1 Samuel 20 Study Notes: Jonathan Warns David
Jonathan agrees to test whether Saul truly means to kill David, and the two friends renew their covenant, extending it to their families. When Saul rages at David’s absence from the New Moon feast and hurls a spear at Jonathan, Jonathan uses a prearranged arrow signal to send David away, and they part in tears.
General
On what basis did David ask Jonathan to show him kindness (1 Samuel 20:8)?
Answer: The covenant Jonathan had made with him
David grounded his request in the covenant Jonathan had brought him into before the LORD (20:8). A covenant is a solemn, binding commitment, here sworn in God’s presence. Jonathan had made it because he loved David, and sealed it by giving David his own robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt (18:1-4). David even said that if he was guilty, Jonathan should put him to death himself rather than hand him over to Saul. Jonathan rejected the idea and promised that he would warn David of any danger (20:9).
- 1 Samuel 20:8-9 (BSB)“Therefore show kindness to your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?” “Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?””David appeals to the covenant, and Jonathan promises to warn him.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (BSB)“After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”Jonathan’s love for David is the root of their bond.
- 1 Samuel 18:3 (BSB)“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”The covenant David now appeals to was made by Jonathan because of that love.
- 1 Samuel 18:4 (BSB)“And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.”Jonathan sealed the covenant by giving David his own robe and weapons.
Theological
In 1 Samuel 20:8, on what ground does David rest his appeal for Jonathan’s kindness?
Answer: The covenant Jonathan had made with him
David’s plea rests on covenant: Jonathan had brought his servant into a covenant before the LORD, and David asks him to act with the kindness that obligation entails (20:8). That covenant originated in Jonathan’s love for David and was ratified by the gift of his robe, tunic and weapons (18:1-4). David goes so far as to invite Jonathan to execute him personally if he is guilty rather than surrender him to Saul. Jonathan refuses and pledges to warn him of any hostile intent (20:9).
- 1 Samuel 20:8-9 (BSB)“Therefore show kindness to your servant, for you have brought me into a covenant with you before the LORD. If there is iniquity in me, then kill me yourself; why should you bring me to your father?” “Never!” Jonathan replied. “If I ever found out that my father had evil intentions against you, would I not tell you?””David appeals to the covenant, and Jonathan promises to warn him.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (BSB)“After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”Jonathan’s love for David is the root of their bond.
- 1 Samuel 18:3 (BSB)“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”The covenant David now appeals to was made by Jonathan because of that love.
- 1 Samuel 18:4 (BSB)“And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.”Jonathan sealed the covenant by giving David his own robe and weapons.
General
Saul warned that David’s life threatened Jonathan’s own claim to the throne (20:31). What do Jonathan’s words earlier in the chapter show about his outlook (1 Samuel 20:13-15)?
Answer: He expected David’s rise and asked mercy for his family
Saul treated David as a rival who had to be removed so Jonathan could reign (20:31). Jonathan saw it differently. He prayed that the LORD would be with David as He had been with Saul, and he asked David to keep showing kindness to his family once the LORD had removed all David’s enemies (20:13-15) — words that assume David would come to power. Later Jonathan said it outright: David would be king, and Jonathan would serve next to him (23:17). Jonathan, the king’s son and natural heir, willingly accepted the LORD’s choice of David (16:13), the man God Himself testified would carry out all His will (Acts 13:22).
- 1 Samuel 20:13-15 (BSB)“But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.””Jonathan prays for David’s success and asks mercy for his own household.
- 1 Samuel 23:17 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.””Jonathan later tells David plainly that David will be king.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”David had been anointed as the LORD’s chosen king.
- Acts 13:22 (BSB)“After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’”The NT confirms that God raised up David as king, the man who would do His will.
Theological
Against Saul’s dynastic fears in 20:31, what do Jonathan’s words in 1 Samuel 20:13-15 reveal about his stance toward David?
Answer: He expected David’s rise and asked mercy for his family
Saul regards David as the obstacle to Jonathan’s succession (20:31). Jonathan, the natural heir, has already conceded the throne in principle: he prays the LORD will be with David as He was with Saul, and asks for covenant mercy on his house when the LORD has cut off all David’s enemies (20:13-15), language that presupposes David’s accession. He later states it explicitly (23:17). Jonathan submits his own prospects to the LORD’s sovereign choice of David (16:13), the man God testified would carry out His will (Acts 13:22).
- 1 Samuel 20:13-15 (BSB)“But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.””Jonathan prays for David’s success and asks mercy for his own household.
- 1 Samuel 23:17 (BSB)“saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.””Jonathan later tells David plainly that David will be king.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”David had been anointed as the LORD’s chosen king.
- Acts 13:22 (BSB)“After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’”The NT confirms that God raised up David as king, the man who would do His will.
General
When David found Jonathan and told him that Saul wanted to take his life, how did Jonathan first respond (1 Samuel 20:1-2)?
Answer: He refused to believe it, since his father told him everything
David came from Naioth at Ramah, where he had gone to Samuel (19:18), and asked Jonathan what wrong he had done that Saul should want him dead (20:1). Jonathan insisted that David would not die, reasoning that his father did nothing large or small without first telling him (20:2). Jonathan had earlier talked Saul into swearing that David’s life would be spared (19:6). David answered with an oath of his own: Saul knew of their friendship and was keeping his plan from Jonathan, and David stood only one step away from death (20:3). Jonathan then promised to do whatever David asked of him (20:4).
- 1 Samuel 20:1-4 (BSB)“Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?” “Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!” But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.””David asks Jonathan why Saul seeks his life; Jonathan doubts it, then promises to help.
- 1 Samuel 19:18 (BSB)“So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.”David had fled to Samuel at Ramah just before coming to Jonathan.
- 1 Samuel 19:6 (BSB)“Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.””Saul had earlier sworn to Jonathan that David would not be put to death.
- 1 Samuel 19:10 (BSB)“Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.”Saul’s spear attack shows that David’s danger was real.
Theological
In 1 Samuel 20:1-2, what is Jonathan’s first reaction to David’s claim that Saul is seeking his life?
Answer: He refused to believe it, since his father told him everything
David arrives from Naioth at Ramah, where he had taken refuge with Samuel (19:18), protesting his innocence and asking what offense has made Saul seek his life (20:1). Jonathan flatly denies the danger, reasoning that his father keeps nothing from him, large or small (20:2). Saul had earlier sworn, at Jonathan’s urging, that David’s life would be spared (19:6). David counters under oath that Saul is concealing his intent precisely because of Jonathan’s attachment to him, and that only a single step separates him from death (20:3). Jonathan’s reply is unconditional: whatever David asks, he will do (20:4).
- 1 Samuel 20:1-4 (BSB)“Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? How have I sinned against your father, that he wants to take my life?” “Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!” But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.””David asks Jonathan why Saul seeks his life; Jonathan doubts it, then promises to help.
- 1 Samuel 19:18 (BSB)“So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there.”David had fled to Samuel at Ramah just before coming to Jonathan.
- 1 Samuel 19:6 (BSB)“Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan and swore an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, David will not be put to death.””Saul had earlier sworn to Jonathan that David would not be put to death.
- 1 Samuel 19:10 (BSB)“Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.”Saul’s spear attack shows that David’s danger was real.
General
Why did Jonathan leave the table and eat nothing on the feast’s second day (1 Samuel 20:34)?
Answer: He was grieved that his father had disgraced David
Jonathan left the meal burning with anger and ate nothing that day (20:34). The text gives the reason: he was grieved because his father had treated David shamefully. The reason the narrator gives centers on David, not on the spear just thrown at Jonathan himself. Jonathan had told his father before that David had done him only good (19:4). He was the kind of friend whose love never wavers in hard times (Proverbs 17:17).
- 1 Samuel 20:34 (BSB)“Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.”Jonathan leaves the table and fasts, grieved by Saul’s treatment of David.
- 1 Samuel 19:4 (BSB)“Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.”Jonathan had earlier insisted to Saul that David’s actions had benefited him.
- Proverbs 17:17 (BSB)“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”A true friend’s love holds steady through hardship.
Theological
What reason does 1 Samuel 20:34 give for Jonathan’s refusal to eat on the second day?
Answer: He was grieved that his father had disgraced David
Jonathan leaves the feast in hot anger and fasts that day (20:34), and the narrator specifies the cause: grief over Saul’s disgraceful conduct toward David. The stated motive concerns the wrong done to David rather than the attempt on Jonathan’s own life. It is consistent with his earlier defense of David’s innocence before Saul (19:4) and exemplifies the friend whose love never wavers in hard times (Proverbs 17:17).
- 1 Samuel 20:34 (BSB)“Jonathan got up from the table in fierce anger and did not eat any food that second day of the month, for he was grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David.”Jonathan leaves the table and fasts, grieved by Saul’s treatment of David.
- 1 Samuel 19:4 (BSB)“Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.”Jonathan had earlier insisted to Saul that David’s actions had benefited him.
- Proverbs 17:17 (BSB)“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.”A true friend’s love holds steady through hardship.
General
Out in the field, what did Jonathan swear by the LORD that he would do (1 Samuel 20:12-13)?
Answer: Learn his father’s intent and let David know either way
When David asked who would tell him if Saul answered harshly, Jonathan took him out into the open country (20:10-11). There he swore an oath in the LORD’s name that within a day or two he would sound out his father. If Saul was favorable, he would send word; if Saul meant harm, he would tell David and send him off in safety, and he called on the LORD to punish him severely if he failed (20:12-13). He had kept a similar promise before (19:2-3). He ended with a prayer that the LORD would be with David as He had been with Saul (20:13). The narrator had already said that David had the LORD’s presence and blessing (18:12, 14).
- 1 Samuel 20:12-13 (BSB)“and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.”Jonathan swears to report Saul’s intent and prays the LORD will be with David.
- 1 Samuel 19:2-3 (BSB)“so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.””Jonathan had earlier warned David and promised to tell him what he learned.
- 1 Samuel 18:12 (BSB)“So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.”The narrator says the LORD was with David and had departed from Saul.
- 1 Samuel 18:14 (BSB)“and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.”David prospered because the LORD was with him.
Theological
What does Jonathan bind himself to under oath in 1 Samuel 20:12-13?
Answer: Learn his father’s intent and let David know either way
Taking David into the field (20:10-11), Jonathan swears in the LORD’s name to sound out Saul within a day or two and to report either outcome: favor would bring a summons, hostility a warning and a safe send-off, on pain of the LORD’s severe judgment if he failed (20:12-13). He had acted the same way once before (19:2-3). His closing prayer, that the LORD would be with David as He had been with Saul, aligns with the narrator’s verdict that the LORD was now with David (18:12, 14).
- 1 Samuel 20:12-13 (BSB)“and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you? But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.”Jonathan swears to report Saul’s intent and prays the LORD will be with David.
- 1 Samuel 19:2-3 (BSB)“so he warned David, saying, “My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there. I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, so I can ask about you. And if I find out anything, I will tell you.””Jonathan had earlier warned David and promised to tell him what he learned.
- 1 Samuel 18:12 (BSB)“So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul.”The narrator says the LORD was with David and had departed from Saul.
- 1 Samuel 18:14 (BSB)“and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him.”David prospered because the LORD was with him.
General
Jonathan asked David for something that would last even after the LORD had removed all of David’s enemies. What was it (1 Samuel 20:14-15)?
Answer: Never to withdraw his kindness from his family
Jonathan asked David to treat him with loving devotion from the LORD — faithful, covenant-keeping kindness — as long as he lived, and never to cut that kindness off from his family, even after the LORD had wiped out all David’s enemies (20:14-15). David kept this promise. Years later, after Jonathan had died, David asked whether anyone was left of Saul’s house to whom he could show kindness for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1). He restored Saul’s land to Jonathan’s son Mephibosheth and gave him a lasting place at the king’s table (2 Samuel 9:7). He also spared Mephibosheth on account of the oath he and Jonathan had sworn before the LORD (2 Samuel 21:7).
- 1 Samuel 20:14-15 (BSB)“And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.””Jonathan asks David never to cut off his loving devotion from Jonathan’s household.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 (BSB)“Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?””After Jonathan’s death, David seeks someone of Saul’s house to show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake.
