1 Samuel 20

The Plan is Formulated 1 Samuel 20:5–13

⁵Verse 5. David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening. ⁶Verse 6. If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ ⁷Verse 7. If he says, ‘It is well;’ your servant shall have peace: but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him. ⁸Verse 8. Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?”

⁹Verse 9. Jonathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?” ¹⁰Verse 10. Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?” ¹¹Verse 11. Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” They both went out into the field. ¹²Verse 12. Jonathan said to David, “By Yahweh, the God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, won’t I then send to you, and disclose it to you?

¹³Verse 13. Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.

Covenant and Commitment 1 Samuel 20:14–23

¹⁴Verse 14. You shall not only while yet I live show me the loving kindness of Yahweh, that I not die; ¹⁵Verse 15. but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.” ¹⁶Verse 16. So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” ¹⁷Verse 17. Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. ¹⁸Verse 18. Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty.

¹⁹Verse 19. When you have stayed three days, go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and remain by the stone Ezel. ²⁰Verse 20. I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark. ²¹Verse 21. Behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ If I tell the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them;’ then come; for there is peace to you and no danger, as Yahweh lives. ²²Verse 22. But if I say this to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are beyond you;’ then go your way; for Yahweh has sent you away.

²³Verse 23. Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”

Saul's Anger Revealed 1 Samuel 20:24–34

²⁴Verse 24. So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat himself down to eat food. ²⁵Verse 25. The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. ²⁶Verse 26. Nevertheless Saul didn’t say anything that day, for he thought, “Something has happened to him. He is not clean. Surely he is not clean.” ²⁷Verse 27. On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why doesn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”

²⁸Verse 28. Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. ²⁹Verse 29. He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city. My brother has commanded me to be there. Now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go away and see my brothers.’ Therefore he has not come to the king’s table.” ³⁰Verse 30. Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness?

³¹Verse 31. For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you will not be established, nor will your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die!” ³²Verse 32. Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” ³³Verse 33. Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. ³⁴Verse 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.

The Final Farewell 1 Samuel 20:35–42

³⁵Verse 35. In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him. ³⁶Verse 36. He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. ³⁷Verse 37. When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” ³⁸Verse 38. Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. ³⁹Verse 39. But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

⁴⁰Verse 40. Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.” ⁴¹Verse 41. As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, and David wept the most. ⁴²Verse 42. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.