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[change | change source]

After finding out that Saul wanted to kill him, David ran away to Nob and lied to Ahimelech the Chief Kohen that he was on a secret mission for Saul so Ahimelech gave David bread to eat. Doeg happened to be in Nob when this happened. When Doeg found out Saul was looking for David, Doeg told him that he had seen the Cohenim in Nob help David. Saul told his servants to kill the Cohenim of Nob but they refused to do that so Saul asked Doeg to do that and Doeg said yes. Then Doeg killed eighty-five Cohenim and their wives and children and animals. Only Abiathar, Ahimelech’s grandson, escaped Nob and told David what happened. David says what happened to Nob is all his fault since he should have known that Doeg would tell Saul.

Psalms[change | change source]

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

Midrash[change | change source]

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 and Doeg came to Nob. And after Saul’s generals Abner and Amassa refused, Doeg murdered everyone in Nob (except Abiathar, who escaped.)

Later Jewish Tradition[change | change source]

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