1 Samuel 22:18 Meaning and Explanation
“And the king said to 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.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Saul orders Doeg to kill the priests, and Doeg strikes down eighty-five priests who wore the linen ephod.
What Does 1 Samuel 22:18 Mean?
Where Saul's own men would not act, Doeg the Edomite will. At the king's command the foreigner turns upon the priests and kills eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod -- the simple garment marking them as servants of the sanctuary. The willing hand of the outsider does what no Israelite would.
The detail of the linen ephod underscores the sacrilege: these were consecrated men, slain in their priestly dress. Doeg's readiness to murder where others recoiled exposes a heart with no reverence for God or His servants. The slaughter is one of the darkest moments in Saul's reign. Yet even here the Lord is not absent; the cry of innocent blood is heard in heaven, and a day of reckoning, and of mercy through the coming King, is surely on the way.
1 Samuel 22:18 in the Original Language
ephod (אֵפוֹד), 'ephod' -- the priestly garment worn in service before the LORD, here marking the very men who were struck down.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 22:18
What does 1 Samuel 22:18 mean?
Saul orders Doeg to kill the priests, and Doeg strikes down eighty-five priests who wore the linen ephod.