בְּב֤וֹא ׀ דּוֹאֵ֣ג הָאֲדֹמִי֮ וַיַּגֵּ֪ד לְשָׁ֫א֥וּל וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֑וֹ בָּ֥א דָ֝וִ֗ד אֶל־בֵּ֥ית אֲחִימֶֽלֶךְ׃
ketika Doeg, orang Edom, datang dan memberitahukan kepada Saul, katanya kepadanya: “Daud telah datang ke rumah Ahimelekh.”
Aggadat Bereshit
Chapter 3: Writings [1] For an educated conductor, a song of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, saying, “David has come to the house of Ahimelech.” (Psalm 52:1-2) This is what the scripture said: "You will be sheltered from the scourging and burning tongue." (Job 5:21). The language of evil is harder to retract than a sword or a knife, for how can one who has a sword in his hand and wants to kill his fellow man and then regrets it, retract his hand and not kill him? But one who seeks to kill his fellow man with an arrow cannot retract it once it has left his hand. And one who speaks evil about his fellow man, even if he wants to retract it, cannot do so. Why? Just as the arrow is likened to the language of evil, as it says, "Their tongue is a sharpened arrow, deceitful speech in their mouth, etc." (Jeremiah 9:7), so too, King Solomon says, "All of man’s earning is for the sake of his mouth, etc." (Ecclesiastes 6:7), even if he dies, there is no atonement for him. Come and learn from Doeg, who even though he died, our sages said he has no share in the world to come, as it says, "But the soul that sins, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). Therefore, Job said, "The language of concealment is in my mouth." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said it refers to Jacob, and Rabbi Samuel bar Nachmani said it refers to David. "You will redeem my soul in peace from the battle that is upon me" (Psalm 55:19). When he fled and came to Ahimelech and was hungry, and he ate the holy bread, as it says, "And the priest gave him the holy bread, etc." (1 Samuel 21:7). "and in war by the hand of the sword." (Job 5:20). When he went down to Goliath and killed him, as it says, "And David said to the Philistine, 'You come to me with a sword, etc.'" (1 Samuel 17:45). "In a smooth tongue you will hide, when Doeg came and spoke evil about him, as it is said about Doeg the Edomite, 'and he told'." (Psalm 52:2) "You shall laugh at destruction and famine" (Job 5:22). i will take care of Ahithophel, "And have no fear of wild beasts." (Job 5:22). Saul of Benjamin is compared to a predator, as it is said, 'Benjamin is a ravenous wolf' (Genesis 49:27)."
Devarim Rabbah
Another interpretation, “and you will say: I will install a king over me” – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: There were three things that Israel was commanded to do upon their entry into the Land. These are: To eradicate the name of Amalek, to appoint a king for themselves, and to build themselves a Temple. They appointed a king for themselves and they eradicated the name of Amalek. Why, then, did they not build the Temple [at that time]? It is because they had informers in their midst.18The existence of those informers prevented the Divine Presence from resting in their midst. You may know that this is so, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The people of the generation of Ahab were idol worshippers, yet they would go out to war and emerge victorious. Why was it so? Because they did not have informers in their midst. That is why they would go out to war and emerge victorious. You may know that this is so, as when Jezebel sought to kill all the prophets of the Lord, what did Ovadya do? He concealed them in caves, as it is stated: “I concealed one hundred men of the prophets of the Lord, fifty men to a cave” (I Kings 18:13), and there was no person who said to Ahab: ‘Ovadya did such and such.’ But the generation of Saul, all of them were informers. You may know that it is so, as when Saul was pursuing David, everyone would utter malicious speech about him to Saul, as it is stated: “When Doeg the Edomite came [and informed Saul, saying to him: David has come to the house of Aḥimelekh]” (Psalms 52:2); “when the Zifites came and said to Saul: [David is hiding among us]” (Psalms 54:2). That is why they would suffer defeat in war.
Another interpretation, Rav Mona said: Anyone who utters malicious speech drives away the Divine Presence from below [on earth] to up above. You may know that it is so from what David said: “I lay my soul amid lions, anxious beasts, among men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a honed sword” (Psalms 57:5). What is written thereafter? “Rise above the heavens, God…” (Psalms 57:6) – David said: ‘Master of the universe, what is the Divine Presence doing below? Remove the Divine Presence to the firmament.’
Another interpretation, Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Why is malicious speech known as ‘the third speech’? It is because it kills three people – the one who speaks it, the one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is spoken. From where is this derived? From Doeg who spoke it, Saul who accepted it, and Nov the city of priests, about which it was spoken.19See I Samuel chapter 22.
Another interpretation, Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: They asked the serpent, saying to it: ‘Why are you found among fences?’ It said to them: ‘Because I breached the fence of the world.’ They said to it: ‘Why do you walk on the ground and your tongue protrudes onto the ground?’ It said to them: ‘Because it [my tongue] caused me to utter malicious speech against my Creator.’ What was the malicious speech? Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The primeval serpent was able to speak like humans. When Adam and Eve did not want to eat from that tree [the tree of knowledge], he began uttering malicious speech about his Creator. He said to them: ‘It was from this tree that the Creator ate and thereby created His world. He commanded you that you should not eat from it and create another world.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do to it? He severed its legs and cut out its tongue, so it would not be able to speak.
Another interpretation, they asked the serpent, saying to it: ‘What benefit do you have from biting?’ It said to them: ‘Before you ask me, why do you not ask those who utter malicious speech [baalei lashon hara],’ as it is stated: “If the serpent bites without a spell, there is no advantage to the charmer [baal halashon]” (Ecclesiastes 10:11) – what benefit does he get by uttering malicious speech?
