1 Samuel 20:24

24 So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.

1 Samuel 20:24 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:24

So David hid himself in the field
Not directly, but at the time appointed; for he went to Bethlehem, and returned from thence before that time:

and when the new moon was come;
the first clay of the month, which was a solemn festival:

the king sat him down to eat meat;
Saul sat down at his table to eat of the provisions that were set upon it; which it is very probable were the peace offerings for that day, which he, his family, and nobles, feasted on together; it is in the Hebrew, "he sat down at the bread" {b}, which is put for all the food on the table, and the provisions of it.

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 (Mxlh le) "ad [vel] juxta panem", Pagninus, Montanus.

1 Samuel 20:24 In-Context

22 But if I tell him, ‘Go farther—the arrows are still ahead of you,’ then it will mean that you must leave immediately, for the LORD is sending you away.

23 And may the LORD make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”

24 So David hid himself in the field, and when the new moon festival began, the king sat down to eat.

25 He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty.

26 Saul didn’t say anything about it that day, for he said to himself, “Something must have made David ceremonially unclean.”