Discovery Box1 Samuel 20:1-6
Context20:1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came to Jonathan and asked, 1 “What have I done? What is my offense? 2 How have I sinned before your father? For he is seeking my life!”
20:2 Jonathan 3 said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing 4 large or small without making me aware of it. 5 Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!”
20:3 Taking an oath, David again 6 said, “Your father is very much aware of the fact 7 that I have found favor with you, and he has thought, 8 ‘Don’t let Jonathan know about this, or he will be upset.’ But as surely as the Lord lives and you live, there is about one step between me and death!” 20:4 Jonathan replied to David, “Tell me what I can do for you.” 9
20:5 David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. 10 You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now. 20:6 If your father happens to miss me, you should say, ‘David urgently requested me to let him go 11 to his city Bethlehem, 12 for there is an annual sacrifice there for his entire family.’
[20:1] 1 tn Heb “and he came and said before Jonathan.”
[20:1] 2 tn Heb “What is my guilt?”
[20:2] 3 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[20:2] 4 tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew
[20:2] 5 tn Heb “without uncovering my ear.”
[20:3] 6 tc The LXX and the Syriac Peshitta lack the word “again.”
[20:3] 7 tn The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:3] 8 tn Heb “said,” that is, to himself. So also in v. 25.
[20:4] 9 tn Heb “whatever your soul says, I will do for you.”
[20:5] 10 tn Heb “and I must surely sit with the king to eat.” The infinitive absolute appears before the finite verb for emphasis.
[20:6] 12 map For location see Map5 B1; Map7 E2; Map8 E2; Map10 B4.
