1 Samuel 20
20
Jonathan Warns David
1Then David fled from Naioth #ch. 1:19in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2And he said to him, “Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so.” 3But David vowed again, saying, “Your father knows well that #See Gen. 33:15 I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, #ch. 25:26; 2 Kgs. 2:2, 4, 6; 4:30; See Ruth 3:13 as the Lord lives and #ch. 1:26as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” 4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” 5David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is #ver. 18; Num. 10:10; 28:11 the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, #ch. 19:2, 3that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening. 6#ver. 18 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run #ch. 16:4 to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly #[ch. 9:12]sacrifice there for all the clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Good!’ it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that #ch. 25:17; Esth. 7:7; [ver. 33]harm is determined by him. 8Therefore deal kindly with your servant, #ver. 16, 42; ch. 18:3; 23:18; [2 Sam. 21:7] for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. #2 Sam. 14:32But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?” 9And Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! If I knew that #[See ver. 7 above]it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?” 10Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?” 11And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So they both went out into the field.
12And Jonathan said to David, “The Lord, the God of Israel, be witness!#20:12 Hebrew lacks be witness When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you? 13But should it please my father to do you harm, #[Ruth 1:17] the Lord do so to Jonathan and more also if I do not disclose it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. #Josh. 1:5, 17; 1 Kgs. 1:37; 1 Chr. 22:11, 16; [ch. 17:37]May the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the Lord, that I may not die; 15#2 Sam. 9:1, 3, 7; 21:7and do not cut off#20:15 Or but if I die, do not cut off your steadfast love from my house forever, when the Lord cuts off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.” 16And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, #[ch. 25:22; Josh. 22:23]“May#20:16 Septuagint earth, 16 let not the name of Jonathan be cut off from the house of David. And may the Lord take vengeance on David’s enemies.” 17And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, #ch. 18:1, 3for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
18Then Jonathan said to him, #ver. 5 “Tomorrow is the new moon, and #ver. 6 you will be missed, because #ver. 25, 27your seat will be empty. 19On the third day go down quickly to the place where you hid yourself when the matter was in hand, and remain beside the stone heap.#20:19 Septuagint; Hebrew the stone Ezel 20And I will shoot three arrows to the side of it, as though I shot at a mark. 21And behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,’ then you are to come, for, #ver. 3; See Ruth 3:13as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger. 22But if I say to the youth, #ver. 37‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then go, for the Lord has sent you away. 23#ver. 14, 15 And as for the matter of which you and I have spoken, behold, #ver. 42the Lord is between you and me forever.”
24So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. 25The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite,#20:25 Compare Septuagint; Hebrew stood up and Abner sat by Saul’s side, #ver. 18but David’s place was empty.
26Yet Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. #Lev. 7:21; See Lev. 11:24-28; 15:1-4He is not clean; surely he is not clean.” 27But on #[ver. 34] the second day, the day after the new moon, #[See ver. 25 above]David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan answered Saul, #ver. 6“David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.’ For this reason he has not come to the king’s table.”
30Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” 32Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, #ch. 19:5“Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33#ch. 18:11; 19:10 But Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him. So Jonathan knew #ver. 7that his father was determined to put David to death. 34And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him.
35In the morning Jonathan went out into the field to the appointment with David, and with him a little boy. 36And he said to his boy, “Run and find the arrows that I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37And when the boy came to the place of the arrow that Jonathan had shot, Jonathan called after the boy and said, #ver. 22“Is not the arrow beyond you?” 38And Jonathan called after the boy, “Hurry! Be quick! Do not stay!” So Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows and came to his master. 39But the boy knew nothing. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter. 40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go and carry them to the city.” 41And as soon as the boy had gone, David rose from beside the stone heap#20:41 Septuagint; Hebrew from beside the south and fell on his face to the ground and bowed three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another, David weeping the most. 42Then Jonathan said to David, #ver. 13; ch. 1:17 “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, #ver. 23 ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, #ver. 15and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.#20:42 This sentence is 21:1 in Hebrew
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1 Samuel 20: ESV
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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Shmuel Alef 20
20
1And Dovid fled from Nayot in Ramah, and came and said before Yonatan, What have I done? What is mine avon? And what is my chattat before avicha, that he seeketh my nefesh?
2And he said unto him, Chalilah (may it never be!); thou shalt not die: hinei, avi will do nothing either gadol or katon, but that he will reveal it to me; and why should avi hide this thing from me? It is not so.
3And Dovid took an oath, moreover, and said, Avicha certainly knoweth that I have found chen in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Yonatan know this, lest he be grieved; but truly as Hashem liveth, and as thy nefesh liveth, there is hardly a peysah (step) between me and mavet.
4Then said Yonatan unto Dovid, Whatsoever thy nefesh saith, I will even do it for thee.
5And Dovid said unto Yonatan, Hinei, makhar (tomorrow) is Rosh Chodesh, and I should not fail to sit with HaMelech for tish; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the sadeh unto the erev hashlishit.
6If avicha at all miss me, then say, Dovid earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beit-Lechem his town; for there is a zevach hayamim there for kol mishpakhat.
7If he say thus, It is tov; thy eved shall have shalom; but if he be very wrathful, then be sure that ra'ah is determined by him.
