1 Samuel 20:26

26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he [is] not clean; surely he [is] not clean.

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 himself in the field: and when the new-moon had come, the king sat down to eat food.

25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, [even] upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

26 Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he [is] not clean; surely he [is] not clean.

27 And it came to pass on the morrow, [which was] the second [day] of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why cometh not the son of Jesse to eat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?

28 And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked [leave] of me [to go] to Beth-lehem: