שמואל א כ״א:י׳-י״ד

לוטה. כרוכה, וכן (מלכים-א יט יג): וילט פניו באדרתו:

Wrapped. It was wrapped, and similarly, 'and he wrapped [וַיָלֶט] his face in his mantle.'⁸I Melachim 19:13.

אחרי האפוד. אחר ששאלו באורים ותומים, אמר לו כן וכן תרגם יונתן: בתר דשאיל ליה באפודא:

Behind the eiphod. After having consulted the Urim and Tumim he said this [statement]. And so did Targum Yonoson render, 'after he had consulted the eiphod for him.'⁹I.e., אַחֲרֵי הָאֵפוֹד is not part of Achimelech’s reply to Dovid, rather it relates to the sequence of events. Only after asking the Urim and Tumim did Achimelech tell Dovid to take the sword.

הלא זה דוד מלך הארץ. אמרו לו לאכיש, תנאי היה בינינו (לעיל יז ט): 'אם יוכל להלחם אתי והכני והיינו לכם לעבדים', אין לך אלא שתרד מכסאך, ויהיה מלך הארץ הזאת:

Is this not Dovid, the king of the land. They said to Achish, "There was a stipulation between us: 'If he will be able to fight me and kill me, then we will become your slaves.'¹⁰Above 17:9. You have no choice but to get off your throne and let him become king of this land."

את טעמו. את דבריו:

His behavior. His words.

ויתהולל. נשתטה:

And feigned madness. He acted insane.¹¹The Midrash relates that Dovid said to ה׳ that he understood all creation of ה׳ with the exception of madness, for which he saw no purpose. ה׳ then responded that He will demonstrate to him the value of madness and that Dovid will need it.¹²I.e., he wrote in a normal handwriting, irrational statements.

ויתו. ויכתוב:

He scribbled. He wrote.¹³He wrote, ‘Ochish the King of Gas owes me one hundred thousand gold coins and his wife owes me fifty.’

רירו. רוקו, דבר הנוטף קרוי ריר, וכן (איוב ו ו): בריר חלמות ; וכן (ויקרא טו ג): רר בשרו:

His saliva. His saliva; anything which drips is called 'ריר' as in, 'in saliva [בְּרִיר] of health',¹⁴Iyov 6:6. and as in, '[whether] his flesh run [דָר]'.¹⁵Vayikra 15:3.