1 Samuel 20:22

22 But if I yell to the young man, ‘Hey! The arrow is past you,' then run for it, because the LORD has sent you away.

1 Samuel 20:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:22

But if I say thus unto the young man, behold, the arrows [are]
beyond thee
Being shot to a greater distance than where the young man was:

go thy way, for the Lord hath sent thee away;
then he was to depart directly, without staying to have any conversation with Jonathan, which would not be safe for either of them, and so make the best of his way into the country, and escape for his life; for so it was ordered by the providence of God, that he must not stay, but be gone immediately: the signals were these, that if things were favourable, then he would shoot his arrows on one side of the lad, and David might come out and show himself at once; but if not, he would shoot them beyond him, by which he might know that he must flee for his life.

1 Samuel 20:22 In-Context

20 On the third day I will shoot an arrow to the side of the mound as if aiming at a target.
21 Then I'll send the servant boy, saying, ‘Go retrieve the arrow.' If I yell to the boy, ‘Hey! The arrow is on this side of you. Get it!' then you can come out because it will be safe for you. There won't be any trouble—I make a pledge on the LORD's life.
22 But if I yell to the young man, ‘Hey! The arrow is past you,' then run for it, because the LORD has sent you away.
23 Either way, the LORD is witness between us forever regarding the promise we made to each other."
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat at the feast to eat.
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