David fled from Naioth in Ramah; he came to Jonathan and said, “What have I done, what is my crime and my guilt against your father, that he seeks my life?”
He replied, “Heaven forbid! You shall not die. My father does not do anything, great or small, without disclosing it to me; why should my father conceal this matter from me? It cannot be!”
David swore further,aswore further Septuagint reads “replied to him.” “Your father knows well that you are fond of me and has decided: Jonathan must not learn of this or he will be grieved. But, as GOD lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
וישבע
388
עוד
80
דוד
14
ויאמר
257
ידע
84
ידע
84
אביך
33
כימצאתי
571
חן
58
בעיניך
162
ויאמר
257
אלידעזאת
523
יהונתן
521
פןיעצב
302
ואולם
83
חייהוה
44
וחי
24
נפשך
450
כי
30
כפשע
470
ביני
72
ובין
68
המות
451
I Samuel 20:4
Gematria: 2471
ויאמריהונתןאלדודמהתאמרנפשךואעשהלךפ
Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want, I will do it for you.”
David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am to sit with the king at the meal. Instead, letbam to sit … meal. Instead, let Septuagint reads “will not sit…meal. Let…” me go and I will hide in the countryside until the thirdcthird Septuagint lacks “third.” evening.
If your father notes my absence, you say, ‘David asked my permission to run down to his home town, Bethlehem, for the whole family has its annual sacrifice there.’
Word-by-Word Analysis
אםפקד
225
יפקדני
254
אביך
33
ואמרת
647
נשאל
381
נשאל
381
ממני
140
דוד
14
לרוץ
326
ביתלחם
490
עירו
286
כי
30
זבח
17
הימים
105
שם
340
לכלהמשפחה
518
I Samuel 20:7
Gematria: 2350
אםכהיאמרטובשלוםלעבדךואםחרהיחרהלודעכיכלתההרעהמעמו
If he says ‘Good,’ your servant is safe; but if his anger flares up, know that he is resolved to do [me] harm.
Deal faithfully with your servant, since you have taken your servant into a covenant of GOD with you. And if I am guilty, kill me yourself, but don’t make me go back to your father.”
eThe meaning of several parts of vv. 12–16 is uncertain. Then Jonathan said to David, “By the ETERNAL, the God of Israel! I will sound out my father at this time tomorrow, [or] on the third day; and if [his response] is favorable for David, I will send a message to you at once and disclose it to you.
But if my father intends to do you harm, may GOD do thus to Jonathan and more if I do [not] disclose it to you and send you off to escape unharmed. May GOD be with you—as [God] was formerly with my father.
Word-by-Word Analysis
כהיעשה
410
יהוה
26
ליהונתן
551
וכה
31
יסיף
160
כיייטב
61
אלאבי
44
אתהרעה
681
עליך
130
וגליתי
459
אתאזנך
479
ושלחתיך
774
והלכת
461
לשלום
406
ויהי
31
יהוה
26
עמך
130
כאשר
521
היה
20
עםאבי
123
I Samuel 20:14
Gematria: 1754
ולאאםעודניחיולאתעשהעמדיחסדיהוהולאאמות
Nor shall you fail to show me GOD’s faithfulness,fGOD’s faithfulness I.e., the faithfulness pledged in the covenant before GOD. while I am alive; nor, when I am dead,
So the day after tomorrow, go down all the wayiall the way Lit. “very much.” to the place where you hid the other time,jthe other time Lit. “on the day of the incident”; see 19.2ff. and stay close to the Ezel stone.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ושלשת
1036
תרד
604
מאד
45
ובאת
409
אלהמקום
222
אשרנסתרת
1611
שם
340
ביום
58
המעשה
420
וישבת
718
אצל
121
האבן
58
האזל
43
I Samuel 20:20
Gematria: 2253
ואנישלשתהחציםצדהאורהלשלחלילמטרה
Now I will shoot three arrows to one side of it, as though I were shooting at a mark,
and I will order the boy to go and find the arrows. If I call to the boy, ‘Hey! the arrows are on this side of you,’ be reassuredkreassured Lit. “accept it.” and come, for you are safe and there is no danger—as GOD lives!
