I Samuel 22:1 · Bible study
1 Samuel 22:1 Commentary: Family Joins David in Adullam's Cave
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why did David's family leave Bethlehem to join him in a cave? See the danger, loyalty, and refuge in 1 Samuel 22:1 with commentary insights.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David flees to Adullam’s cave; his entire family joins him, fearing Saul’s revenge and choosing solidarity.
- Key words: Cave (me'arah), Adullam, brothers, father’s house (beit aviv), went down (yarad), escape (malat).
- Main debate: Whether the family came primarily from loyalty (Matthew Henry) or from fear of Saul (Barnes, Gill, Keil); both likely played a part.
- Theological theme: God preserves and prepares his anointed in hidden, humble places, gathering a people from the margins.
- Best use: A passage for sermons or studies on family loyalty under pressure, God’s refuge, and the formation of a community of the broken.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
So David left Gath and took refuge in the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there.
WEB World English Bible 2000
David therefore departed from there and escaped to Adullam’s cave. When his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him.
KJV King James Version 1769
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David goeth thence, and is escaped unto the cave of Adullam, and his brethren hear, and all the house of his father, and go down unto him thither;
Darby Darby Bible 1890
And David departed thence, and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And his brethren and all his father's house heard [it], and they went down thither to him.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
David therefore went from thence, and fled to the cave of Odollam. And when his brethren, and all his father's house, had heard of it, they went down to him thither.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Y YÉNDOSE David de allí escapóse á la cueva de Adullam; lo cual como oyeron sus hermanos y toda la casa de su padre, vinieron allí á él.
E indo-se Davi dali escapou-se à cova de Adulão; o qual quando ouviram seus irmãos e toda a casa de seu pai, vieram ali a ele.
David partit de là, et se sauva dans la caverne d’ Adullam. Ses frères et toute la maison de son père l’ apprirent, et ils descendirent vers lui.
David ging von dannen und entrann in die Höhle Adullam. Da das seine Brüder hörten und das ganze Haus seines Vaters, kamen sie zu ihm hinab dahin.
Toen ging David van daar, en ontkwam in de spelonk van Adullam. En zijn broeders hoorden het, en het ganse huis zijns vaders, en kwamen derwaarts tot hem af.
Or Davide si partì di là e si rifugiò nella spelonca di Adullam, e quando i suoi fratelli e tutta la famiglia di suo padre lo seppero, scesero quivi per unirsi a lui.
Potem wyszedł Dawid stamtąd, i uszedł do jaskini Adullam. Co gdy usłyszeli bracia jego i wszystek dom jego, przyszli tam do niego.
И вышел Давид оттуда и убежал в пещеру Одолламскую, и услышали братья его и весь дом отца его и пришли к нему туда.
大衛 就離開 那裡，逃 到 亞杜蘭 洞。他的弟兄 和他父親 的全 家 聽見了，就都下 到他 那裡。
So David went away from there and took cover in a strong place at Adullam; and his brothers and all his father's people, hearing of it, went down to him there.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 22:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree this verse narrates a decisive turn in David’s life. After being driven from Gath (1 Samuel 21), he escaped to the cave of Adullam, a site near the town of Adullam in Judah’s lowlands. The Cambridge Bible notes that Adullam was a Canaanite royal city in the valley of Elah. When news reached David’s brothers and his father’s entire household, they “went down” to him, a literal descent from Bethlehem to the Shephelah. Barnes, Gill, and Keil & Delitzsch all observe that the family’s primary motive was fear of Saul’s revenge; Saul’s later massacre of the priests at Nob shows the danger was real. Matthew Henry adds an element of loyalty: they came to support David, not just to save themselves. The Hebrew verb forms (vayyiqtol) mark the narrative sequence: David went, escaped, then the family heard and came down. The phrase “all his father’s house” (kol beit aviv) indicates the entire extended household, revealing how David’s peril now threatened everyone connected with him.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: David's family joined him at the cave of Adullam, and the primary driving force was the threat of Saul's persecution, which endangered not only David but also his entire household.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Location of the cave of Adullam | All commentators identify it with a cave near the town of Adullam in the Judah lowlands, approximately six miles from Bethlehem. | Some early traditions located it at Khureitun southeast of Bethlehem, but Cambridge Bible, Keil & Delitzsch, and Conder place it near Beit Jibrin (Deir Dubban or 'Aid el Ma). |
