David wanted to inquire from the Lord. He wanted to hear from God what he was to do in response to the Amalekite raid. In this his behaviour is consistent with what we had seen from him previously. Indeed, David’s rise to kingship is characterized by the importance he attached to seeking guidance from the Lord (see 1 Samuel 23:2, 1 Samuel 23:4, 2 Samuel 2:1, 2 Samuel 5:19, 2 Samuel 5:23, 2 Samuel 16:23).1 It is most likely that David and Saul sought the Lord’s guidance on the very same day (although for different reasons and through different means).
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.