1 Samuel 20
1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 2 He said to him, “Far from it; you shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
3 David swore moreover, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” 4 Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will do for you.”
5 David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow 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 until the third day at evening. 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.’ 7 If he says, ‘It is well,’ then your servant shall have peace; but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you. But if there is in me iniquity, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?”
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?” 10 Then David said to Jonathan, “Who shall tell me if perchance your father answers you roughly?” 11 Jonathan said to David, “Come, and let us go out into the field.” They went out both of them into the field.
12 Jonathan said to David, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, be witness. When I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, shall I not then send to you, and disclose it to you? 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. Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.
14 You shall not only while yet I live show me the loving kindness of Yahweh, that I not die; 15 but also you shall not cut off your loving kindness from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off the enemies of David every one from the surface of the earth.” 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May Yahweh require it at the hand of David’s enemies.” 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.
18 Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 When you have stayed three days, you shall go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when the business was in hand, and shall remain by the stone Ezel. 20 I will shoot three arrows on its side, as though I shot at a mark. 21 Behold, I will send the boy, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to the boy, ‘Behold, the arrows are on this side of you. Take them,’ then come; for there is peace to you and no evil, as Yahweh lives. 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.
23 As touching the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
24 So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon had come, the king sat him down to eat food. 25 The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side; but David’s place was empty. 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.”
27 It came to pass on the next day after the new moon, the second day, that David’s place was empty; and Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, neither yesterday, nor today?” 28 Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 He said, ‘Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me. 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.”
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? 31 For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Therefore now send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die.” 32 Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” 33 Saul cast his spear at him to strike him. By this Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to put David to death.
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 done him shame. 35 It came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him. 36 He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 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?” 38 Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. 39 But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40 Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.” 41 As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. 42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
1 Samuel 20 Commentary
Chapter Overview
1 Samuel 20 forces Jonathan to face the full truth about Saul’s intentions. David leaves Naioth and asks what crime could justify the king’s pursuit. Jonathan initially finds murder difficult to believe because Saul normally tells him important plans, but David recognizes that Saul may now conceal his purpose precisely because Jonathan loves him. The two friends therefore arrange a test during the new moon feast.
The feast exposes Saul’s hostility and Jonathan’s costly loyalty. David’s empty place is first explained as possible ceremonial uncleanness, but on the second day Saul demands an answer. When Jonathan repeats the agreed story about a family sacrifice in Bethlehem, Saul erupts in abuse, declares that David threatens Jonathan’s future throne, and throws a spear at his own son. Jonathan can no longer deny that David’s life is in immediate danger.
The chapter closes with a covenant farewell rather than a political alliance of convenience. Jonathan uses arrows to warn David, dismisses the servant, and meets him privately. Their grief reflects the real loss created by Saul’s violence. Jonathan sends David away in peace under an oath that Yahweh will remain between their houses, preparing for David’s life as a fugitive in 1 Samuel 21.
Key Themes
Covenant friendship seeks another person’s good even when loyalty is costly. Jonathan’s bond with David is not mere affection or admiration. He risks Saul’s anger, investigates the danger, creates a secure warning system, and renews promises that extend to future generations. His friendship is expressed through truth, protection, and self-denial.
Faithful love may require surrendering personal advantage. Saul argues that David’s survival threatens Jonathan’s kingdom. Jonathan nevertheless protects the man who may inherit the position he could have expected as the king’s son. He refuses to treat God’s calling on David as a personal injustice or to preserve his future through innocent blood.
Denial can persist when evil is too painful to accept. Jonathan knows Saul has previously tried to kill David, yet he initially insists that his father would disclose any new plan. His response need not be read as foolishness; family bonds and earlier reconciliation make the truth emotionally difficult. The feast gives him evidence he can no longer explain away.
Abusive power often attacks relationships that limit its control. Saul does not merely condemn David. He shames Jonathan, insults Jonathan’s mother, and portrays friendship as betrayal. By making loyalty to himself the measure of righteousness, Saul tries to isolate both men and force Jonathan to choose ambition over conscience.
Words about God can be used either to strengthen faithfulness or disguise wrongdoing. David and Jonathan repeatedly invoke Yahweh as witness to their covenant. Saul also speaks within Israel’s religious world, yet his conduct rejects justice. Sacred language is trustworthy only when joined to truthful action, mercy, and obedience.
Prudent planning is compatible with trust in God. The friends choose a time, location, explanation, signal, and method of private communication. They do not assume that faith requires David to remain exposed to preventable danger. Their plan serves covenant loyalty while acknowledging that Saul controls the court and can act violently.
Grief is an appropriate response to injustice and forced separation. Jonathan leaves the feast without eating, grieved both for David and because Saul has humiliated him. Later the friends weep together. Scripture does not treat their sorrow as weakness; it shows the human cost of a ruler’s jealousy and the value of what is being torn apart.
