the open roads. His immediate, pressing fear may have been that Doeg the Edomite was actively pursuing him [חומת אנך, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

David asks the priest if he happens to have a spear or sword in his possession. The primary approach among commentators is that David poses this as a genuine question, simply asking if a weapon is available for him to take [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד]. However, a deeper reading suggests David is not in doubt at all. He knows perfectly well that Goliath's sword is kept at that very location. Rather than demanding the weapon by force, David uses subtle, polite language to hint that he is certain a sword is present. By speaking with such respect, he gracefully places the final decision in Ahimelech's hands [אלשיך].

To maintain his cover story, David explains away his lack of preparation. He points out that he did not bring his sword or any of his standard military gear [רד"ק, מצודת ציון]. He justifies this by claiming the king's orders required extreme speed and haste. He describes the situation as so uniquely critical and urgent that he was forced to depart instantly, leaving him with absolutely no time to organize his equipment or arm himself before hitting the road [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].