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.

David Seeks Confirmation of Saul's Intent

David fled from the prophets' dormitory in Ramah, returned to Y'honatan and said, "What have I done? Where have I gone wrong? What sin have I committed that makes your father want to take my life?"

Y'honatan replied,"Heaven forbid! You're not going to die! Look, my father does nothing important or unimportant without telling me first; so why should my father hide this from me? It just won't happen!"

In response David swore, "Your father knows very well that you have made me your friend. This is why he will say, 'Y'honatan must not know this, or he will be unhappy.'As truly as ADONAI lives, and as truly as you are alive, there is only a step between me and death."

Y'honatan said to David, "Anything you want me to do for you, I'll do."

David answered Y'honatan, "Look, tomorrow is Rosh-Hodesh, and I ought to be dining with the king. Instead, let me go and hide myself in the countryside until evening of the third day.

If your father misses me at all, say, 'David begged me to let him hurry to Beit-Lechem, his city; because it's the annual sacrifice there for his whole family.'

If he says, 'Very good,' then your servant will be all right. But if he gets angry, you will know that he has planned something bad.

Therefore show kindness to your servant, for you bound your servant to yourself by a covenant before ADONAI. But if I have done something wrong, kill me yourself! Why turn me over to your father?"

Y'honatan said, "Heaven forbid! If I ever were to learn that my father had definitely decided to do you harm, wouldn't I tell you?"

Then David asked Y'honatan, "Who will tell me in the event your father gives you a harsh answer?"

Y'honatan said to David, "Come, let's go out in the countryside." They went out, both of them, to the countryside.

The Covenant Renewed and the Test Planned

Y'honatan said to David, "ADONAI, the God of Isra'el [is witness]: after I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, then, if things look good for David, I will send and let you know.

But if my father intends to do you harm, may ADONAI do as much and more to me if I don't let you know and send you away, so that you can go in peace. And may ADONAI be with you, just as he used to be with my father.

However, you are to show me ADONAI's kindness not only while I am alive, so that I do not die;

but also, after ADONAI has eliminated every one of David's enemies from the face of the earth, you are to continue showing kindness to my family forever."

Thus Y'honatan made a covenant with the family of David, adding, "May ADONAI seek its fulfillment even through David's enemies."

Y'honatan had David swear it again, because of the love he had for him - he loved him as he loved himself.

Y'honatan said to him, "Tomorrow is Rosh-Hodesh, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

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

I will shoot three arrows to one side, as if I were shooting at a target.

Then I will send my boy to recover them. If I tell the boy, 'They're here on this side of you, take them,' then come - it means that everything is peaceful for you; as ADONAI lives, there's nothing wrong.

But if I tell the boy, 'The arrows are out there, beyond you,' then get going, because ADONAI is sending you away.

As for the matter we discussed earlier, ADONAI is between you and me forever."

Saul’s Fury at the New Moon Feast

So David hid himself in the countryside. When Rosh-Hodesh came, the king sat down to eat his meal.

The king sat at his usual place by the wall. Y'honatan stood up, and Avner sat next to Sha'ul, but David's place was empty.

However, Sha'ul didn't say anything that day; because he thought, "Something has happened to him, he is unclean. Yes, that's it, he isn't clean."

The day after Rosh-Hodesh, the second day, David's place was empty; and Sha'ul said to Y'honatan his son, "Why hasn't Yishai's son come to the meal either yesterday or today?"

Y'honatan answered Sha'ul, "David begged me to let him go to Beit-Lechem.

He said, 'Please let me go, because our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother demanded that I come. So now, if you look on me favorably, please let me get away and see my brothers.' That's why he hasn't come to the king's table."

At that Sha'ul flew into a rage at Y'honatan and said, "You crooked rebel! Don't I know that you've made this son of Yishai your best friend? You don't care that you're shaming yourself and dishonoring your mother, do you?

Because as long as the son of Yishai lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be secure. Now send and bring him here to me - he deserves to die."

Y'honatan answered Sha'ul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done?"

But Sha'ul threw his spear at him, aiming to kill; Y'honatan could no longer doubt that his father was determined to put David to death.

Y'honatan got up from the table in a fury, and he ate no food the second day of the month, both because he was upset over David and because his father had put him to shame.

Jonathan Confirms the Danger and They Part

The next morning Y'honatan went out into the country at the time he had arranged with David, taking with him a young boy.

He told the boy, "Now run and find the arrows I'm about to shoot."As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

When the boy reached the place where the arrow was that Y'honatan had shot, Y'honatan shouted at the boy,"Isn't the arrow beyond you?"

Y'honatan continued shouting after the boy, "Quick! Hurry! Don't just stand there!" Y'honatan's boy gathered the arrows and returned to his master,

but the boy didn't understand anything about the matter - only Y'honatan and David understood.

Y'honatan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."

As soon as the boy had gone, David got up from a place south of the stone, fell face down on the ground and prostrated himself three times; and they kissed one another and wept each with the other until it became too much for David.

Y'honatan said to David, "Go in peace; because we have sworn, both of us, in the name of ADONAI, that ADONAI will be between me and you, and between my descendants and yours, forever."

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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