| Motivation of David’s family | All agree the family came to David at the cave, and they were reacting to the danger David’s situation created. | Barnes, Gill, and Keil emphasize fear of Saul’s vengeance; Matthew Henry highlights their desire to comfort and assist David. The verse itself does not explicitly state motive. |
| Meaning of 'all his father’s house' | The phrase refers to David’s extended household, including parents, siblings, and likely their dependents (servants, families). | Some (Barnes) focus on the immediate family; others (Keil) include the entire clan. Both agree the move indicates serious disruption. |
| The character of the four hundred men (verse 2) | They are described as distressed, in debt, and discontented, people on the margins of society. | Some commentators (Matthew Henry) see them as raw material for David’s future army; others (Gill) focus on their social desperation without prefiguring military success. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The cave of Adullam lay in the Shephelah, the low hill country of Judah, roughly six miles southwest of Bethlehem. Joshua 12:15 and 15:35 list Adullam among the Canaanite royal cities assigned to Judah. The region is dotted with limestone caves, some large enough to shelter hundreds, the Cambridge Bible describes one nearly 100 feet long near Beit Jibrin. From Bethlehem to Adullam is a steady descent, reflected in the Hebrew verb yarad (“went down”).
David arrived here after a harrowing escape from Gath, where he feigned madness to save his life (1 Samuel 21:10-15). His family back in Bethlehem had every reason to fear: in the ancient Near East, a king’s wrath did not stop at the fugitive himself. The entire clan could be executed for one member’s rebellion. Saul later proved this when he slaughtered eighty-five priests at Nob for harboring David (1 Samuel 22:18-19). So when David’s brothers and “all his father’s house” heard he was at Adullam, their journey was a survival movement as much as a family reunion.
David’s parents soon left for Moab (vv.3-4), confirming that the household felt unsafe even after reaching the cave. The “stronghold” language in the following verses shows David turned this cave network into a base of operations. Second Samuel 23:13-14 later recalls the cave of Adullam as a place where David’s warriors came to him. What began as a refuge for one became the nucleus of a kingdom. This verse reminds us that the anointed king’s path ran through hiding before honor, and his family chose to share that hidden path.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable across major manuscripts, and the translations (KJV, ASV, BSB, YLT, etc.) reflect the same underlying reading.
Reception History
In the history of interpretation, the cave of Adullam has often been seen as a place where God prepared David for kingship by gathering the lowly and desperate around him. Early Jewish tradition (reflected in the Targum) read this episode as the beginning of David’s public leadership. Throughout Christian history, the scene has been used to illustrate Christ’s gathering of outcasts and the hidden growth of God’s kingdom. Pilgrims and geographers from the medieval period onward sought to identify the exact cave, though the traditional site at Khureitun is now widely doubted (Cambridge Bible). In devotional writings, the cave became a symbol of refuge, a place where God hides his servants before revealing them.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Flight and refuge. David escapes from Gath to the cave of Adullam. His life is now a fugitive’s, yet God has not abandoned him.
- Family solidarity. His brothers and his father’s household “went down” to him. In a world where families often disowned a disgraced member, they risked everything to stand with David.
- A gathering for the future. As verse 2 shows, this cave soon fills with the distressed, the indebted, and the discontented, the very people God shapes into David’s army.
Five-point outline
- David’s departure. He leaves Gath, a hostile city, and heads for familiar territory in Judah.
- The cave as refuge. A natural stronghold becomes a temporary home for the king in waiting.
- The family’s decision. They hear and they come, a costly act of loyalty that reveals the reach of Saul’s threat.
- The household in transition. “All his father’s house” means more than immediate siblings; it is a clan uprooted.
- God’s hidden work. In obscurity and danger, David begins to lead the broken, and the core of a lasting kingdom takes shape.
Illustration hooks
- Family rallying around a member in legal trouble. A relative faces a lawsuit or criminal charge; the whole family moves to support them even at personal risk.
