Doeg the Edomite

Doeg (Hebrew: דֹּאֵג Dō’ēg) was an Edomite, chief herdsman to Saul, King of Israel.

[1] He is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible book of First Samuel, chapters 21 and 22, where he is depicted as an antagonist of David responsible for the deaths of a large number of priests.

Though he died at the early age of thirty-four years,[3] he is regarded by the rabbis as the greatest scholar of his time, a strong description being supposedly applied to him because he made every one with whom he disputed "blush".

Doeg not only disregarded the sanctity of marriage, but he also slew with his own hands the priests of Nob, after Abner and Amasa, Saul's lieutenants, had refused to do so.

This served Doeg as the basis for the charge of treason, and he stated it as an unalterable Halakah that the Urim and Thummim may be consulted only for a king.

In vain Abner and Amasa and all the other members of the Sanhedrin demonstrated that the Urim and Thummim may be consulted for any on whose undertaking concerns the general welfare.

[13] God sent the three "angels of destruction" to Doeg; the first caused him to forget his learning, the second burned his soul, and the third scattered the ashes.

[16]"..The son of Doeg was Saul's armor-bearer, who was killed by David for daring to slay the king even though he longed for death.

[19](the others include: Ahithophel, Balaam and Gehazi[20]).Doeg is an instance of the evil consequences of calumny, because by slandering the priests of Nob he lost his own life, and caused the death of Saul, Ahimelech, and Abner.