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Texts -- 1 Samuel 20:18-42 (NET)

Context
20:18 Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon , and you will be missed , for your seat will be empty . 20:19 On the third day you should go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. Stay near the stone Ezel . 20:20 I will shoot three arrows near it, as though I were shooting at a target . 20:21 When I send a boy after them, I will say , “Go and find the arrows .” If I say to the boy , ‘Look , the arrows are on this side of you; get them,’ then come back. For as surely as the Lord lives , you will be safe and there will no problem . 20:22 But if I say to the boy , “Look , the arrows are on the other side of you,’ get away . For in that case the Lord has sent you away . 20:23 With regard to the matter that you and I discussed , the Lord is the witness between us forever !” 20:24 So David hid in the field . When the new moon came , the king sat down to eat his meal. 20:25 The king sat down in his usual place by the wall , with Jonathan opposite him and Abner at his side . But David’s place was vacant . 20:26 However, Saul said nothing about it that day , for he thought , “Something has happened to make him ceremonially unclean . Yes , he must be unclean .” 20:27 But the next morning , the second day of the new moon , David’s place was still vacant . So Saul said to his son Jonathan , “Why has Jesse’s son not come to the meal yesterday or today ?” 20:28 Jonathan replied to Saul , “David urgently requested that he be allowed to go to Bethlehem . 20:29 He said , ‘Permit me to go , for we are having a family sacrifice in the city , and my brother urged me to be there. So now , if I have found favor with you, let me go to see my brothers .’ For that reason he has not come to the king’s table .” 20:30 Saul became angry with Jonathan and said to him, “You stupid traitor ! Don’t I realize that to your own disgrace and to the disgrace of your mother’s nakedness you have chosen this son of Jesse ? 20:31 For as long as this son of Jesse is alive on the earth , you and your kingdom will not be established . Now , send some men and bring him to me. For he is as good as dead !” 20:32 Jonathan responded to his father Saul , “Why should he be put to death ? What has he done ?” 20:33 Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan in order to strike him down . So Jonathan was convinced that his father had decided to kill David . 20:34 Jonathan got up from the table enraged . He did not eat any food on that second day of the new moon , for he was upset that his father had humiliated David . 20:35 The next morning Jonathan , along with a young servant , went out to the field to meet David . 20:36 He said to his servant , “Run , find the arrows that I am about to shoot .” As the servant ran , Jonathan shot the arrow beyond him. 20:37 When the servant came to the place where Jonathan had shot the arrow , Jonathan called out to the servant , “Isn’t the arrow further beyond you?” 20:38 Jonathan called out to the servant , “Hurry ! Go faster ! Don’t delay !” Jonathan’s servant retrieved the arrow and came back to his master . 20:39 (Now the servant did not understand any of this . Only Jonathan and David knew what was going on .) 20:40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go , take these things back to the city .” 20:41 When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound , knelt with his face to the ground , and bowed three times . Then they kissed each other and they both wept , especially David .
David Goes to Nob
20:42 Jonathan said to David , “Go in peace , for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying , ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever .’” Then David got up and left , while Jonathan went back to the city .

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • David

    [ebd] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal ...
    [nave] DAVID 1. King of Israel. Genealogy of, Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:11; 17:12; 1 Chr. 2:3-15; Matt. 1:1-6; Luke 3:31-38. A shepherd, 1 Sam. 16:11. Kills a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34-36. Anointed king, while a youth, by the ...

  • Jonathan

    [ebd] whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1.) A Levite descended from Gershom (Judg. 18:30). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30. The Rabbins ch...
    [nave] JONATHAN 1. A Levite of Bethlehem, who becomes a priest for Micah; accepts idolatry; joins the Danites, Judg. 17:7-13; 18:1-30. 2. Son of Saul, 1 Sam. 14:49. Victory of, over the Philistine garrison of Geba, 1 Sam. 13:3, 4...

  • Friendship

    [nave] FRIENDSHIP. Deut. 13:6-9; Job 6:14, 15; Job 16:2, 20; Job 19:13-22; Psa. 35:13, 14; Psa. 41:9; Psa. 55:12-14; Psa. 88:8, 18; Prov. 11:13; Prov. 17:9, 17; Prov. 18:24; Prov. 22:24-27; Prov. 25:17, 19; Prov. 27:6, 9, 10, 14, ...

  • JESSE

    [isbe] JESSE - jes'-e (yishay, meaning doubtful; according to Gesenius it = "wealthy"; Olshausen, Gram., sections 277 f, conjectures yesh yah, "Yahweh exists"; Wellhausen (1 Sam 14:49) explains it as 'abhishay (see ABISHAI); Iessai...

  • Love

    [nave] LOVE. Of Children for Parents See: Children. Of God See: God, Love of. Of Mankind for God Ex. 20:6 Deut. 5:10. Deut. 6:5; Deut. 7:9; Deut. 10:12; Deut. 11:1; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 30:6 vs. 16,20.; Josh. 22:5 Deut. 11:1, 13...

