1 Samuel 20

In this chapter, David’s friendship with Jonathan is tested as Saul’s attempts to kill David intensify. Jonathan, Saul’s son, seeks to protect David, but he must balance his loyalty to his father and his friendship with David. The chapter explores themes of loyalty, covenant, and divine protection, culminating in an emotional farewell between David and Jonathan.

1 Samuel 20:1 (NKJV)
1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”

David is confused and distressed by Saul's persistent desire to kill him. He turns to Jonathan, questioning what he could have done wrong to deserve this. David cannot understand why Saul is so intent on ending his life when he has been loyal and faithful to the king. This verse reveals David’s innocence and the depth of his relationship with Jonathan, as he seeks understanding and protection.

1 Samuel 20:2 (NKJV)
2 So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”

Jonathan tries to reassure David that his life is not in danger, trusting that his father would not act without informing him. Jonathan is confident that Saul would not conceal such a serious matter from him, but his understanding of his father’s intentions is naive. This highlights Jonathan’s trust in both David and his father, showing his belief that peace is still possible between them.

1 Samuel 20:3 (NKJV)
3 Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

David insists that Saul is hiding his plans from Jonathan because of their close friendship. David perceives the danger he is in, recognizing that Saul will stop at nothing to kill him. His words reflect his deep fear and urgency, emphasizing the seriousness of his situation. David's statement that there is "but a step between me and death" underlines his constant peril.

1 Samuel 20:4 (NKJV)
4 So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”

Jonathan expresses his unwavering loyalty to David, willing to do whatever it takes to protect him. This shows the depth of their bond and Jonathan’s readiness to go against his father if necessary. Jonathan’s offer reveals his commitment to David, despite the personal and political risks involved.

1 Samuel 20:5 (NKJV)
5 And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.”

David comes up with a plan to test Saul’s intentions by not attending the New Moon feast, a significant event where his absence would be noticed. By hiding in the field, David hopes to gauge Saul’s reaction through Jonathan, confirming whether or not Saul truly intends to harm him. David's strategy reflects his cautious nature and desire to avoid confrontation, while still seeking clarity.

1 Samuel 20:6-7 (NKJV)
6 If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’
7 If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.

David instructs Jonathan to use a family event as an excuse for his absence. If Saul accepts this explanation peacefully, it will indicate that David is safe. However, if Saul becomes angry, it will confirm his malicious intent. This plan hinges on Saul's reaction, making it a decisive moment for David and Jonathan to understand Saul’s true feelings.

1 Samuel 20:8 (NKJV)
8 Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”

David appeals to the covenant he made with Jonathan, asking for loyalty and fairness. He places himself in Jonathan’s hands, trusting him completely. If Jonathan believes David is guilty of wrongdoing, David would rather Jonathan kill him than be handed over to Saul. This underscores David’s integrity and the trust he places in his friend.

1 Samuel 20:9 (NKJV)
9 But Jonathan said, “Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?”

Jonathan assures David that if he were aware of any plot against him, he would have already warned him. Jonathan’s response demonstrates his strong commitment to David and his willingness to protect him, even at the cost of defying his father. This verse shows Jonathan’s inner conflict but also his steadfast loyalty.

1 Samuel 20:10 (NKJV)
10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?”

David expresses concern about how he will receive the news of Saul’s intentions. He trusts Jonathan but is unsure how they will communicate safely if Saul reacts badly. This reflects David’s cautious and strategic mindset, as he is always thinking ahead about potential dangers.

1 Samuel 20:11-13 (NKJV)
11 And Jonathan said to David, “Come, let us go out into the field.” So both of them went out into the field.
12 Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,
13 may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.

Jonathan suggests moving to the field for privacy. There, he swears an oath to David, invoking God as a witness to his promise. He vows to find out Saul’s intentions and inform David, ensuring his safety if danger is imminent. Jonathan's mention of God reflects his spiritual integrity and commitment to doing what is right, even if it means going against his own father. He also expresses a prayerful wish that God’s favor will be with David, just as it was with Saul before Saul’s downfall.

1 Samuel 20:14-15 (NKJV)
14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die;
15 but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth.

Jonathan asks David to show kindness to him and his descendants, even after David becomes king and when his enemies are defeated. Jonathan is aware of David’s future success and is concerned about the long-term wellbeing of his family. This request is part of their covenant and shows Jonathan’s humility and foresight.

1 Samuel 20:16-17 (NKJV)
16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
17 Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Jonathan formalizes his covenant with David, asking God to hold David accountable for any harm done to his family in the future. Jonathan's love for David is deeply sincere and selfless, akin to his own life. This further strengthens their bond and ensures mutual loyalty, despite the looming threat from Saul. Their friendship is built on love, faith, and trust, which transcends their circumstances.

1 Samuel 20:18-19 (NKJV)
18 Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.
19 And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel.

