שמואל א, פרק כ״ב, פסוק י׳

Doeg the Edomite delivers a calculated report to King Saul, detailing the assistance Ahimelech the priest provided to David. The primary goal of this account is to prove Ahimelech's loyalty to David, though the details may not strictly reflect reality. Driven by a desire to please his master and a personal hostility toward David, Doeg presents a heavily biased version of the events [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

According to the report, the priest supported David in three distinct ways. First, Ahimelech sought guidance from God on David's behalf using the Urim and Thummim [מצודת דוד]. It remains uncertain whether David actually requested this spiritual direction or if Doeg simply invented this detail to further his own agenda [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Second, Ahimelech supplied David with food and provisions [מצודת ציון]. Finally, he handed him the sword of Goliath the Philistine. Highlighting the transfer of the weapon serves to demonstrate the practical, physical support Ahimelech offered [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

However, mentioning Goliath's sword also provides a convenient excuse for Doeg's own failure to act. By emphasizing the weapon, Doeg justifies why he did not attack David on the spot. He paints David as a formidable warrior armed with a giant's blade. Beyond the physical threat, the mere presence of that specific sword evokes the great merit David earned by saving Israel, which ultimately made Doeg too afraid to confront him [חומת אנך].