1 Samuel 20:1-15

Jonathan Warns David

1 Then David fled from Naioth ¹in 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?"

2 And 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."

3 But David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that ²I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, ³as the LORD lives and ⁴as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."

4 Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you say, I will do for you."

5 David said to Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is ⁵the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, ⁶that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.

6 ⁷If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me to run ⁸to Bethlehem his city, for there is a yearly ⁹sacrifice there for all the clan.'

7 If he says, 'Good!' it will be well with your servant, but if he is angry, then know that ¹⁰harm is determined by him.

8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant, ¹¹for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. ¹²But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?"

9 And Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! If I knew that ¹³it was determined by my father that harm should come to you, would I not tell you?"

10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?"

11 And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So they both went out into the field.

12 And Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness!^[a] 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?

13 But should it please my father to do you harm, ¹⁴the 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. ¹⁵May the LORD be with you, as he has been with my father.

14 If I am still alive, show me the steadfast love of the LORD, that I may not die;

15 ¹⁶and do not cut off^[b] 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."

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1 Samuel 20:1-15 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 16

1. 1 Samuel 1:19
2. See Genesis 33:15
3. 1 Samuel 25:26; 2 Kgs. 2:2, 4, 6; 2 Kings 4:30; See Ruth 3:13
4. 1 Samuel 1:26
5. ver. 18; Numbers 10:10; Numbers 28:11
6. 1 Samuel 19:2, 3
7. ver. 18
8. 1 Samuel 16:4
9. [1 Samuel 9:12]
10. 1 Samuel 25:17; Esther 7:7; [ver. 33]
11. ver. 16, 42; 1 Samuel 18:3; 1 Samuel 23:18; [2 Samuel 21:7]
12. 2 Samuel 14:32
13. [See ver. 7 above]
14. [Ruth 1:17]
15. Joshua 1:5, 17; 1 Kings 1:37; 1 Chronicles 22:11, 16; [1 Samuel 17:37]
16. 2 Sam. 9:1, 3, 7; 2 Samuel 21:7

Footnotes 2

[a]. Hebrew lacks be witness
[b]. Or but if I die, do not cut off

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.