Jonathan reminds David of the New Moon feast, where his absence will be noticeable, and instructs him on where to hide after three days. The reference to the stone Ezel signifies a previous event when David hid from Saul. Jonathan’s careful instructions show his desire to protect David, while also ensuring that the plan to test Saul’s intentions is successful.

1 Samuel 20:20-21 (NKJV)
20 Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target;
21 and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm.

Jonathan devises a covert signal using arrows to communicate Saul’s response. If he tells the boy retrieving the arrows that they are nearby, it will signal safety for David. This method allows Jonathan to convey the message to David without arousing suspicion. Jonathan’s cleverness shows his strategic thinking and deep care for David’s wellbeing.

1 Samuel 20:22-23 (NKJV)
22 But if I say thus to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you’—go your way, for the Lord has sent you away.
23 And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”

Jonathan continues his plan by explaining that if the arrows go beyond the boy, it will mean David must flee for his life. He invokes the Lord’s presence between them, reaffirming their covenant. Jonathan’s language reflects the depth of their friendship and his reliance on God to uphold the promises they have made. Even in parting, their bond remains unshaken.

1 Samuel 20:24-26 (NKJV)
24 Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast.
25 Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.
26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is unclean.”

David follows the plan and hides in the field while Saul sits down to the New Moon feast. The empty seat raises Saul’s suspicions, but he assumes David is ceremonially unclean and unable to attend. Saul’s initial silence suggests that he does not immediately suspect David of anything beyond ritual impurity, showing that David’s absence was expected under certain conditions.

1 Samuel 20:27-29 (NKJV)
27 And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”
28 So Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.
29 And he said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.”

On the second day of the feast, Saul questions David’s absence. Jonathan provides the agreed-upon excuse, explaining that David went to Bethlehem for a family sacrifice. This lie is intended to keep David safe, but it also puts Jonathan in a delicate position, as he is deceiving his father to protect his friend. This moment heightens the tension between Jonathan’s loyalty to David and his relationship with Saul.

1 Samuel 20:30-31 (NKJV)
30 Then Saul’s anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?
31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.”

Saul’s anger erupts when he realizes that Jonathan is protecting David. He insults his son harshly, accusing him of betraying his own family for David’s sake. Saul views David as a threat to Jonathan’s future reign, believing that as long as David is alive, Jonathan’s chances of inheriting the throne are doomed. Saul’s demand for David’s death shows how deeply he is consumed by jealousy and fear.

1 Samuel 20:32-33 (NKJV)
32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?”
33 Then Saul cast a spear at him to kill him, by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David.

Jonathan courageously defends David, questioning Saul’s decision to kill him without reason. This further enrages Saul, who throws a spear at Jonathan in a violent attempt to kill his own son. Jonathan now fully realizes the extent of his father’s resolve to kill David, leaving no doubt about Saul’s intentions. The attempted murder of his son shows Saul’s deteriorating mental state and his extreme paranoia.

1 Samuel 20:34 (NKJV)
34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

Jonathan leaves the feast in anger and sorrow, not only because his father had tried to kill him, but because of Saul’s unjust treatment of David. Jonathan’s grief reflects his deep sense of injustice and his recognition that his father’s actions are driven by hatred and jealousy, rather than righteousness. This is a turning point for Jonathan, as he now knows that he must fully protect David.

1 Samuel 20:35-38 (NKJV)
35 And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him.
36 Then he said to his lad, “Now run, find the arrows which I shoot.” As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37 When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, “Is not the arrow beyond you?”
38 And Jonathan cried out after the lad, “Make haste, hurry, do not delay!” So Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master.

The following morning, Jonathan goes to the field as planned and carries out the signal to inform David. By shooting the arrow beyond the lad and calling out, Jonathan confirms to David that it is not safe for him to return. Jonathan’s use of the prearranged signal ensures that no one else, including the young boy, understands the message being conveyed to David.

1 Samuel 20:39-40 (NKJV)
39 But the lad did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew of the matter.
40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”

The boy, unaware of the hidden meaning behind Jonathan’s actions, is dismissed and sent back to the city with Jonathan’s weapons. This clears the area for Jonathan and David to have a final, private conversation. Jonathan’s careful handling of the situation reflects his desire to protect David without drawing unwanted attention.

1 Samuel 20:41 (NKJV)
41 As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so.

Once the boy is gone, David comes out of hiding, and he and Jonathan share an emotional farewell. David bows in deep respect, and the two friends embrace and weep together, acknowledging the pain of their separation. Their tears reflect the depth of their bond, as they realize that David must flee for his life, and they may never see each other again.

1 Samuel 20:42 (NKJV)
42 Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘May the Lord be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.’” So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

Jonathan encourages David to leave in peace, reminding him of their covenant before the Lord. Their friendship is sealed with a promise that extends beyond their lifetimes to their descendants. Despite the sadness of the moment, Jonathan’s words are filled with faith, trusting that God will protect them and honor their bond. David departs, and Jonathan returns to the city, marking the end of their meeting.