1 Samuel 20:19

And [when] thou hast stayed three days, [then] thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was [in hand], and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

And when thou hast stayed three days {H8027}, then thou shalt go down {H3381} quickly {H3966}, and come {H935} to the place {H4725} where thou didst hide {H5641} thyself when {H3117} the business {H4639} was in hand, and shalt remain {H3427} by {H681} the stone {H68} Ezel {H237}.

The third day, hide yourself well in the same place as you did before; stay by the Departure Stone.

When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel.

And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

Commentary

1 Samuel 20:19 is a crucial verse in the dramatic unfolding of the relationship between David and Jonathan, detailing a precise instruction within their secret plan to discern King Saul's intentions toward David.

Context

This verse is part of a desperate and elaborate scheme concocted by Jonathan to protect his dear friend David from the increasingly erratic and murderous jealousy of his father, King Saul. David had already fled Saul's court multiple times and was now in hiding. Jonathan, despite being Saul's son and heir to the throne, had forged a deep bond with David, rooted in a covenant of loyalty. This specific instruction comes after David expressed his fear for his life and Jonathan promised to discover Saul's true feelings at the upcoming New Moon feast. The plan involves Jonathan shooting arrows as a signal: if he tells his boy to find the arrows "on this side," David is safe; if he says "beyond thee," David must flee.

Key Themes

  • Loyalty and Friendship: The verse highlights the extraordinary depth of Jonathan's friendship with David, as he risks his own life and royal future to save his friend.
  • Imminent Danger: It underscores the severe threat to David's life, necessitating such a clandestine and detailed plan. The phrase "when the business was in hand" implies previous instances where David had to hide from Saul.
  • Strategic Communication: The meticulous instructions about the timing ("three days"), the urgency ("go down quickly"), and the specific location ("stone Ezel") reveal the careful planning required for survival in a hostile environment.
  • Divine Providence: Although not explicitly stated in this verse, the larger narrative suggests God's hand in protecting David through Jonathan's faithfulness, paving the way for David's future kingship.

Linguistic Insights

The location specified, the "stone Ezel" (Hebrew: ืึถื‘ึถืŸ ื”ึธืึถื–ึถืœ, สผEben hฤสผEzel), is particularly significant. The Hebrew word สผEzel means "departure" or "separation." This name is highly symbolic, as this secret meeting by the stone would indeed mark David's final departure from Saul's court and the beginning of his long period as a fugitive. It was the point of a painful, yet necessary, separation from his closest friend and the life he knew, driven by King Saul's escalating jealousy and murderous intent.

Practical Application

This verse offers powerful lessons for today:

  • Value of True Friendship: It reminds us of the invaluable nature of loyal friends who stand by us, even in perilous times, echoing the sentiment of Proverbs 17:17, "A friend loveth at all times."
  • Wisdom in Adversity: David and Jonathan's careful planning teaches us the importance of prudence and strategic thinking when facing difficult or dangerous situations.
  • Trust in God's Protection: Even in moments of great uncertainty and danger, the narrative implicitly points to God's overarching care for His chosen servant, David, through the means of a faithful friend. We too can trust in God's guidance and provision in our own trials.
Note: Commentary was generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit.

Please remember that only the commentary section is AI-generated. The main Scripture and cross-references are stored on the site and are sourced from trusted and verified materials.
David on the Run from Saul The Friendship of David and Jonathan 7 Things You Didn't Know About King David Lessons in Friendship from David and Jonathan Jonathan: A Model of True Friendship

Cross-References

  • 1 Samuel 19:2

    But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret [place], and hide thyself:

  • 1 Samuel 20:5

    And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow [is] the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third [day] at even.
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