  • JONATHAN (2)

    [isbe] JONATHAN (2) - (yehonathan; also yonathan, "Yahweh has given"; Ionathan): The eldest son of Saul, the first king of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. 1. Three Periods: The life of Jonathan, as far as we are told about him, f...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • Arrow

    [nave] ARROW, a weapon. Used in hunting, Gen. 21:20; 27:3; in war, 1 Sam. 31:3; 2 Sam. 22:15; 1 Kin. 22:34; 2 Kin. 19:32; Psa. 7:13; Isa. 22:3; Jer. 51:3. Divination by, Ezek. 21:21. Shot by Jonathan as a sign to David, 1 Sam. 20:...

  • Symbols and Similitudes

    [nave] SYMBOLS AND SIMILITUDES Trees of life and knowledge, Gen. 2:9, 17; 3:3, 24; Rev. 22:2. Rainbow, Gen. 9:12, 13. Circumcision, of the covenant of Abraham, Gen. 17:11; Rom. 4:11. Passover, of the sparing of the firstborn, an...

  • Jealousy

    [nave] JEALOUSY. Prov. 6:34; 27:4; Eccl. 4:4; Song 8:6. Law concerning, when husband is jealous of his wife, Num. 5:12-31. Image of, Ezek. 8:3, 4. Forbidden, Rom. 13:13. Attributed to God, Ex. 20:5; 34:13, 14; Num. 25:11; Deut...

  • NEW MOON

    [smith] The first day of the lunar month was observed as a holy day. In addition to the daily sacrifice there were offered two young bullocks, a ram and seven lambs of the first year as a burnt offering, with the proper meat offering...

  • SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2

    [isbe] SACRIFICE, IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, 2 - V. The Mosaic Sacrificial System. 1. The Covenant Sacrifice: The fundamental function of Moses' work was to establish the covenant between Israel and God. This important transaction took ...

  • Ezel

    [ebd] a separation, (1 Sam. 20:19), a stone, or heap of stones, in the neighbourhood of Saul's residence, the scene of the parting of David and Jonathan (42). The margin of the Authorized Version reads, "The stone that sheweth the...
    [isbe] EZEL - e'-zel (ha-'azel; Septuagint para to ergab ekeino): As it stands, the narrative in 1 Sam 20:19 records the tryst of Jonathan with David at the stone Ezel. The name occurs only here. There is general agreement that the...
    [smith] (departure), The stone, a well-known stone in the neighborhood of Saul?s residence, the scene of the parting of David and Jonathan. (1 Samuel 20:19)
    [nave] EZEL A stone near Saul's residence. David and Jonathan meet at, 1 Sam. 20:19.

  • Anger

    [nave] ANGER. Gen. 4:6; Gen. 49:7; 2 Chr. 28:9; Job 5:2; Job 19:29; Psa. 37:8; Psa. 55:3; Psa. 76:10; Prov. 6:34; Prov. 12:16; Prov. 14:17, 29; Prov. 15:1, 18; Prov. 16:14, 29, 32; Prov. 17:14; Prov. 19:11, 12, 19; Prov. 21:24; Pr...

  • GAMES

    [isbe] GAMES - gamz: I. ISRAELITISH GAMES 1. Children's Games Mimicry 2. Sports 3. Games of Chance and Skill 4. Story-Telling 5. Dancing 6. Proverbs 7. Riddles II. THE GAMES OF GREECE AND ROME 1. Historical Introduction 2. General ...

  • Holy Spirit

    [nave] HOLY SPIRIT. Gen. 1:2; Gen. 6:3; Gen. 41:38; Ex. 31:3 Ex. 35:31. Num. 27:18; Neh. 9:20; Job 16:19; Job 32:8; Job 33:4; Psa. 51:11, 12; Psa. 103:9; Psa. 139:7; Isa. 4:4; Isa. 6:8; Isa. 11:2; Isa. 28:6; Isa. 30:1; Isa. 32:15;...

  • Malice

    [nave] MALICE. Gen. 3:15; Lev. 19:14, 17, 18; Deut. 27:17, 18; Deut. 32:32, 33; 2 Kin. 6:21, 22; Job 31:29, 30; Psa. 4:2; Psa. 7:14-16 Job 15:35. Psa. 10:7-10, 14; Psa. 21:11; Psa. 22:7, 8; Psa. 35:15, 16, 19-21; Psa. 38:16, 19; P...

  • Artillery

    [ebd] 1 Sam. 20:40, (Heb. keli, meaning "apparatus;" here meaning collectively any missile weapons, as arrows and lances. In Revised Version, "weapons"). This word is derived from the Latin artillaria = equipment of war.
    [isbe] ARTILLERY - ar-til'-er-i (keli): In 1 Sam 20:40 (the King James Version) of Jonathan's bow and arrows, replaced in the Revised Version (British and American) by WEAPONS; and in 1 Macc 6:51 (the King James Version) where the ...
    [nave] ARTILLERY. 1 Sam. 20:40. See: Arms.

