Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him: now Saul was sitting in Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree in Ramah, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him.
Saul’s soldiers had too much respect for the priesthood to slay the anointed servants of the Lord (1 Samuel 22:17). Moreover they probably realized that Saul’s order was irrational. Doeg was an Edomite, a foreigner who had less respect for the Mosaic Law (cf. 1 Samuel 21:7). He not only obeyed the king but went beyond Saul’s command and slaughtered all the men, women, children, and animals in Nob (1 Samuel 22:19). Nonetheless Saul was also responsible (1 Samuel 22:21). Earlier Saul had failed to slay all the Amalekites at the Lord’s command (1 Samuel 15:9). Now he was slaying all the Nobites without divine authorization.