1 Samuel 20

AND David fled Whilst Saul lay in an Extasie. from Naioth in Ramah To Gibeah where Ionathan was, taking the opportunity of Saul's absence., and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father What is it which thus incenseth thy Father against me? What Crime does he charge me with?, that he seeketh my life To wit, to destroy it, as this Phrase is oft used, as chap. 22. 23. Psal. 38. 12. and 54. 3. and 63. 9.?

And he said unto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die I will secure thee by my Interest with my Father; nor does he design to destroy thee; for what he does in his frantick fits is not to be imputed to him; and when he comes to himself, I doubt not to reconcile thee to him. For Ionathan gave credit to his Fathers Oath, chap. 19. 6. and the worthiest minds are least suspicious, and most charitable in their opinions of others.: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

And David sware The matter being of great moment, and Ionathan doubting the truth of it, he confirms his word with an Oath, which follows in the end of the Verse. Only he interposeth a reason why Saul concealed it from Ionathan. moreover, and said, Thy father certainly... weth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

Then said Jonathan unto David, whatsoever thy soul desireth To wit, for the discovery of the truth, and for the preservation of thy life., I will even do it for thee.

And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon Which was a Solemn and Festival time, as among the Romans and other Heathens, so also with the Hebrews, who Solemnized it with offering Peace-offerings to God, and Feasting together upon the remainders of it, after the manner. See Numb. 10. 10. and 28. 11. Psal. 81. 3., and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat Then he useth to expect my company above other times.: but let me go, that I may hide my self in the fields, unto the third day i. e. Unto the next day but one after the New Moon; as appears by comparing v. 19, 27, 35. His meaning is not, that he should hide himself in any certain place all the three days, but that he should secure himself either at Bethlehem with his Friends, or in any other place till the third day. at even.

If thy father at all miss me Quest. How could David imagine that Saul would expect his Company, whom he had once and again endeavoured to kill? Ans. First, He might suppose that David would ascribe all that to his Madness and Frantick fits, which being over, he would promise himself safety in the Kings presence. Secondly, David might not think that Saul would indeed expect him to Feast with him, considering his late and great danger from Saul; but that Saul would make use of this pretence, and require his presence, that he might lay hold upon him; and therefore he desired to try the experiment., then say, David earnestly asked leave of me Who being the Kings Son and Deputy, used to give License to Military Men to depart for a season upon just occasions., that he might run to Bethlehem his city i. e. The place of his Birth and Education, Ioh. 7. 42., for there is a yearly sacrifice A Sacrifice which was offered up in some high-place there Yearly, upon some special occasion not mentioned in Scripture, which was accompanied with a Feast: or, a yearly Feast, as the Hebrew word is sometimes used. there for all the family Wherein all the Members of our Family used to meet together, when they will earnestly expect me above others, and will charge me with Pride and Unnaturalness if I neglect their Invitation..

If they say thus, It is well, thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure Heb. know thou: For indeed David knew well enough that Saul designed to kill him; but he useth this course for Ionathan's information and satisfaction, and for his own greater vindication, if he did wholly withdraw himself from Saul, and from his Wife; which he foresaw he should be forced to do. that evil is determined by him.

Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant In giving me timely notice, and a true account of Saul's disposition and intention towards me.: for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD i. e. A Solemn Covenant, not lightly undertaken, but seriously entred into, in the name and fear of God, and in his presence, calling him to be the Witness of our sincerity therein, and the Avenger of perfidiousness in him that breaks it. with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thy self I am contented thou shouldst kill me.: for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father Why shouldst thou betray me to thy Father, by concealing his evil intentions from me??

And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee I abhor the thoughts of either killing thee my self, or giving thee up to my Father to slay thee.: for if I knew certainly, that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me By what means or Messenger shall I understand this? for peradventure thou wilt not be able to come to me thy self.? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

¶ And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field Lest we be over-heard.. And they went out both of them into the field.

And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel Do thou hear and judge between us. It is an abrupt speech, which is usual in great passions., when I have sounded my father, about to morrow any time, or the third day, and behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and show it thee;

The LORD do so, and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace, and the LORD be with thee, as he has been with my father The Lord give thee that Honour and Success in all thy Affairs which he has given to my Father. Ionathan undoubtedly knew of Samuel's final and irrevocable Sentence of Saul's rejection from the Kingdom, and of the Substitution of some other Person after God's own heart in his stead; and that David was this Person, he might strongly suspect (that which even Saul suspected) both from his eminent Piety; and Wisdom, and Valour, and Universal worth, and from the great things which God had done, both by him, and for him, in preserving and advancing him by such unusual methods; and it is most likely that Ionathan did ask David about it, and that David did Faithfully inform him of the whole truth, as may be gathered both from the words here following, and from chap. 23. 17. And that the knowledge hereof did not raise jealousie, and envy, and rage in him, who was the next Heir of the Crown, as it did in his Father, must be ascribed to Ionathan's Piety towards God, to whose disposal he chearfully submitted himself, and to his sincere Friendship to David, in whose happiness he rejoyced as in his own..