God’s covenant purposes continue through unstable human circumstances. David has been anointed, but he leaves the royal court with no army, office, or visible path to the throne. Jonathan cannot remove Saul, and David cannot safely return home. Their promise rests on Yahweh’s enduring witness rather than on immediate control of events.
Important Verses and Questions
Why did David ask Jonathan what sin he had committed? David is not admitting hidden guilt. His repeated questions emphasize that Saul’s campaign lacks a just cause. He appeals to Jonathan as someone close enough to Saul to discover the truth and loyal enough to judge the situation fairly.
Why did Jonathan initially doubt that Saul intended to kill David? Jonathan believed Saul normally acted with his knowledge and remembered the earlier oath that David would live in 1 Samuel 19. David explains that Saul now hides the plan because he knows Jonathan would grieve and intervene. The disagreement shows two friends testing perceptions rather than demanding instant agreement.
What was the new moon feast? The beginning of the month was marked by offerings and sacred observance in Israel, as described in Numbers 28. The royal meal in this chapter appears to be connected with that occasion. David’s regular seat indicates that his absence would be noticed and would provide a test of Saul’s response.
Why might Saul have assumed David was ceremonially unclean? Various ordinary conditions could temporarily prevent participation in a sacred meal. Saul’s first explanation shows that one absence did not immediately prove defiance. The narrative does not identify a specific source of uncleanness, so readers should not invent one.
Was the story about David attending a family sacrifice true? The chapter presents it as the explanation David and Jonathan agreed to give Saul, but it does not confirm that such a sacrifice actually occurred. The account describes a protective strategy in a lethal royal crisis without pausing to make every element a general ethical rule. It should not become permission for convenient dishonesty.
Why did David ask Jonathan to kill him if he was guilty? David places himself under covenant accountability. If he truly deserved judgment, he would rather receive it from Jonathan than be delivered to Saul’s hostility. His statement underscores confidence in his innocence and the seriousness with which he treats their oath.
Why did Jonathan ask kindness for his household? Jonathan recognizes that David may become king and that new dynasties often eliminated possible rivals. He asks David to show Yahweh’s covenant kindness to him and his descendants. David later honors this commitment toward Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth in 2 Samuel 9.
What did the arrows communicate? Jonathan’s instructions allowed him to warn David while a servant was present. Arrows found nearby would signal safety; arrows sent beyond the boy would signal danger and departure. The words spoken to the boy also carried meaning for David without exposing him to the court.
Why was Saul so enraged by Jonathan’s answer? The reply confirms that Jonathan has helped David and chosen friendship over Saul’s agenda. Saul interprets this as shameful rebellion and focuses on Jonathan’s threatened succession. His rage reveals that preserving power matters more to him than justice, family affection, or his own oath.
Why did Saul insult Jonathan’s mother? The expression is a severe insult aimed at Jonathan through his mother, implying disgrace and perversity. It does not provide information about her conduct. Saul uses degrading speech to wound his son and portray moral courage as family shame.
What does Saul’s spear throw at Jonathan prove? It confirms that Saul’s murderous purpose is not limited to David. Jonathan’s refusal to cooperate makes him a target as well. At that point Jonathan knows that Saul has determined David’s death, because the same uncontrolled violence is now directed at the son Saul claims to be protecting.
Do the kiss and tears imply a sexual relationship between David and Jonathan? No. Kissing was a recognized expression of greeting, loyalty, or farewell in the ancient biblical world, and the chapter explicitly frames their bond as covenant friendship. Their tears arise from danger, separation, and Saul’s destruction of peace, not from a sexual relationship.
Practical Applications
Take credible threats seriously even when accepting them is emotionally difficult. Jonathan does not remain in denial once the evidence becomes clear. When violence is threatened, wise responses may include testing information, documenting patterns, involving trustworthy people, and creating a safe way to communicate rather than relying only on an abuser’s promises.
Measure loyalty by truth and righteousness, not by unquestioning support. Saul calls Jonathan’s protection of David rebellion, but Jonathan is faithful to God, justice, and innocent life. Families, churches, workplaces, and political groups become dangerous when they define loyalty as helping leaders escape accountability.
Build friendships that can carry responsibility as well as emotion. David and Jonathan speak honestly, make clear commitments, consider one another’s families, and follow through under pressure. Strong friendship includes affection, but it also includes dependable action, truthful correction, confidentiality, and concern for long-term good.
Do not use future opportunity as an excuse to harm a perceived rival. Jonathan could have treated David as the obstacle to his advancement. Instead, he receives God’s purposes without violence or resentment. Ambition becomes destructive when position matters more than conscience and another person’s success is interpreted as permission to undermine them.
Allow grief to accompany faithful departure. David leaves because remaining is no longer safe, and both friends mourn what Saul’s choices have destroyed. Leaving an abusive home, ministry, workplace, or relationship may be necessary without being emotionally simple. Peace can include sorrow, boundaries, and trust that God remains present beyond the farewell.