Who Was Doeg the Edomite — Meaning Explained

Doeg the Edomite first appears in 1 Samuel 21 as 'the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul,' detained before the Lord at Nob the day David fled there. David, hungry and unarmed, came to the high priest Ahimelech, who gave him the shewbread and the sword of Goliath, not knowing David was fleeing Saul. Doeg saw it all. Later, when Saul lamented that no one cared for him, Doeg seized his opportunity: 'I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. And he enquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.' Saul summoned Ahimelech and all the priests of his father's house. Despite their innocent protests, Saul ordered them killed. When his own footmen refused to lift their hand against the priests of the Lord, Saul commanded Doeg: 'Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.' He then smote Nob, the city of the priests — men, women, children, sucklings, oxen, asses, and sheep — with the edge of the sword. Only Abiathar escaped to David. David said, 'I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.' Psalm 52, written about this incident, denounces Doeg: 'Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully... God shall likewise destroy thee for ever.' Doeg stands as a warning against the deadly power of the tongue used in malice, and against the cowardice of doing evil to please a powerful man.