It happened, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.
In spite of David's tremendous popularity throughout Israel, there were many situations like that at Keilah where there continued to be a residual loyalty to Saul.  "This chapter gives two instances in which the people would gladly have turned David over to Saul."[10]