Rashi on the Former Prophets
1 Samuel 21
And as for the youths, I have sent them ahead. An expression of troubling; the young men who came out with me, I have troubled them to go before me to a secret, hidden place.
I have troubled. Similar to, 'And with them he broke [וַידַׁע] the men of Succos.'
Certain secret. [אַלְמֹנִי is derived from] 'אַלְמוֹן' [=widower], bereft of a name; for I do not want to mention it, because it is a secret matter.
Hidden. Similar to כִּי יִפָּלֵא [=will be concealed], will be hidden.
Or whatever there is. If there are not five, give me whatever is in your possession.
From women. With difficulty, I give them to non-kohanim to eat, but it is impossible to give it to unclean people to eat.
Have been kept from us. Withheld from us.
The garments of the youths were pure. [Literally 'holy'] pure.
Even though it is an ordinary mission. And the bread, once it has been removed from the table, and they have burned the spoonfuls [of frankincense], it is almost common, because it has been excluded from [the prohibition of] מְעִילָה as soon as it becomes permitted for the kohanim [to eat].
Even more so today it will remain sacred in the vessel. Even if today were the beginning of its sanctity on the table, I would be obliged to take it from there and feed ourselves, for a ravenous hunger has seized us, and our lives are in danger. Thus it is explained in [Maseches] Menachos.
In order to put hot bread. Other warm bread on the day this was removed. Our Rabbis said, that it was warm on the day it was taken, i.e., it was as warm on the day it was removed as it was on the day it was arranged.
Who remained before Adonoy. He tarried before the Tent of Meeting to engage in the study of Torah.
Chief of Shaul's shepherds. The head of the tribunal.
Perhaps you have in your possession. And if there is here.
Urgent. Hurried.
Wrapped. It was wrapped, and similarly, 'and he wrapped [וַיָלֶט] his face in his mantle.'
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.'
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.' You have no choice but to get off your throne and let him become king of this land."
His behavior. His words.
And feigned madness. He acted insane.
He scribbled. He wrote.
His saliva. His saliva; anything which drips is called 'ריר' as in, 'in saliva [בְּרִיר] of health', and as in, '[whether] his flesh run [דָר]'.
Should such [a person] come into my house. This is in the form of a question; it is [i.e., the 'ה'] therefore punctuated by a חֲטַף פַּתָּח and [the ז] is not punctuated by a דָגֵּשׁ.
You arrive at the cited line; the whole work is yours to read around it. The text is set from the cited public-domain edition.