“David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. So when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them. And there were about four hundred men with him.”
1 Samuel 22:1-2, NKJV. (Background: Psalm 57 and Psalms 142.)
The cave of Abdullam is now a national park in Israel. It’s part of a system of caves, but this is the biggest and most well-known. Thousands visit it every year; it’s on the list that tourists want to visit.
Our passage today tells us that immediately after the “insane” David skedaddled from Gath, he travelled to this cave. I suspect that Saul had spied everywhere, so the king had a general idea where David was. But the cave of Adullam was very close to the Philistine border.
A state of war between Israel and Philistia existed, and king Saul could not risk any appearance of violating that without causing an incident. Perhaps Saul was somewhat content that David was isolated in a “hole in the ground,” and everyone would simply forget him.
But the was not the case.
First, it was family, then others came. I suspect David’s brothers may have realized that they now were on Saul’s “list.”
The others had other reasons. Most knew of David’s prowess as a warband leader; some may have served with him. They may have known of his anointing by the prophet to be the next king.
Now these I call the “three Ds.” The distressed, the debtors, the discontented, sought out David. Our text tells us there was 400 men (plus their families). If David thought, he was hidden and alone he was mistaken.
Logistically, I’m not sure how that works out. Where did their support come from? And again, what was Saul thinking?
I suspect that some of these would develop and become the “mighty men” of David, and they would become some of his generals that David would rely on when he became king.
Verse 3 tell us that “he became captain over them.” They submitted to David and meshed themselves into whatever destiny may come.
“Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me!
For my soul trusts in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge,
Until these calamities have passed by.“
Psalm 57:1, from a song written by David while in the cave of Adullum.
King David 101 