- 2 Samuel 9:7 (BSB)““Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.””David restores Saul’s land to Jonathan’s son and gives him a lasting place at his table.
- 2 Samuel 21:7 (BSB)“Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.”David spares Mephibosheth because of his oath with Jonathan.
Theological
What enduring request does Jonathan make of David in 1 Samuel 20:14-15?
Answer: Never to withdraw his kindness from his family
Jonathan asks David for loving devotion like the LORD’s for his own lifetime and, beyond it, for his household, even after the LORD has removed all David’s enemies (20:14-15). The request presupposes David’s coming power. David honored it long after Jonathan’s death: he sought out a survivor of Saul’s house to show kindness for Jonathan’s sake (2 Samuel 9:1), restored Saul’s land to Mephibosheth and seated him permanently at the royal table (2 Samuel 9:7), and spared him on account of the oath sworn before the LORD (2 Samuel 21:7). Covenant loyalty outlived the covenant partner.
- 1 Samuel 20:14-15 (BSB)“And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die, and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household—not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.””Jonathan asks David never to cut off his loving devotion from Jonathan’s household.
- 2 Samuel 9:1 (BSB)“Then David asked, “Is there anyone left from the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for the sake of Jonathan?””After Jonathan’s death, David seeks someone of Saul’s house to show kindness to for Jonathan’s sake.
- 2 Samuel 9:7 (BSB)““Do not be afraid,” said David, “for surely I will show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land of your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.””David restores Saul’s land to Jonathan’s son and gives him a lasting place at his table.
- 2 Samuel 21:7 (BSB)“Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.”David spares Mephibosheth because of his oath with Jonathan.
General
David planned to stay away from Saul’s New Moon meal. What would Saul’s reaction to his absence reveal (1 Samuel 20:5-7)?
Answer: Whether Saul still meant to do David harm
The New Moon marked the start of each month and was a time for offerings (Numbers 10:10), and David was expected at the king’s table for the meal. Instead, he proposed to stay hidden out in the open country; if Saul missed him, Jonathan was to say that David had asked leave for a trip home to Bethlehem for his clan’s yearly sacrifice (20:5-6). If Saul took the news calmly, David was safe; if he flew into a rage, that would show he was set on evil (20:7). Saul’s fury and his spear thrown at Jonathan answered the question (20:33).
- 1 Samuel 20:5-7 (BSB)“So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now. If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’ If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.”David proposes his absence from the New Moon meal as a test of Saul’s intent.
- Numbers 10:10 (BSB)“And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.””The law marked the beginning of each month with burnt offerings and peace offerings.
- 1 Samuel 20:33 (BSB)“Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.”Saul’s violent response later in the chapter settles the question the test was meant to answer.
Theological
According to 1 Samuel 20:5-7, what was David’s planned absence from the New Moon feast meant to disclose?
Answer: Whether Saul still meant to do David harm
The monthly New Moon feast, marked by offerings (Numbers 10:10), required David’s presence at the royal table. David proposes to absent himself, hiding in the field, with Jonathan to explain, if Saul asked, that David had sought leave for his clan’s annual sacrifice at Bethlehem (20:5-6). Saul’s reaction would be the test: calm acceptance meant safety, an outburst of rage would expose settled hostility (20:7). The test was decisive when Saul answered Jonathan’s question with a spear (20:33).
- 1 Samuel 20:5-7 (BSB)“So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now. If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’ If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.”David proposes his absence from the New Moon meal as a test of Saul’s intent.
- Numbers 10:10 (BSB)“And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.””The law marked the beginning of each month with burnt offerings and peace offerings.
- 1 Samuel 20:33 (BSB)“Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.”Saul’s violent response later in the chapter settles the question the test was meant to answer.
General
After the boy had left, what did David and Jonathan do (1 Samuel 20:41-42)?
Answer: Kissed and wept together, David weeping the most
Once the boy had left, David came out from beside the stone, fell with his face to the ground and bowed down three times (20:41). The two friends kissed and wept together, and David wept the most. Jonathan sent him away in peace, reminding him that they had sworn in the LORD’s name, with the LORD as witness between them and between their descendants forever (20:42). Then David left and Jonathan returned to the city. Their friendship had begun with souls knit together (18:1), and Jonathan proved to be a friend more loyal than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
- 1 Samuel 20:41-42 (BSB)“When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more. And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.”David and Jonathan part in tears, recalling their oath in the LORD’s name.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (BSB)“After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”Their friendship began with their souls knit together.
