1 Samuel 20:22-32

22 "But if I say to the youth, '¹Behold, the arrows are beyond * you,' go, for the LORD has sent you away.

23 "²As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, ³the LORD is between you and me forever *."

24 So David hid in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food.

25 The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul's side, but ⁴David's place was empty.

26 Nevertheless Saul did not speak anything that day, for he thought, "It is an accident, ⁵he is not clean, surely he is not clean."

27 It came about the next day, the second day of the new moon, that David's place was empty; so Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has the son of Jesse not come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"

28 Jonathan then answered Saul, "⁶David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem,

29 for he said, 'Please let me go, since our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to attend. And now, if I have found favor in your sight, please let me get away that I may see my brothers.' For this reason * he has not come to the king's table."

Saul Is Angry with Jonathan

30 Then Saul's anger burned against Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you are choosing the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness?

31 "For as long * as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Therefore now, send and bring him to me, for ⁷he must surely die."

32 But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "⁸Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"

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1 Samuel 20:22-32 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 20

David fleeing from Naioth came to Jonathan, and acquainted him with his circumstances, and entreated his favour, 1Sa 20:1-8; which Jonathan promised, and renewed the covenant with him, 1Sa 20:9-17; a scheme was formed between them, by which David might know whether Saul was reconciled to him, and he might come to court, 1Sa 20:18-23; which being tried, Jonathan found it was not safe for him to appear, 1Sa 20:24-34; of which he gave notice by the signals agreed on, 1Sa 20:35-40; and they took their leave of one another with strong expressions of affection and attachment to each other, 1Sa 20:41,42.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 8

1. 1 Samuel 20:37
2. 1 Samuel 20:14, 15
3. Genesis 31:49, 53; 1 Samuel 20:42
4. 1 Samuel 20:18
5. Leviticus 7:20, 21; Leviticus 15:5; 1 Samuel 16:5
6. 1 Samuel 20:6
7. 2 Samuel 12:5
8. Genesis 31:36; 1 Samuel 19:5; Proverbs 31:9; Matthew 27:23

Footnotes 5

[a]. Lit "say thus"
[b]. Lit "word"
[c]. Lit "send me away"
[d]. Lit "all the days which"
[e]. Lit "is a son of death"