Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before Yahweh; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the best of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.
"Detained before the Lord"  (1 Samuel 21:7).  "It is not impossible that Doeg was detained in the sanctuary for some crime."[10]  The usual explanation of this, however, is that of Porter, "It is generally assumed that Doeg was detained in the sanctuary under some priestly discipline. Doeg was an Edomite, and the descendants of Esau were a continual thorn in Israel's flesh."[11]  Payne thought that, "Doeg was unclean that day, and waiting to perform some religious obligation the next day."[12]  "Ephrem Syrus thought that Doeg had committed some trespass, and was detained till he offered the appointed sacrifice."[13]  It could be that the enforcement upon Doeg of some disciplinary action resulted in the hatred that must have entered into his heartless slaughter of that whole priestly community.