1 Samuel 20:26

26 Saul didn't say anything that day because he thought, Perhaps David became unclean somehow. That must be it.

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. When the new moon came, the king sat at the feast to eat.

25 He took his customary seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite him while Abner sat beside Saul. David's seat was empty.

26 Saul didn't say anything that day because he thought, Perhaps David became unclean somehow. That must be it.

27 But on the next day, the second of the new moon, David's seat was still empty. Saul said to his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't Jesse's son come to the table, either yesterday or today?"

28 Jonathan answered Saul, "David begged my permission to go to Bethlehem.