- Proverbs 18:24 (BSB)“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.”A true friend remains closer than a brother.
Theological
What takes place when the two friends part, once the boy has left (1 Samuel 20:41-42)?
Answer: Kissed and wept together, David weeping the most
With the boy gone, David emerges from beside the stone and falls facedown and bows three times (20:41). Their farewell is marked by kisses and tears, David’s the greater. Jonathan dismisses him in peace on the basis of their oath in the LORD’s name, which binds not only the pair of them but their descendants forever, with the LORD as witness (20:42). The scene completes the bond begun in 18:1 and illustrates the friend more loyal than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).
- 1 Samuel 20:41-42 (BSB)“When the young man had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone, fell facedown, and bowed three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and wept together—though David wept more. And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.”David and Jonathan part in tears, recalling their oath in the LORD’s name.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (BSB)“After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”Their friendship began with their souls knit together.
- Proverbs 18:24 (BSB)“A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.”A true friend remains closer than a brother.
General
What reason did Saul give Jonathan for insisting that David must die (1 Samuel 20:30-31)?
Answer: While David lived, Jonathan’s reign would never be secure
Saul’s anger flared, and he insulted Jonathan and his mother for choosing Jesse’s son (20:30). His reason was that as long as David lived, neither Jonathan nor his kingdom would be established, and he ordered Jonathan to bring David to be killed (20:31). Saul was fighting against the word of the LORD. Samuel had told him that his kingdom would not last because the LORD had chosen another man to rule His people (13:14), and that the kingdom had been taken from him and handed to someone better than he (15:28). The LORD had already anointed David by Samuel’s hand — anointing meaning that oil was poured on him to set him apart for God’s purpose (16:13).
- 1 Samuel 20:30-31 (BSB)“Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!””Saul rages at Jonathan and says David must die so that Jonathan’s kingdom can be established.
- 1 Samuel 13:14 (BSB)“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.””Samuel had told Saul his kingdom would not endure because the LORD had chosen another.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”Samuel declared that the kingdom had been taken from Saul and given to another.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”The LORD had already had David anointed as the coming king.
Theological
In his outburst at Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:30-31), what rationale does Saul give for demanding David’s death?
Answer: While David lived, Jonathan’s reign would never be secure
Saul’s rage at Jonathan (20:30) exposes his real concern: dynastic survival. As long as David lived, Jonathan and his kingdom would not be established, so David must die (20:31). Saul is resisting a decree already pronounced: his kingdom would not endure because the LORD had sought another ruler for His people (13:14), and the kingdom had been torn away and given to one better than he (15:28). David had already been anointed and empowered by the Spirit (16:13). Saul’s plan is an attempt to hold by force what God had already given to another.
- 1 Samuel 20:30-31 (BSB)“Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Now send for him and bring him to me, for he must surely die!””Saul rages at Jonathan and says David must die so that Jonathan’s kingdom can be established.
- 1 Samuel 13:14 (BSB)“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.””Samuel had told Saul his kingdom would not endure because the LORD had chosen another.
- 1 Samuel 15:28 (BSB)“So Samuel said to him, “The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you.”Samuel declared that the kingdom had been taken from Saul and given to another.
- 1 Samuel 16:13 (BSB)“So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.”The LORD had already had David anointed as the coming king.
General
Why did Saul say nothing about David’s empty seat on the first day of the New Moon (1 Samuel 20:26)?
Answer: He assumed something had made David ceremonially unclean
Saul took his regular seat against the wall, with Jonathan opposite and Abner beside him, while David’s seat stayed empty (20:25). On the first day Saul kept silent, supposing that something had made David ceremonially unclean (20:26). Being ceremonially unclean meant being in a state that, under the law of Moses, kept a person from eating holy food. The law linked the start of each month with whole burnt offerings and fellowship sacrifices called peace offerings (Numbers 10:10), and anyone unclean who ate peace-offering meat was to be removed from among God’s people (Leviticus 7:20-21). The text does not describe the meal itself, but Saul’s assumption shows he treated it as a sacred meal that an unclean person could not join. When the seat was still empty on the second day, Saul asked Jonathan where Jesse’s son was (20:27).