Another interpretation, they said to the serpent: ‘Why do you bite one limb yet your venom circulates into all the limbs?’ It said to them: ‘Before you ask me, why do you not ask those who utter malicious speech, who can be standing in Rome and kill someone in Syria, or stand in Syria and kill someone in Rome?’ See how harsh is the power of malicious speech, as they [the Israelites] were commanded to build the Temple [upon their entry to the Land], and because the people of that generation engaged in malicious speech, it was not built in their days.
Another interpretation, Rav Mona said: Anyone who utters malicious speech drives away the Divine Presence from below [on earth] to up above. You may know that it is so from what David said: “I lay my soul amid lions, anxious beasts, among men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a honed sword” (Psalms 57:5). What is written thereafter? “Rise above the heavens, God…” (Psalms 57:6) – David said: ‘Master of the universe, what is the Divine Presence doing below? Remove the Divine Presence to the firmament.’
Another interpretation, Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Why is malicious speech known as ‘the third speech’? It is because it kills three people – the one who speaks it, the one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is spoken. From where is this derived? From Doeg who spoke it, Saul who accepted it, and Nov the city of priests, about which it was spoken.19See I Samuel chapter 22.
Another interpretation, Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: They asked the serpent, saying to it: ‘Why are you found among fences?’ It said to them: ‘Because I breached the fence of the world.’ They said to it: ‘Why do you walk on the ground and your tongue protrudes onto the ground?’ It said to them: ‘Because it [my tongue] caused me to utter malicious speech against my Creator.’ What was the malicious speech? Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The primeval serpent was able to speak like humans. When Adam and Eve did not want to eat from that tree [the tree of knowledge], he began uttering malicious speech about his Creator. He said to them: ‘It was from this tree that the Creator ate and thereby created His world. He commanded you that you should not eat from it and create another world.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do to it? He severed its legs and cut out its tongue, so it would not be able to speak.
Another interpretation, they asked the serpent, saying to it: ‘What benefit do you have from biting?’ It said to them: ‘Before you ask me, why do you not ask those who utter malicious speech [baalei lashon hara],’ as it is stated: “If the serpent bites without a spell, there is no advantage to the charmer [baal halashon]” (Ecclesiastes 10:11) – what benefit does he get by uttering malicious speech?
Another interpretation, they said to the serpent: ‘Why do you bite one limb yet your venom circulates into all the limbs?’ It said to them: ‘Before you ask me, why do you not ask those who utter malicious speech, who can be standing in Rome and kill someone in Syria, or stand in Syria and kill someone in Rome?’ See how harsh is the power of malicious speech, as they [the Israelites] were commanded to build the Temple [upon their entry to the Land], and because the people of that generation engaged in malicious speech, it was not built in their days.
Midrash Tehillim
"To the choirmaster of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech." It is said in Ecclesiastes 5:5, "Do not be rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said concerning the verse, "Do not give your mouth to sin against your flesh" (ibid.), that the Scripture is speaking about those who rule on matters of charity. "Do not give your mouth to flatter when you are giving, lest you give in stinginess and not in generosity." (ibid.) "And do not say before the angel" (ibid.) - this refers to the prayer leader who comes and tells you to give as you have decided, and you say, "There was a mistake, and I did not know what I was saying." Why should God be angry with you? It is because of the voice that you uttered and said to give, but did not give. (ibid.) "And ruin the work of your hands" (ibid.) - the commandments that were in your hands, you have lost. Another interpretation of "Do not give your mouth" - Rabbi Levi said that this refers to the hypocrites. "Why should God be angry?" - it is because of the flattery that you utter with your mouth. "And ruin the work of your hands" - the little bargaining that you have in your hands, you mix them up. Another interpretation of "Do not give your mouth to sin against your flesh" - the sages said that it refers to Miriam, when she spoke against Moses and was struck with leprosy, as it is said (Numbers 12:1), "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses." And what happened to her? (ibid. 10) "And behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow." "Do not say before the angel" - this refers to Moses, as it is said (Exodus 20:16), "And he sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt." Was it really an angel? Rather, it was Moses. "Why should He be angry?" - because of this voice that you flatter with your mouth. "And ruin the work of your hands" - the little effort that you have, you mix up." On the same voice that came out of her mouth about Moshe the righteous. "And the guilt of your hands." These are the drums, as it is said (Exodus 15:20), "Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the drum." Another interpretation: speaking evilly, as they cause their flesh to sin by what they utter, they are punished with leprosy. "Do not say in the presence of the angel, this is the priest," as it is said (Malachi 2:7), "For the lips of the priest should guard knowledge, and they should seek instruction from his mouth." The one afflicted with leprosy goes to him, as it is said (Leviticus 14:2), "This shall be the law of the leper." One who speaks evil and utters slander, as it is said (Leviticus 14:3), "And he shall be brought to the priest." Why would God be angry? Because of that voice that you uttered and spoke slander against your friend, and the guilt of your hands. The little Torah that you have in your possession, you lose. And who was it who was worried and spoke evil of David and was afflicted with leprosy? As it is said (Psalms 41:6), "And if he comes to see me, he speaks falsehood; his heart gathers iniquity to itself; he goes out and speaks it." And what is meant by "he shall break down the house"? It is like it says (2 Samuel 15:13), "And who caused him to do so? Because he spoke slander against David," as it is said (1 Samuel 22:9), "Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing among Saul's officials, said, 'I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelek son of Ahitub at Nob.'"