1 Samuel 20:26

26 Saul didn't mention it at the time, thinking, "Something's happened that's made him unclean. That's it - he's probably unclean for the holy meal."

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 David hid in the field. On the holiday of the New Moon, the king came to the table to eat.

25 He sat where he always sat, the place against the wall, with Jonathan across the table and Abner at Saul's side. But David's seat was empty.

26 Saul didn't mention it at the time, thinking, "Something's happened that's made him unclean. That's it - he's probably unclean for the holy meal."

27 But the day after the New Moon, day two of the holiday, David's seat was still empty. Saul asked Jonathan his son, "So where's that son of Jesse? He hasn't eaten with us either yesterday or today."

28 Jonathan said, "David asked my special permission to go to Bethlehem.