- 1 Samuel 20:26-27 (BSB)“Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?””Saul assumes David is unclean on the first day and asks about him on the second.
- Leviticus 7:20-21 (BSB)“But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.””The law barred anyone unclean from eating the meat of a peace offering.
- Numbers 10:10 (BSB)“And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.””The law marked the beginning of each month with burnt offerings and peace offerings.
Theological
According to 1 Samuel 20:26, how did Saul account for David’s absence on the first day of the feast?
Answer: He assumed something had made David ceremonially unclean
With Saul in his customary seat by the wall, Jonathan opposite and Abner beside him, David’s place was conspicuously empty (20:25). Saul at first attributed the absence to ceremonial uncleanness (20:26). The text does not describe the meal itself, but Saul’s assumption implies a sacred meal: the law tied the new month to burnt and peace offerings (Numbers 10:10), and an unclean person who ate peace-offering meat was to be excluded from the covenant people (Leviticus 7:20-21). Only on the second day did Saul demand an explanation (20:27).
- 1 Samuel 20:26-27 (BSB)“Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?””Saul assumes David is unclean on the first day and asks about him on the second.
- Leviticus 7:20-21 (BSB)“But if anyone who is unclean eats meat from the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people. If one touches anything unclean, whether human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any unclean, detestable thing, and then eats any of the meat of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person must be cut off from his people.””The law barred anyone unclean from eating the meat of a peace offering.
- Numbers 10:10 (BSB)“And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and peace offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.””The law marked the beginning of each month with burnt offerings and peace offerings.
General
Jonathan arranged a signal using arrows. What would it mean if he called out to the boy that the arrows were beyond him (1 Samuel 20:21-22)?
Answer: David must leave, since the LORD was sending him
Jonathan would shoot three arrows near the stone Ezel, where David was hiding, and send a boy to fetch them (20:19-21). If he called that the arrows were on the near side, David could come back safely; if he called that they were beyond the boy, David had to go — and Jonathan said that in that case it was the LORD who was sending him away (20:21-22). Even a painful parting would be in the LORD’s hands, for people make their plans, yet the LORD guides where they go (Proverbs 16:9). On the day itself Jonathan called that the arrow was beyond the boy, who understood nothing of the arrangement (20:37-39).
- 1 Samuel 20:21-22 (BSB)“Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you, and there is no danger. But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.”Jonathan explains what each call about the arrows will mean.
- 1 Samuel 20:37-39 (BSB)“When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.”Jonathan gives the signal that David must go; the boy understands nothing.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”A man plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Psalm 31:15 (BSB)“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”The psalmist’s times are in the LORD’s hands, including deliverance from pursuers.
Theological
In the arrow signal of 1 Samuel 20:18-22, what did the call that the arrows lay beyond the boy signify?
Answer: David must leave, since the LORD was sending him
The signal turned on Jonathan’s call to the boy gathering his three arrows near the stone Ezel (20:19-21). A call that the arrows lay on the near side meant safety; a call that they lay beyond him meant David must go, and Jonathan interprets that outcome theologically: it would be the LORD sending him away (20:21-22). David’s exile is placed under God’s direction, consistent with the truth that the LORD determines a man’s steps (Proverbs 16:9) and holds His servants’ times in His hand (Psalm 31:15). The prearranged words were spoken, unintelligible to the boy but plain to David (20:37-39).
- 1 Samuel 20:21-22 (BSB)“Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you, and there is no danger. But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.”Jonathan explains what each call about the arrows will mean.
- 1 Samuel 20:37-39 (BSB)“When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?” Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master. But the boy did not know anything; only Jonathan and David knew the arrangement.”Jonathan gives the signal that David must go; the boy understands nothing.
- Proverbs 16:9 (BSB)“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.”A man plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.
- Psalm 31:15 (BSB)“My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me.”The psalmist’s times are in the LORD’s hands, including deliverance from pursuers.
General
When Jonathan asked what David had done to deserve death, what did Saul do (1 Samuel 20:32-33)?
