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?
• New International Version (NIV)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?”
• 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?”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:27

25So the king sat on his seat—as usual, the seat by the wall—Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty. 26Nevertheless, Saul said nothing that day, for he thought, “It must be an accident; he must be ceremonially unclean—yes, that’s it, he’s unclean.” Yet it came to pass on the day following the New Moon, the second day, that David’s place was still empty. So Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t Jesse’s son come to the meal yesterday or today?” 28Jonathan answered Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth-lehem, 29as he said, ‘Please let me go, for we are going to have a family feast in the town, and my brother has commanded me. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me go, please, to see my brothers. That’s why he hasn’t 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 Saul hurled the spear, thinking, “I’ll pin David to the wall!” But David eluded him—twice.
• 1 Samuel 19:9Yet once again an evil spirit from Adonai came upon Saul as he was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, as David was playing music with his hand.
• 1 Samuel 22:7Saul said to his courtiers standing about him, “Listen now, Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you captains of thousands and captains of hundreds?
• 1 Samuel 25:10But Nabal answered David’s servants by saying, “Who is David? And who is Jesse’s son? Nowadays there are many slaves each running away from his master.
• Isaiah 11:1Then a shoot will come forth out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch will bear fruit out of His roots.
• Matthew 13:55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother called Miriam, and His brothers Jacob and Joseph and Simon and Judah?
• 1 Peter 2:4As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious,

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