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. Saul hated David so much he could not bring himself to use his name (vv. 27, 31). "The son of . . ."was a mild insult (cf. 10:11).225By insulting Jonathan's mother Saul was intensifying his insult (v. 30). Today's English Version translated Saul's epithet, "You bastard!"The New Jerusalem Bible rendered it, "You son of a rebellious slut!"Jonathan had chosen David as his friend to his own shame (v. 30) in the sense that because he had made him his friend, rather than killing him as Saul wanted him to do, David would take Jonathan's place as the king of Israel. That would be a shame for Jonathan. Jonathan had chosen David to the shame of his mother's nakedness in that Jonathan's conception and birth were useless if David replaced him. Jonathan would fail to achieve the purpose for which he had been born, in Saul's way of thinking (v. 31). Saul perceived David as a threat to his continuing dynasty, not just to his personal rule. Clearly Saul was rejecting and opposing God's will that his reign and his dynasty would not endure. Saul said he would kill David so David could not do what God had said he would do.
Jonathan's ambitions were not the same as Saul's. He wanted God's will to succeed more than he wanted to become Israel's king. Therefore he interceded for David again (v. 32; cf. 19:4). Saul, exasperated by what he interpreted as Jonathan's selfless folly, tried to execute David's advocate as he had formerly tried to kill David himself (v. 33; cf. 18:11; 19:10). This brush with death finally convinced Jonathan that David had been right about Saul's intentions after all (cf. v. 3). It also convinced him to get out of the king's presence. Jonathan departed in hot anger because of Saul's attitude toward David and because of Saul's attitude toward himself. Saul had said David would not allow Jonathan to rule, but Saul himself almost prevented that from happening by attacking the crown prince. Jonathan's departure from Saul's table symbolized his departure from his father's fellowship.
