Doeg the Edomite

Doeg the Edomite was a person in the Books of Samuel. Doeg was the chief shepherd of King Saul.        

 The Massacre of Nob 
When David found out that Saul wanted to kill him, he ran away to Nob and lied to Ahimelech the Chief Kohen. David told him that he was on a secret mission. Ahimelech gave David bread to eat.  Doeg happened to be in Nob when this happened. When Doeg found out Saul was looking for David, he told Saul that he had seen the Cohenim in Nob helping David.  Saul told his servants to kill the Cohenim of Nob. When they refused to do as Saul asked, he requested Doeg, who agreed. Doeg killed 85 Cohenim along with their wives, children, and animals. Abiathar, Ahimelech’s grandson, was the lone survivor. He went to David and told him about the killings. David blamed himself for the deaths because he should have known that Doeg would tell Saul.

 Psalms 
In Psalms Chapter 52, David sings that God will punish people who do evil and reward the good.  David says that he sang this after Doeg betrayed Ahimelech.

 Midrash 
According to the Midrash, Doeg talked Saul into not killing Agag. Doeg convinced Saul that David could never be king because Ruth was from Moab and he told Saul about how much people praised David for killing Goliath, to make Saul jealous.  Doeg convinced Saul to make Michal marry Paltiel. Doeg came to Nob. Saul’s generals Abner and Amasa refused to murder the residents of Nod. Doeg did as Saul asked, killing everyone in Nob, except Abiathar who escaped.

 Later Jewish Tradition 
There are Jewish traditions that Doeg was the “son of an Amalekite” who David beheaded for killing Saul, although there are also some who say it was Doeg’s son.

 Other websites 
 Who was Doeg the Edomite? Got Questions.org
 Doeg, The Jewish Encyclopedia
 Pastor Column Doeg the Edomite and the purposes of God, Victorville Daily Press
 Doeg, Encyclopedia.com
 Who was Doeg the Edomite in the Bible? CompellingTruth.org
 Did Doeg the Edomite single-handedly kill the whole town of Nob?, hermeneutics stack exhange
 Doeg the Edomite and Priest Slayer, Jewish Telegraphic Agency
 Doeg the Edomite, Jewish Knowledge Base, Chabad.org
 Yevamot 76b, Sefaria.org
 Tanach summary Shmuel 1 Chapter 22 Dovid flees and leads to the destruction of the city of nov by Shaul shulcanaruchhsrav.com
 Avner and Asael, Background to the Daily Daf

Category:Biblical people