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Texts -- 1 Samuel 20:30-42 (NET)

Context
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...

  • 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...

  • 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:...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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, ...

  • 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...

  • 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 ...

  • 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...

  • 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;...

  • 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...

  • Envy

    [nave] ENVY See: Strife.Job 5:2, 3; Psa. 37:1, 7 Prov. 24:19. Psa. 49:16; Psa. 73:3 vs. 17-20.; Psa. 112:10; Prov. 3:31; Prov. 14:30; Prov. 23:17; Prov. 24:1; Prov. 27:4; Eccl. 4:4; Song 8:6; Isa. 26:11; Ezek. 35:11; Rom. 1:29; Rom...

  • BENJAMIN, THE TRIBE OF

    [smith] The contrast between the warlike character of the tribe and the peaceful image of its progenitor comes out in many scattered notices. Benjamin was the only tribe which seems to have pursued archery to any purpose, and their s...

  • Weeping

    [nave] WEEPING, Rom. 12:15; 1 Cor. 7:30. In perdition, Matt. 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30. None in heaven, Rev. 7:17. Prayers of repentance, Jer. 50:4; Joel 2:12. Instances of prayers of repentance: The Israelites, Judg. 2:4, 5. ...

  • WRATH, (ANGER)

    [isbe] WRATH, (ANGER) - rath, roth, rath ('aph, from 'anaph, "to snort," "to be angry"; orge, thumos, orgizomai): Designates various degrees of feeling, such as sadness (Ps 85:4), a frown or turning away of the face in grief or ang...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • 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...
  • 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 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...
  • 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...
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