Answer: Hurled a spear at Jonathan, his own son
Jonathan asked why David should die and what he had done (20:32), much as he had once argued that David had done nothing to deserve it (19:4-5). Saul’s answer was to throw his spear at his own son to kill him (20:33). Saul had twice before thrown a spear at David (18:10-11; 19:10); now he aimed one at Jonathan. That settled the question for Jonathan: his father was fully resolved on David’s death (20:33).
- 1 Samuel 20:32-33 (BSB)““Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.”Jonathan asks what David has done; Saul throws his spear at him.
- 1 Samuel 19:4-5 (BSB)“Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?””Jonathan had earlier argued that David had not sinned against Saul.
- 1 Samuel 18:10-11 (BSB)“The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.”Saul had earlier thrown a spear at David.
- 1 Samuel 19:10 (BSB)“Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.”Saul again tried to pin David to the wall with his spear.
Theological
How does Saul answer Jonathan’s question about David’s guilt in 1 Samuel 20:32-33?
Answer: Hurled a spear at Jonathan, his own son
Jonathan’s question — why should David die, and for what offense (20:32) — repeats the case he had made before, that David was innocent and Saul would be shedding innocent blood (19:4-5). Saul answers with the spear, now hurled at his own son (20:33), just as he had earlier tried to spear David (18:10-11; 19:10). The attack ends Jonathan’s uncertainty: Saul is irrevocably set on David’s death (20:33).
- 1 Samuel 20:32-33 (BSB)““Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?” Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him. So Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.”Jonathan asks what David has done; Saul throws his spear at him.
- 1 Samuel 19:4-5 (BSB)“Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you. He took his life in his hands when he struck down the Philistine, and the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced, so why would you sin against innocent blood by killing David for no reason?””Jonathan had earlier argued that David had not sinned against Saul.
- 1 Samuel 18:10-11 (BSB)“The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.”Saul had earlier thrown a spear at David.
- 1 Samuel 19:10 (BSB)“Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But David eluded him and the spear struck the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.”Saul again tried to pin David to the wall with his spear.
General
Why did Jonathan ask David to repeat his vow (1 Samuel 20:16-17)?
Answer: Because he loved David as much as his own life
Jonathan extended the covenant to David’s family line, asking the LORD to call David’s enemies to account (20:16). Then he asked David to repeat his oath, and the narrator gives the reason: Jonathan’s love for David was as great as his love for his own life (20:17). That depth of love had marked the friendship from the start, when the souls of the two men were knit together (18:1) and Jonathan first bound himself to David by covenant (18:3). After Jonathan died, David mourned him as a brother whose love for him had been extraordinary (2 Samuel 1:26).
- 1 Samuel 20:16-17 (BSB)“So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.”Jonathan covenants with David’s house and has David reaffirm his vow out of love.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (BSB)“After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”From the start, Jonathan loved David as himself.
- 1 Samuel 18:3 (BSB)“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”Jonathan’s first covenant with David also flowed from that love.
- 2 Samuel 1:26 (BSB)“I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.”David later grieves for Jonathan and speaks of his extraordinary love.
Theological
What reason does the narrator give in 1 Samuel 20:17 for Jonathan’s having David restate his vow?
Answer: Because he loved David as much as his own life
The covenant is now extended to David’s house, with an imprecation that the LORD call David’s enemies to account (20:16). The narrator explains why Jonathan had David restate his vow: Jonathan’s love for him equaled his love for his own life (20:17). The same language describes the friendship’s origin, when Jonathan first covenanted with David out of that same love (18:1, 3). David’s lament after Jonathan’s death confirms the depth of that loyalty (2 Samuel 1:26).
- 1 Samuel 20:16-17 (BSB)“So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.” And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.”Jonathan covenants with David’s house and has David reaffirm his vow out of love.
- 1 Samuel 18:1 (BSB)“After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.”From the start, Jonathan loved David as himself.
- 1 Samuel 18:3 (BSB)“Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.”Jonathan’s first covenant with David also flowed from that love.
- 2 Samuel 1:26 (BSB)“I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother. You were delightful to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.”David later grieves for Jonathan and speaks of his extraordinary love.