Word-by-Word Analysis
והנה
66
אשלח
339
אתהנער
726
לך
50
מצא
131
אתהחצים
554
אםאמר
282
אמר
241
לנער
350
הנה
60
החצים
153
ממך
100
והנה
66
קחנוובאה
178
כישלום
406
לך
50
ואין
67
דבר
206
חייהוה
44
I Samuel 20:22
Gematria: 1307
ואםכהאמרלעלםהנההחציםממךוהלאהלךכישלחךיהוה
But if, instead, I call to the lad, ‘Hey! the arrows are beyond you,’ then leave, for GOD has sent you away.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ואםכה
72
אמר
241
לעלם
170
הנה
60
החצים
153
ממך
100
והלאה
47
לך
50
כי
30
שלחך
358
יהוה
26
I Samuel 20:23
Gematria: 1979
והדבראשרדברנואניואתההנהיהוהביניובינךעדעולםס
As for the promise we made to each other,lAs for the promise we made to each other See above, vv. 12–17. may GOD be [witness] between you and me forever.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
והדבר
217
אשר
501
דברנו
262
אני
61
ואתה
412
הנה
60
יהוה
26
ביני
72
ובינך
88
עדעולםס
280
I Samuel 20:24
Gematria: 2063
ויסתרדודבשדהויהיהחדשוישבהמלךעלאלהלחםלאכול
David hid in the field. The new moon came, and the king sat down to partake of the meal.
When the king took his usual place on the seat by the wall, Jonathan rosemrose Force of Heb. uncertain; Septuagint “faced him.” and Abner sat down at Saul’s side; but David’s place remained vacant.
That day, however, Saul said nothing. “It’s accidental,” he thought. “He must be impure and not yet purified.”nHe must be impure and not yet purified Heb. construction unclear.
But on the day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was vacant again. So Saul said to his son Jonathan, “Why didn’t the son of Jesseothe son of Jesse See note at 10.11. come to the meal yesterday or today?”
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויהי
31
ממחרת
688
החדש
317
השני
365
ויפקד
200
מקום
186
דודפויאמר
351
שאול
337
אליהונתן
552
בנו
58
מדוע
120
לאבא
34
בןישי
372
גםתמול
519
גםהיום
104
אלהלחם
114
I Samuel 20:28
Gematria: 2899
ויעןיהונתןאתשאולנשאלנשאלדודמעמדיעדביתלחם
Jonathan answered Saul, “David begged leave of me to go to Bethlehem.
He said, ‘Please let me go, for we are going to have a family feast in our town and my brother has summoned me to it. Do me a favor, let me slip away to see my kin.’ That is why he has not come to the king’s table.”
Saul flew into a rage against Jonathan. “You son of a perverse, rebellious woman!” he shouted. “I know that you side with the son of Jesse—to your shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness!
For as long as the son of Jesse lives on earth, neither you nor your kingship will be secure. Now then, have him brought to me, for he is marked for death.”
Word-by-Word Analysis
כי
30
כלהימים
155
אשר
501
בןישי
372
חי
18
עלהאדמה
155
לא
31
תכון
476
אתה
406
ומלכותך
522
ועתה
481
שלח
338
וקח
114
אתו
407
אלי
41
כי
30
בןמות
498
הואס
72
I Samuel 20:32
Gematria: 2669
ויעןיהונתןאתשאולאביוויאמראליולמהיומתמהעשה
But Jonathan spoke up and said to his father,phis father Heb. “his father Saul.” “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
At that, Saul threwpthrew See 18.11 and note. his spear at him to strike him down; and Jonathan realized that his father was determined to do away with David.
Jonathan rose from the table in a rage. He ate no food on the second day of the new moon, because he was grieved about David, and because his father had humiliated him.
Word-by-Word Analysis
ויקם
156
יהונתן
521
מעם
150
השלחן
393
בחריאף
301
ולאאכל
88
ביוםהחדש
375
השני
365
לחם
78
כי
30
נעצב
212
אלדוד
45
כי
30
הכלמו
101
אביוס
79
I Samuel 20:35
Gematria: 2042
ויהיבבקרויצאיהונתןהשדהלמועדדודונערקטןעמו
In the morning, Jonathan went out into the open for the meeting with David, accompanied by a young boy.qyoung boy Or “attendant.”
When the boy got there, David emerged from his concealment atremerged from his concealment at Lit. “rose up from beside.” the Negeb.sthe Negeb Identical with the “Ezel Stone,” v. 19. He flung himself face down on the ground and bowed low three times. They kissed each other and wept together; David wept the longer.
Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace! For we two have sworn to each other in the name of GOD: ‘May GOD be [witness] between you and me, and between your offspring and mine, forever!’”