- A team formed from rejects. A sports coach picks players other teams cut, and together they become champions, the cave of Adullam was God’s training ground for outcasts.
- Someone forced to leave home for safety. Refugees or those under threat know what it means to start over in a cramped space with only family beside them.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why would David’s family leave a settled home to live in a cave? Were they forced, or did they choose loyalty?
- Is David being selfish by endangering his family? Or does his acceptance of them show trust in God’s protection?
- How does this verse encourage people who feel isolated or caught in a family crisis?
Leading a Discussion
This verse is a hinge in David’s story. The future king is now a fugitive, and his family’s choice to join him raises questions about loyalty, fear, and faith. Read 1 Samuel 22:1-2 together, then work through these questions.
Discussion questions
- What do we learn about David’s situation from the words “departed,” “escaped,” and “cave”?
- Why do you think David’s brothers and “all his father’s house” came to him? What would you have done in their place?
- The phrase “all his father’s house” suggests the entire extended family. How does that shape your understanding of the risk involved?
- Look at verse 2. What kinds of people gathered to David? What does this tell us about the community God is building around his anointed?
- How does this passage speak to times when obedience to God puts our family at risk? When is it right to stay, and when to flee?
- David’s family had to leave familiar surroundings for a cave. What “caves” have you or your family had to enter? How did God meet you there?
- In what ways does this story encourage you to trust God’s purpose even when your circumstances seem like a dead end?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 12:15 | the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one; |
| Joshua 15:35 | Jarmuth, Adullam, Socoh, Azekah, |
| I Samuel 21:10 | David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. |
| I Samuel 21:15 | Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Should this fellow come into my house?” |
| II Samuel 23:13 | Three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines was encamped in the valley of Rephaim. |
| II Samuel 23:14 | David was then in the stronghold; and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. |
| I Chronicles 11:15 | Three of the thirty chief men went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the army of the Philistines were encamped in the valley of Rephaim. |
| Psalms 34:1 | By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless Yahweh at all times. His praise will always be in my mouth. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke pinpoints the cave of Adullam as a real, identifiable location: in the tribe of Judah, ten miles east of Eleutheropolis, according to Eusebius and Jerome. This geographical detail grounds David's flight in a specific place, not a vague setting.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes clarifies that "cave Adullam" refers to a location near the town of Adullam in Judah, not the cave itself as a proper name. He notes that David's family joined him partly out of loyalty but also because Saul's violent hostility threatened their own lives as well.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The cave of Adullam was not near Bethlehem, where tradition placed it, but near the valley of Elah at a site called Aid el Ma. That location formed a natural fortress with rows of caves that could easily shelter David and his four hundred men.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Dauid therefore departed thence, and saued him selfe in the caue of Adullam: and when his brethren and all his fathers house heard it, they went downe thither to him.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill points out that the cave of Adullam lay in David's own tribe of Judah, where he likely felt safer and composed Psalm 142. His family came not only to support him but also to shield themselves from Saul, who might attack them out of vengeance against David.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB explains that the cave of Adullam was one of several underground vaults cut into soft limestone near the Philistine plain, ideal for hiding refugees. David's entire family came down from Bethlehem to join him there, fleeing Saul's fury that now threatened all of David's relatives. The phrase "went down" describes a literal descent in elevation.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch stresses that David's retreat to Moab was cut short by the prophet Gad, who told him to return to Judah. Their point is that God would not let David seek safety outside the land, because that would separate him from his calling as Israel's future king. Instead, David had to learn to trust the Lord as his only refuge while hiding within Judah itself.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange insists that the men who gathered to David were not a lawless rabble but victims of Saul’s oppression, driven by righteous discontent. He argues David was no rebel; his band formed a theocratic community of the faithful under God’s chosen leader, not a seditious mob.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees a paradox in David's retreat: the promised king hides in a cave, buried alive yet waiting on God. Using means for safety is not tempting God, but even a shining light can be eclipsed and thrown aside for a season before its time comes.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that Achish likely saw through David's act of madness. The king recognized the madness as counterfeit. Yet because he wanted to protect David, Achish chose to speak and act as though he believed it was genuine.