1 Samuel 20:27

1 Samuel 20:27 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
• English Standard Version (ESV)But on the second day, the day after the new moon, David's place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, "Why has not the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?"
• New King James Version (NKJV)And it happened the next day, the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has the son of Jesse not come to eat, either yesterday or today?”
• New Living Translation (NLT)But when David’s place was empty again the next day, Saul asked Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse been here for the meal either yesterday or today?”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:27

25He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty. 26Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “Something must have happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.” But the next day, the second day of the month, David’s place was empty again. Then Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal, either yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan answered, “David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem. 29He said, ‘Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”

1 Samuel 20:27 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וַיִּפָּקֵ֖ד מְק֣וֹם דָּוִ֑ד ס וַיֹּ֤אמֶר שָׁאוּל֙ אֶל־יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בְּנ֔וֹ מַדּ֜וּעַ לֹא־בָ֧א בֶן־יִשַׁ֛י גַּם־תְּמ֥וֹל גַּם־הַיּ֖וֹם אֶל־הַלָּֽחֶם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass on the morrowמׇחֳרָתmochŏrâth mochŏrâthâm · morrowH4283
• the secondשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
• of the monthחֹ֫דֶשׁchôdesh · month: new moonH2320
• that David’sדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• placeמָקוֹםmâqôm mâqôm meqômâh meqômâh · placeH4725
• was emptyפָּקַדpâqad · to reckon: missingH6485
• and Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• his sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
• Wherefore comethבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• of Jesseיִשַׁיyishay 'îyshay · JesseH3448
• to meatלֶ֫חֶםlechem · foodH3899
• neither yesterdayתְּמוֹלtemôl temôl · yesterdayH8543
• nor to dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:27

• 1 Samuel 18:11and he hurled it, saying to himself, “I’ll pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
• 1 Samuel 19:9But an evil spirit from the Lord came on Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand. While David was playing the lyre,
• 1 Samuel 22:7He said to them, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds?
• 1 Samuel 25:10Nabal answered David’s servants, “Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days.
• Isaiah 11:1A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
• Matthew 13:55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas?
• 1 Peter 2:4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:27

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-34Verses 24-34 None were more constant than David in attending holy duties; nor had he been absent, but self-preservation obliged him to withdraw. In great peril present opportunities for Divine ordinances may be waved. But it is bad for us, except in case of necessity, to omit any opportunity of statedly attending on them. Jonathan did wisely and well for himself and family, to secure an interest in David, yet for this he is blamed. It is good to take…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26-27A number of circumstances could render a person ceremonially unclean and thus unfit for attending a sacred festival (see Leviticus 7:2–21). Often, an unclean person was required to be excluded from such functions only until the evening of the same day (Leviticus 15). This explains why Saul became suspicious after David did not arrive the next day. Saul referred to David as the son of Jesse (also in 1 Samuel 20:31; 22:7), a description that functioned as…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2727. on the morrow, which was the second day of the month--The time of the moon's appearance being uncertain--whether at midday, in the evening, or at midnight, the festival was extended over two days. Custom, not the law, had introduced this. Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse--The question was asked, as it were, casually, and with as great an air of indifference as he could assume. And Jonathan having replied that…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 20:27

• Arrow
• Jealousy
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Jesse
• Jonathan
• Saul
• Paul, Saul
• Artillery
• David
• Require
• Calendar
• Jonathan (2)
• Sacrifice

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary