King Saul wiped out an entire community of priests. He killed all 85 priests in Nob. David, on the run from King Saul, tricked those priests at Nob into giving him and some of this men food. They had no idea he had fallen out of favor with King Saul and that Saul was hunting him.
When Saul found out the priests had helped him, here's what happened, reported in 1 Samuel 22:11-19.
Saul sends for the priests
11Saul sent for the priest and his entire family. Everyone came.12Saul told the priest, “Listen up, son of Ahitub.” The priest said, “I am here listening, my king.”13Saul said, “Why are you helping my enemy, the son of Jesse? You gave him bread, a sword, and you took his requests to God. And now he’s leading a rebellion against me and trying to kill me. You helped him do that. Why?”14Ahimelech said, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. What official or any other servant do you have who is more devoted to you than David? My goodness, he’s your son-in-law. When you give him a mission, he completes it quickly. Everyone in your family respects him.15Besides, that wasn’t the first time I took one of his questions to God. So, I don’t understand why there’s a problem with this one. Please don’t think that me or my family opposes you. I don’t understand what you’re saying about us or David.”
Sentenced to death
16“You’ll understand this,” the king said. “I sentence you and your family to death.”17Saul ordered the nearby guards, “Kill the priests. They’re with David. They knew he was a fugitive. And they didn’t bother to tell me that he came to them.” The guards refused to kill priests of the LORD.18So the king said, “Doeg, kill the priests.” Doeg killed 85 men who were dressed in the linen that priests wore.19Then Doeg went to their town of Nob and killed the people and their livestock. He led the slaughter of men, women, children, babies, cattle, donkeys, and sheep. He killed them all with swords.20One of Ahimelech’s sons escaped: Abiathar. He went to David.21Abiathar told David that the king had killed his entire family, including all the priests of the LORD.
Compare the story in other Bible translations at Bible Gateway.