And thou shalt not only while yet I live, show me the kindness of the LORD Or, And wiltst thou not, if I shall then be alive, (to wit, when the Lord shall be with thee, as he has been with my Father, as he now said, i. e. when God shall have advanced thee to the Kingdom, as he did him): yea, wiltst thou not (the same Particle twice repeated for asseveration, i. e. I am well assured that thou wiltst) show me the kindness of the Lord, i. e. either such kindness as the Lord has showed to thee in preserving thy life in the midst of so many, and such great dangers: or, that kindness to which thou hast engaged thy self, in the Covenant Sworn between thee and me in Gods presence., that I die not That thou do not kill me or mine, as Princes of another Line use to kill the nearest Relations of the former Line, from whom the Kingdom was translated to them; which they do either by way of revenge, or in policy, and reason of State to secure the Kingdom to themselves.:

But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness He says not, the kindness of the Lord, as before, because the Covenant between them seems to have been only Personal, and not comprehending their Posterity. And therefore as Ionathan speaks confidently of his own Preservation by virtue of that Covenant; so he here lays this additional Obligation upon David, That he would extend this kindness to all his Progeny. from my house for ever: no not when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David, every one from the face of the earth Which he will certainly do without exception of Saul my Father, and those of his Children who have joyned, or shall joyn with him in his Hostilities and Cruelties against David. And by this word, Enemies, he implies the reasonableness of his request, because Ionathan was none of that number, and therefore not to be treated as such..

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David The Covenant which before was Personal, he now extends to the whole house of David, expecting a reciprocal enlargement of it on David's side, which doubtless he obtained., saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of Davids enemies The Covenant which before was Personal, he now extends to the whole house of David, expecting a reciprocal enlargement of it on David's side, which doubtless he obtained.. h If either I or any of my House shall break this Covenant, and shall prove Enemies to David or to his House, let the Lord, the Witness of this Covenant, severely punish the Violators of it, who ever they are. Others thus: Let the Lord require and punish the breach of this Covenant in David, if he break it. But because it was ominous and reproachful to suppose such a thing of David, by a Figure called Euphemismus, he names David's Enemies for David; as they also Expound 1 Sam. 25. 22. But the former sense seems more probable, because this Verse contains only Ionathan's Stipulation or Covenant with David and his House, which being expressed in the former part of it, is in this latter part confirmed by the usual form of imprecation; and the restipulation or Covenant of David to Ionathan and his House, is mentioned in the next Verse. Yet may that other sense stand well enough; taking these words to Ionathan's Adjuration of David to be kind to him, confirmed with an Imprecation in case he do otherwise. As if he should say, I Adjure thee, as thou hopest to escape such a mischief (which I had rather might befal thine Enemies than thee) that thou deal not so ungratefully with me or my House. Which Adjuration of Ionathan, David seconds by an Oath in the next Verse, at the request of Ionathan.

And Jonathan caused David to swear again Heb. And Jonathan added or proceeded to make David Swear, i. e. Having himself Sworn to David, or Adjured David, in the foregoing Verse, he here requires David's Oath to him, by way of restipulation or Confirmation., because he loved him Because he had a true Friendship for David, he desired that the Covenant might be inviolably observed through all their Generations.: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat i. e. The place where David used to sit at Meals with Saul. See v. 25. will be empty.

And when thou hast stayed three days Either at Bethlehem with thy friends, v. 6. Or elsewhere, as thou shalt see fit., then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thy self, when the business was in hand Heb. in the day of business: or, of the business. And these Words are to be joyned, either, 1. with the words next foregoing; and so they note the time when David hid himself there; which was, when this same business which now they were treating about, was in agitation formerly; to wit, to discover Saul's Mind and Purpose towards him; Chap. 19. 2, 3. Or, 2. with the more remote words; and so they note the time when David should come to the place appointed, and formerly used to hide himself in, upon a like occasion; to wit, in the day when the business here spoken of was to be done: i. e. When the discovery of Saul's Mind was to be made., and shalt remain by the stone Ezel Or, by the stone of going, or travelling: i. e. By that Stone which directs Travellers in the way: to wit, in some Cave, or convenient place, which was near that Stone..

And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof as though I shot at a mark He chose this way to avoid Saul's suspition, because Bows and Arrows were the principal Arms of those times; and Ionathan, as well as others, did oft go forth to Exercise himself with them, both for Recreation, and improvement of his Skill in that Art. Besides, he knew not that he should have any opportunity of private converse with David, by reason of Passengers, though the Event proved better than he expected..

And behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows I will send him out before I shoot, to find out, and take up the Arrows which I shall shoot. And I shall shoot them either short of him, or beyoud him, as I shall see occasion.. If I expresly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them: then come thou, for there is peace to thee, and no hurt, as the LORD liveth.