  • Archery

    [nave] ARCHERY Practiced by Ishmael, Gen. 21:20; Esau, Gen. 27:3; Jonathan, 1 Sam. 20:20, 36, 37; sons of Ulam, 1 Chr. 8:40; Philistines, 1 Sam. 31:1-3; 1 Chr. 10:3; Persians, Isa. 13:17, 18; people of Kedar, Isa. 21:17; Syrians, 1...

  • ABNER

    [ebd] father of light; i.e., "enlightening", the son of Ner and uncle of Saul. He was commander-in-chief of Saul's army (1 Sam. 14:50; 17:55; 20:25). He first introduced David to the court of Saul after the victory over Goliath (1...
    [isbe] ABNER - ab'-ner ('abhner; in 1 Sam 14:50 the Hebrew has the fuller form, 'abhiner, Abiner; compare Abiram by the side of Abram; meaning, "my father is a lamp"): Captain of the host under Saul and Ishbosheth (Eshbaal). He was...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • Another step in preparing to enter Canaan involved setting forth in an organized fashion all the sacrifices that God required the priests to offer for the whole nation during a year. These offerings maintained fellowship with...
  • Statements in the Book of Samuel imply that someone who had witnessed at least some of the events recorded wrote it. However the original writer must have written most of it after Samuel's death (i.e., -1 Sam. 25-2 Sam. 24) a...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • I. Eli and Samuel chs. 1-3A. The change from barrenness to fertility 1:1-2:101. Hannah's condition 1:1-82. Hannah's vow 1:9-183. Hannah's obedience 1:19-284. Hannah's song 2:1-10B. The contrast between Samuel and Eli's sons 2...
  • Saul now abandoned pretense (18:22) and ordered Jonathan and his servants to put David to death (cf. v. 11). He "went public"with his attacks against David feeling driven, like Pharaoh, to more desperate measures. This create...
  • David was wondering if he had done something wrong that had provoked Saul's hatred (v. 1). Walking with God is sometimes confusing. We need to learn, as David did, that when we try to follow God faithfully some people will op...
  • Jonathan appealed to the Lord in an oath indicating the seriousness of the situation (vv. 12, 13). He prayed that God would be with David as he had been with Saul, namely, as Israel's king (v. 13). These verses indicate clear...
  • Saul would miss David at his feast not only because his seat would be vacant but because warriors normally expressed their support for their king by eating with him at important meals (v. 18). David's absence would have raise...
  • Saul concluded at first that David had not come to the new moon sacrificial meal because he was unclean (cf. Lev. 7:20-21; 15:16). His continued absence required an explanation, which Saul looked to David's friend to provide....
  • The next morning Jonathan proceeded to communicate Saul's intentions to David in the way they had previously planned. Jonathan probably used a very young boy as his arrow retriever so the lad would not ask embarrassing questi...
  • Nob stood one and one-half miles northeast of Jerusalem and two and one-half miles southeast of Gibeah. There Ahimelech served as high priest. Priestly activity and evidently the tabernacle were now there (cf. 17:54). It is s...
  • The town of Adullam (lit. refuge) stood a mile or two south of the Elah Valley where David had slain Goliath and about 10 miles east-southeast of Gath. There are many huge caves in the limestone hills in that area several of ...
  • The town of Ziph was 12 miles southeast of Keilah, and the wilderness of Ziph was near the town. Ziph lay in the wilderness area of Judah whereas Keilah was in the more hospitable Shephelah. The sites of Horesh (v. 15) and Ha...
  • The incident recorded in this chapter concerns cutting off (vv. 4, 5, 11, 21). David had the opportunity and received encouragement to cut off Saul's life but chose to cut off only his robe hem. He ended up promising not to c...
  • The object lesson that David presented to Saul had a double application. David proved that he was not trying to kill Saul because Saul was the Lord's anointed. Furthermore he showed that it was inappropriate for Saul to seek ...
  • Ahimelech the Hittite may have been a foreign mercenary (cf. Uriah the Hittite, 2 Sam. 11:3). The writer may have mentioned him to show the extent of David's appeal. Abishai was David's nephew, one of the sons of his sister Z...
  • Ackroyd, Peter R. The First Book of Samuel. Cambridge Bible Commentary on the New English Bible series. Cambridge, Eng.: University Press, 1971._____. "The Verb Love--'Aheb in the David-Jonathan Narratives--A Footnote."Vetus ...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • The story of David's kindness to Mephibosheth (ch. 9) helps to explain David's subsequent acceptance by the Benjamites. It also enables us to see that the writer returned here to events in David's early reign."It is, in my pe...
  • This second descendant of Saul demonstrated a reaction to David that was the opposite of Ziba's. Ziba had been ingratiating and submissive, but Shimei, a "reptile of the royal house of Saul,"245was insulting and defiant (cf. ...
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