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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1 Samuel 20
20
David Consults with Jonathan. 1David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went to Jonathan. “What have I done?” he asked him. “What crime or what offense does your father hold against me that he seeks my life?”#1 Sm 19:1–7, 11–17; 21:11; 27:4; Gn 31:36. 2Jonathan answered him: “Heaven forbid that you should die! My father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. Why, then, should my father conceal this from me? It cannot be true!” 3But David replied: “Your father is well aware that I am favored with your friendship, so he has decided, ‘Jonathan must not know about this or he will be grieved.’ Nevertheless, as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.” 4Jonathan then said to David, “I will do whatever you say.” 5David answered: “Tomorrow is the new moon, when I should in fact dine with the king. Let me go and hide in the open country until evening.#Nm 10:10; 28:11–15; Ezr 3:5; Neh 10:34. 6If it turns out that your father misses me, say, ‘David urged me to let him go on short notice to his city Bethlehem, because his whole clan is holding its seasonal sacrifice there.’#1 Sm 17:12. 7If he says, ‘Very well,’ your servant is safe. But if he becomes quite angry, you can be sure he has planned some harm. 8#1 Sm 18:3; 23:17–18. Do this kindness for your servant because of the Lord’s covenant into which you brought us: if I am guilty, kill me yourself! Why should you give me up to your father?” 9But Jonathan answered: “Not I! If ever I find out that my father is determined to harm you, I will certainly let you know.” 10David then asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father gives you a harsh answer?”
Mutual Agreement. 11Jonathan replied to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” When they were out in the open country together, 12Jonathan said to David: “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, I will sound out my father about this time tomorrow. Whether he is well disposed toward David or not, I will inform you. 13#1 Sm 10:7; 17:37; 18:12, 14; 24:22–23; 2 Sm 9:1–13; 21:7. Should it please my father to bring any harm upon you, may the Lord do thus to Jonathan and more,#See note on 3:17. if I do not inform you of it and send you on your way in peace. May the Lord be with you even as he was with my father. 14Only this: if I am still alive, may you show me the kindness of the Lord. But if I die, 15never cut off your kindness from my house. And when the Lord cuts off all the enemies of David from the face of the land, 16the name of Jonathan must never be cut off from the family of David, or the Lord will make you answer for it.” 17And in his love for David, Jonathan renewed his oath to him, because he loved him as he loved himself.
18Jonathan then said to him: “Tomorrow is the new moon; you will be missed, since your place will be vacant. 19On the third day you will be missed all the more. Go to the spot where you hid on the other occasion and wait near the mound there.#1 Sm 19:1–7. 20On the third day of the month I will shoot arrows to the side of it, as though aiming at a target. 21I will then send my attendant to recover the arrows. If in fact I say to him, ‘Look, the arrow is this side of you; pick it up,’ come, for you are safe. As the Lord lives, there will be nothing to fear. 22But if I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrow is beyond you,’ go, for the Lord sends you away. 23However, in the matter which you and I have discussed, the Lord shall be between you and me forever.” 24So David hid in the open country.
David’s Absence. On the day of the new moon, when the king sat down at the feast to dine, 25he took his usual place against the wall. Jonathan sat facing him, while Abner sat at the king’s side. David’s place was vacant. 26#1 Sm 16:5; Lv 7:20–21; 15:1–3. Saul, however, said nothing that day, for he thought, “He must have become unclean by accident.”#The meal on the first day of the month would have had religious overtones, and a ritual impurity (Lv 15:16; Dt 23:10–12) would have barred David from sharing in it. 27On the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was still vacant. So Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to table yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan explained to Saul: “David pleaded with me to let him go to Bethlehem. 29‘Please let me go,’ he begged, ‘for we are having a clan sacrifice in our city, and my brothers insist on my presence. Now then, if you think well of me, give me leave to visit my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.” 30But Saul grew angry with Jonathan and said to him: “Son of a rebellious woman, do I not know that, to your own disgrace and to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness, you are the companion of Jesse’s son? 31For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, you cannot make good your claim to the kingship!#Your claim to the kingship: Saul admits his intention that Jonathan should succeed him and that David is a threat to his lineage (cf. 23:17). However Jonathan has already acknowledged David’s kingship (18:3–4) and his own subservient role (20:13–16). Now send for him, and bring him to me, for he must die.”#2 Sm 12:5. 32But Jonathan argued with his father Saul: “Why should he die? What has he done?” 33At this Saul brandished his spear to strike him, and thus Jonathan learned that his father was determined to kill David.#1 Sm 18:11. 34Jonathan sprang up from the table in a rage and ate nothing that second day of the month, because he was grieved on David’s account, and because his father had humiliated him.
Jonathan’s Farewell. 35The next morning Jonathan, accompanied by a young boy, went out into the field for his appointment with David. 36There he said to the boy, “Run and find the arrows.” And as the boy ran, he shot an arrow past him. 37When the boy made for the spot where Jonathan had shot the arrow, Jonathan called after him, “The arrow is farther on!” 38Again he called to the boy, “Hurry, be quick, don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy picked up the arrow and brought it to his master. 39The boy suspected nothing; only Jonathan and David knew what was meant. 40Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, “Go, take them to the city.” 41When the boy had gone, David rose from beside the mound and fell on his face to the ground three times in homage. They kissed each other and wept aloud together. 42#2 Sm 9:1; 21:7. At length Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, in keeping with what the two of us have sworn by the name of the Lord: ‘The Lord shall be between you and me, and between your offspring and mine forever.’”
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