Tyndale Open Study Notes1 Samuel 20

Jonathan did not understand his father's plans. David's willingness to swear by the Lord showed he was sure about Saul's intentions.

New Moon: The ancient Hebrews used a lunar calendar, and the new moon signaled a new month. They started each month with a special sacrifice (Numbers 28:11–15), which became a monthly festival.

Israelite families might choose a new moon festival for their yearly family sacrifice (see, for example, 1 Samuel 1:3).

• kindness: The Hebrew word ḥesed means faithful love or commitment. It describes faithfulness between people who are bound by a covenant (a binding agreement).

• a covenant: A covenant is a serious and binding agreement that includes promises and loyalty. David and Jonathan made such an agreement with each other (see 1 Samuel 18:3; 20:16).

• may the LORD punish me: Jonathan promised David he would keep his promise.

• as He has been with my father: Jonathan saw that God blessed David as God had once blessed his father. The divine favor that made Saul king (1 Samuel 9:14–10:1) would now make David king as Saul's replacement. Jonathan accepted this, even though he was Saul's natural successor.

loving devotion: The Hebrew word ḥesed refers to loyal love and faithfulness to a covenant (see study note on 1 Samuel 20:8). Jonathan reminded David to keep his commitment to him when David became king. Jonathan’s concern was reasonable. In the ancient world, a new king might kill members of the former royal family to remove rivals to the throne. Saul later made a similar request of David (1 Samuel 24:21).

cut off your loving devotion from my household: David later cared for Jonathan’s son, Mephibosheth, like his own son (2 Samuel 9:1–13).

See 1 Samuel 18:3 and 23:16–18.

Jonathan's plan would allow David to get the message even if there could be no face-to-face meeting. The boy's presence reduced suspicion and gave Jonathan an excuse to go to the field. As it happened, only the boy went with Jonathan to the field. When the boy left, David could talk to Jonathan directly (1 Samuel 20:40–42).

Abner was Saul’s cousin and served as commander of Saul’s army (1 Samuel 14:50; 17:55). His importance is shown by his position beside the king at this festival.

• A 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 David’s last name.

let me go: This verb also describes how David escaped from Saul earlier (1 Samuel 19:10–12, 17–18).

• You son of a perverse and rebellious woman!: This insult was as strong and offensive in Hebrew as it is in English.

• to your own shame: Saul cared about his family's legacy. He saw David’s actions as a threat to Jonathan, the rightful heir. To Saul, Jonathan was stupidly hurting and shaming himself by supporting David.

• Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan: Saul had tried to kill others in this same way before (see also 1 Samuel 18:11; 19:10).

• so Jonathan knew: Jonathan had been slow to accept the truth about his own father (1 Samuel 20:2–3). Now he could no longer deny it.

• David … bowed: Jonathan had a higher social rank, making David's gesture appropriate.

• he and Jonathan … wept: For the first time in the story, the text shows that both men openly shared their grief (see 1 Samuel 18:1, 3–4; 20:17).

sworn in the name of the LORD: (See 1 Samuel 18:3; 20:15–17; 23:16–18).