1 Samuel20

David, fearing King Saul's murderous intent, seeks counsel from Jonathan. They establish a solemn covenant of friendship, and Jonathan agrees to ascertain his father's true disposition towards David during the New Moon feast. Upon discovering Saul's unwavering desire to kill David, Jonathan secretly signals David to flee, leading to their tearful farewell.

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David Seeks Confirmation of Saul's Intent

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

And he said unto him, Far from it; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found favor in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

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.

If thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.

Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?

And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

The Covenant Renewed and the Test Planned

And Jonathan said unto David, Jehovah, the God of Israel, be witness: when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?

Jehovah do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do thee evil, if I disclose it not unto thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and Jehovah be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

And thou shalt not only while yet I live show me the lovingkindness of Jehovah, that I die not;

but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever; no, not when Jehovah hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said unto him, To-morrow is the new moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

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.

And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah liveth.

But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away.

And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me for ever.

Saul’s Fury at the New Moon Feast

So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food.

And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side: but David’s place was empty.

Nevertheless Saul spake not anything that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?

And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem:

and he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he is not come unto the king’s table.

Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own shame, and unto the shame of thy mother’s nakedness?

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done?

And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death.

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

Jonathan Confirms the Danger and They Part

And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.

And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

Study Notes for 1 Samuel 20

Verse 1

David appeals to Jonathan based on justice and innocence, highlighting the extreme danger of remaining near Saul. Naioth in Ramah was where David had sought refuge with Samuel (19:18).

Verse 2

Jonathan, still loyal to his father, initially struggles to accept the depth of Saul’s relentless paranoia. He believes Saul would not conceal such a major plan from his own son and heir.

Verse 3

David’s oath, 'as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth,' emphasizes the seriousness of the peril. The phrase 'but a step between me and death' vividly portrays the imminent threat posed by the king.

Verse 5

The New Moon was a major monthly religious festival (Numbers 28:11-15) requiring the king and high officials to attend a ceremonial meal, making David’s absence immediately noticeable.

Verse 6

David proposes a fabricated excuse (a family gathering/sacrifice in Bethlehem), demonstrating the need for careful deception to navigate Saul's dangerous court.

Verse 8

David reminds Jonathan of their sacred 'covenant of the LORD' (see 18:3). By grounding their friendship in a divine oath, David elevates their bond above personal politics or family loyalty.

Verse 12

Jonathan invokes the LORD God of Israel, turning their private conversation into a formal, binding oath regarding David’s immediate future and the longevity of their relationship.

Verse 13

Jonathan implicitly acknowledges David’s destiny by praying that the Lord be with David 'as he hath been with my father,' recognizing David’s divine election over his own claim to the throne.

Verse 14

Jonathan asks David to show him the 'kindness of the LORD' (Hebrew: *hesed*—loyal love/covenant faithfulness), a request that is extended to his descendants in the following verse.

Verse 15

This request secures the safety of Jonathan’s lineage when David eventually establishes his kingdom, demonstrating Jonathan’s foresight and commitment to his family's survival.

Verse 16

The covenant is specifically made with 'the house of David,' confirming that Jonathan understood David was destined to found a dynasty and sought protection for his own family under David's future rule.

Verse 17

The narrator emphasizes the extraordinary depth of Jonathan’s love for David, comparing it to self-love. This intense affection drives Jonathan to prioritize David's safety over his own royal prospects.

Verse 19

The 'stone Ezel' (possibly meaning 'stone of the departure' or 'way') serves as the prearranged, secret meeting point, illustrating the necessity of caution in their communication.

Verse 22

The signal ('the arrows are beyond thee') is the clear, coded message confirming that Saul intends to kill David, indicating David must flee immediately and permanently.

Verse 24

David’s immediate hiding indicates his full trust in Jonathan’s plan and his acceptance of the status of an outcast, confirming he has completely broken with the court.

Verse 26

Saul’s initial silence is based on ritual purity laws (Leviticus 15); he assumes David is absent because he has become temporarily unclean due to some physical occurrence.

Verse 27

When David is absent on the second day, Saul realizes the absence is intentional and political, not ritual, leading to his furious confrontation with Jonathan.

Verse 30

Saul's vicious verbal attack—insulting Jonathan's mother and calling him a traitor—shows his uncontrolled rage and paranoia, demonstrating a complete breakdown of royal composure.

Verse 31

Saul explicitly links David’s survival to the destruction of Jonathan's dynastic prospects. This reveals that Saul’s persecution is rooted in a clear political calculation regarding succession.

Verse 32

Jonathan courageously defends David based on justice ('what hath he done?'), directly challenging his father’s arbitrary tyranny and injustice.

Verse 33

Saul’s attempt to kill his own son confirms that his murderous rage extends beyond David to anyone who supports him. This act irrevocably severs the father-son relationship.

Verse 34

Jonathan’s intense anger stems from grief for David’s plight and deep shame that his father acted so dishonorably and violently against his own family.

Verse 37

By shouting, 'Is not the arrow beyond thee?' Jonathan publicly delivers the coded message of danger, while maintaining the appearance of a normal archery exercise to the unsuspecting lad.

Verse 41

David’s three deep bows show profound respect and gratitude. Their intense weeping reflects the sorrow of their necessary separation, knowing their friendship—and David’s life—was forcing a permanent break.

Verse 42

This final farewell confirms the eternal nature of the covenant sworn 'in the name of the LORD.' This promise ensures future peace between their two houses, later fulfilled when David provided for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 9).

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1 Samuel20

David Seeks Confirmation of Saul's Intent

The Covenant Renewed and the Test Planned

Saul’s Fury at the New Moon Feast

Jonathan Confirms the Danger and They Part

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