1 Samuel 20

David seeks the protection and aid of his covenant brother, Jonathan, to discern the intentions of Saul, leading to a definitive discovery of Saul's murderous resolve and the subsequent separation of the two friends.

• David pleads with Jonathan for truth regarding Saul's intent to kill him.
• The two men establish a plan to test Saul's disposition during the New Moon feast using a specific signal involving arrows.
• Saul's violent reaction to David's absence confirms his murderous intent toward David and his fury against his own son, Jonathan.
• The two friends part ways in sorrow, having renewed their covenant before the Lord.

• The New Moon feast
• The stone Ezel
• The three arrows signal
• Saul's javelin thrown at Jonathan
• The weeping of David and Jonathan

This passage marks the final rupture between David and Saul's house, signaling the transfer of divine favor from the disobedient king to the Lord's anointed; Matthew Henry observes that David's trials prepared him for future advancement, illustrating that God does not lead His chosen ones to glory without first taking them through the school of tribulation.

Faithful covenant friendship remains steadfast even in the face of violent, godless opposition.

The narrative moves from the private, anxious inquiry of David and Jonathan to the public manifestation of Saul's madness, culminating in the painful, necessary departure of the future king.

• The Lord be between me and thee and between my seed and thy seed for ever (1 Samuel 20:42)

• Go in peace (1 Samuel 20:42)

• Thou shalt not be established nor thy kingdom (1 Samuel 20:31)

• The passage reflects the transition period in Israel between the decentralized tribal period and the unified monarchy under David, highlighting the danger of royal courts.

• The New Moon was a significant time of sacrifice and assembly; for David to be absent suggests a grave matter, which Saul misinterprets as ritual uncleanness.

• The chapter serves as a pivot point in 1 Samuel, ending David's life in the palace and beginning his life as a fugitive.

• This chapter functions as the catalyst for David's flight, which eventually leads him to the priests at Nob and the wilderness, fulfilling the trajectory set by his anointing in 1 Samuel 16.

• The phrasing 'The Lord be between me and thee' acts as a clear echo of the covenant between Jacob and Laban in Genesis 31:49.

• David (דָּוִד H1732): The youngest son of Jesse; the object of God's choice. Fled (בָּרַח H1272): To bolt suddenly; emphasizing the urgency of David's escape. Life (נֶפֶשׁ H5315): Properly, a breathing creature, denoting David's vitality which Saul seeks to extinguish. Oath/Swear (שָׁבַע H7650): Literally to 'seven oneself', implying a complete and binding commitment.

• Jonathan's recognition that David would eventually replace his own father as king, which explains the shift in his loyalty.

• Whether David's request to Jonathan (vv 6-7) was a complete fabrication to test Saul, or if David truly had a family obligation, is debated; most commentators view it as a ruse or cover story.