1 Samuel 20:26

26 Saul didn't say anything that day, thinking, "Something has happened to him so that he's unclean. He must be unclean."

1 Samuel 20:26 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:26

Nevertheless, Saul spake not anything that day
About David's absence, took no notice of it, said nothing about it:

for he thought something had befallen him;
some impurity, some nocturnal pollution, see ( Leviticus 15:16 ) ;

he [is] not clean, surely he [is] not clean;
which he repeated in his mind for the confirmation of it, and in contempt, and to the reproach of David; and in this way he accounted for his absence the first day, and so was easy, it not being lawful and fitting for an unclean person in a ceremonial sense to eat of the peace offerings, which Saul and his family were now partaking of.

1 Samuel 20:26 In-Context

24 So David hid in the countryside. When the New Moon Festival came, King Saul sat down to eat the festival meal.
25 He sat in his usual seat by the wall, while Jonathan stood. Abner sat beside Saul, but David's place was empty.
26 Saul didn't say anything that day, thinking, "Something has happened to him so that he's unclean. He must be unclean."
27 But on the second day of the month, David's place was still empty. Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't Jesse's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"
28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David repeatedly begged me [to let him go] to Bethlehem.
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