1 Samuel 20:31

31 For in all the days in which the son of Jesse liveth on [the] earth, thou shalt not be stablished, neither thy realm (thou shalt not be secure, nor shall thy kingdom); therefore right now/at once send thou, and bring him to me, for he is the son of death.

1 Samuel 20:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:31

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou
shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom
He would not, though heir to the crown, be sure of it; it would be precarious to him, he would be in great danger of being deprived of it on the death of his father; and therefore it would be his highest wisdom to deliver David up to be slain, as it was his greatest folly to protect him, and provide for his satiety:

wherefore now send and fetch him unto me;
send to Bethlehem for him to come to court directly:

for he shall surely die;
or he is "the son of death" ^F7; guilty of death, as the Targum, deserves to die, and Saul was determined upon his death if possible.

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FOOTNOTES:

F7 (twm Nb) "filius mortis", V. L. Montanus, Vatablus, Piscator; "reus mortis", Junius & Tremellius.

1 Samuel 20:31 In-Context

29 and he said, Suffer thou me, for solemn sacrifice is (now) in my city; one of my brethren [hath] called me; now therefore, if I [have] found grace in thine eyes, I shall go soon, and I shall see my brethren (I shall go swiftly, and I shall see my brothers); for this cause he cometh not to the table of the king.

30 And Saul was wroth against Jonathan, and said to him, Thou son of the woman willfully ravishing a man (Thou son of the woman who willfully robbeth a man), whether I know not, that thou lovest the son of Jesse into thy [own] confusion, and into the confusion of thy shameful mother?

31 For in all the days in which the son of Jesse liveth on [the] earth, thou shalt not be stablished, neither thy realm (thou shalt not be secure, nor shall thy kingdom); therefore right now/at once send thou, and bring him to me, for he is the son of death.

32 And Jonathan answered to Saul his father, and said, Why shall he die? what hath he done?

33 And Saul took a spear, that he should smite him, and Jonathan understood, that it was determined of his father, that David should be slain (and Jonathan understood that his father was determined to kill David).