8Therefore thou shalt deal with chesed unto thy eved; for thou hast brought thy eved into Brit Hashem with thee; notwithstanding, if there be in me avon (iniquity), slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to avicha?
9And Yonatan said, Chalilah (far be it) from thee; for if I had da'as certainly that ra'ah were determined by Avi to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
10Then said Dovid to Yonatan, Who shall tell me? Or what if avicha answer thee roughly?
11And Yonatan said unto Dovid, Come, and let us go out into the sadeh. And they went out both of them into the sadeh.
12And Yonatan said unto Dovid, Hashem Elohei Yisroel, when I have sounded out Avi at this time on Yom HaShishi from now, and, hinei, if there be tov toward Dovid, and I then send not unto thee, and reveal it in thy ozen (ear);
13 Hashem do so and much more to Yonatan; but if it please Avi to do thee ra'ah, then I will reveal it in thy ozen (ear), and send thee away, that thou mayest go in shalom; and Hashem be with thee, as He hath been with Avi.
14And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the chesed Hashem, that I die not;
15But also thou shalt not cut off thy chesed from my bais ad olam; no, not when Hashem hath cut off the oyevim of Dovid, every one from the pnei ha'adamah.
16So Yonatan made Brit with the Bais Dovid, saying, Let Hashem even require it at the hands of the oyevim of Dovid.
17And Yonatan caused Dovid to swear a shevua again, because he loved him; for he loved him with the ahavat nafsho (with the love of his own nefesh, self).
18Then Yonatan said to Dovid, Makhar (tomorrow) is Rosh Chodesh; and thou shalt be missed, because thy moshav (seat) will be empty.
19And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the makom (place) where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the ma'aseh (deed),#20:19 i.e. the eventful earlier day, see 20:12 and shalt remain by the even (stone) Ezel.
20And I will shoot three khitzim (arrows) on the side thereof, as though I shot at a matarah (target).
21And, hinei, I will send a na'ar, saying, Go, find the khitzim (arrows). If I expressly say unto the na'ar, Hinei, the khitzim (arrows) are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou, for there is shalom to thee, and no davar (problem, concern); as Hashem liveth.
22But if I say thus unto the elem (youth, young man), Hinei, the khitzim (arrows) are beyond thee, go thy way; for Hashem hath sent thee away.
23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, hinei, Hashem be between thee and me ad olam.
24So Dovid hid himself in the sadeh; and when Rosh Chodesh was come, HaMelech sat him down to eat lechem.
25And HaMelech sat upon his moshav (seat), as at other times, even upon a moshav by the wall; and Yonatan arose, and Avner sat by Sha'ulʼs side, and Dovidʼs makom (place) was empty.
26Nevertheless Sha'ul spoke not anything that day; for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not tahor; surely he is not tahor.
27And it came to pass on the day after Rosh Chodesh, which was the second day of the month, that Dovidʼs makom was empty; and Sha'ul said unto Yonatan bno, Wherefore cometh not Ben Yishai to halechem neither yesterday, nor today?
28And Yonatan answered Sha'ul, Dovid earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beit-Lechem;
29And he said, Let me go, now; for we have mishpakhat zevach in the Ir; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there; and now, if I have found chen in thine eyes, let me get away, now, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the Shulchan HaMelech.
30Then af Sha'ul (anger of Sha'ul) was kindled against Yonatan, and he said unto him, Thou ben of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I have da'as that thou hast chosen Ben Yishai to thine own shame, and unto the shame of ervat immecha (thy motherʼs nakedness)?
31For as long as Ben Yishai liveth al ha'adamah (upon the earth) thou shalt not be established, nor malkhutecha (thy kingdom). Wherefore now send and bring him unto me, for he is ben mavet (son of death, he shall surely die).
32And Yonatan answered Sha'ul Aviv, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? What hath he done?
33And Sha'ul cast the khanit (spear) at him to strike him dead; whereby Yonatan knew that it was determined of Aviv to slay Dovid.
34So Yonatan arose from the shulchan in chari af (fierce anger), and did eat no lechem the second day of the month; for he was grieved for Dovid, because Aviv had shamefully humiliated him.
35And it came to pass in the boker, that Yonatan went out into the sadeh at the mo'ed (appointed time) with Dovid, and a na'ar katon with him.
36And he said unto his na'ar, Run, find out now the khitzim (arrows) which I shoot. And as the na'ar ran, he shot a khetz beyond him.
37And when the na'ar was come to the makom of the khetz which Yonatan had shot, Yonatan cried after the na'ar, and said, Is not the khetz beyond thee?
38And Yonatan cried after the na'ar, Make speed, haste, stay not. And na'ar Yonatan gathered up the khitzim (arrows), and came to his adon.
39But the na'ar had no da'as of anything; only Yonatan and Dovid knew the davar (matter).
40And Yonatan gave his weapons unto his na'ar, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the Ir.
41And as soon as the na'ar was gone, Dovid arose out of a place toward the negev (south), and fell on his face to the ground, and prostrated himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until Dovid wept exceedingly.
42And Yonatan said to Dovid, Go in shalom, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the Shem of Hashem, saying, Hashem be between me and thee, and between my zera and thy zera ad olam. [21:1] And he arose and departed: and Yonatan went into the Ir.
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