But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold the arrows are beyond thee: go thy way, for the LORD has sent thee away Take this for an intimation of Gods Providence, that thou shouldest keep away from the Court..

And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

¶ So David hid himself in the field To wit, at the time appointed: for it seems probable, that he went first to Bethlehem, as he bad Ionathan tell his Father, v. 6. and thence returned to the Field, when the occasion required: else we must charge him with a downright Lie, which ought not to be imagined (without any apparent cause) concerning so good a Man; especially, in so distressed and dangerous a Condition. And why should he hide himself there so long before the time, when Ionathan was to come thither to inform him? Nor were there any need of appointing a certain time to meet, if David were there all the while.: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.

And the king sat upon his seat as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose To wit, from his seat where he was sat next to the King, whence he arose, and stood up at Abner's coming, to do Honour to him, who was his Fathers Cousin, and the General of the Army., and Abner sat by Sauls side, and Davids place Which seems to have been next to Abner on the same side with him. was empty.

Nevertheless, Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, something has befallen him Some accident which has rendred him unclean, and so unfit to partake of this Feast, which consisted in part of the remainders of these Peace-offerings, according to the Law; Levit. 7. 20. Unfit also to come into any company, much more, into the Kings company, lest he should Pollute them also. See above, on v. 5. See also, Levit. 11. and 15., he is not clean, surely he is not clean.

And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month Or, on the m... rrow of the new m... en, being the second day: Either, 1. of the Three days appointed, v. 5, 19. Or, 2. of the Feast. Or 3. of the Month., that Davids place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son Who was Davids friend, and best knew his mind, and his ways., Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse So he calls him in Scorn and Contempt, to note the meanness of his Original; and as not deigning to call him by his proper Name: See below, Chap. 22. 9. and 25. 10. to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day For the Uncleanness which came by some chance, usually lasted but for one day. See Levit. 11.?

And Jonathan answered Saul, David... arnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he has commanded me to be there Either in his Fathers name, or in the right of the Firstborn; one branch of which, was Authority over his Brethren in all the concerns of the Family; whereof this was one.: and now, if I have found fa... our in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and fee my brethren: therefore he cometh not to the kings table.

Then Sauls anger was kindled aga... nst Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman This base Temper of thine, thou hadst not from me, but from thy Mother; of whose perverseness I have had so much experience. Or, thou son of preverse rebellion: i. e. Thou preverse and rebellious Son: Or, thou most perverse rebel: For in the Hebrew Language, the Word Son, thus used, is an Aggravation of a Man's Crime; and notes one who is extraordinarily addicted to it. Thus he calls him, because he hid and preserved that man whom the King had commanded to be brought forth, that... e might be slain., do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion For it will be a horrible shame and reproach unto thee, that David by his crafty Insinuations, and fair Pretences, should Cheat thee of thy Kingdom., and unto the confusion of thy mothers nakedness Men will conclude, That thy Mother was a Whore, and Thou a Bastard; and that thou hast no Royal Blood in thy Veins, that canst so... amely give up thy Crown to so contemptible a Person.?

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be stablished, nor thy kingdom Thus he grosly mistakes the cause of Ionathan's loss of the Kingdom, which was not Davids Art, but Saul's Sin; and vainly indeavours to prevent Gods Irrevocable Sentence.: wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what has he done?

And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him i. e. To Wound him, though not to smite him even to the wall; as he designed to do to David, Chap. 19. 10., whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David because Or, and because: for this is a second cause of his Grief. The Conjunction and is oft-times omitted, and to be supplyed; as Psal. 33. 2. and 144. 9. Ios. 63. 11. Habak. 3. 11. his father had done him shame.

¶ And it came to pass in the morning To wit, of the third day appointed for this Work, v. 5., that Jonathan went out into the field, at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

And when the lad was come to the place i. e. Near to the place. Or, And the lad went, or was going on to the place: for the words following show, that he was not yet come thither. The Hebrew Verb, bo, which properly signifies to come, sometimes signifies to go; as here, and Ruth 3. 7. and Ionah 1. 3. of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not So he bids him, because finding the coast clear, he made haste to take the opportunity to speak with his dearly beloved David.. And Jonathans lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

And Jonathan gave his artillery His Bow, and Arrows, and Quiver. unto his lad, and said unto him Go, carry them to the city.

¶ And assoon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south In respect of the Stone where David by appointment hid himself., and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded As well he might, because he was driven away, not only from his dear friend Ionathan, but also from his Wife, and all his Relations, and from the Commonwealth of Israel, and from the Service of God; as he complains below, Chap. 26. 19..

And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the Name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever Therefore doubt not but I will ever love thee, and faithfully serve thee; and the like I assure my self from thee; and this must be our comfort in our state of Separation.. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the City.