And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what [is] mine iniquity? and what [is] my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? Ver. 1. _And David fled from Naioth in Ramah._] To Gibeah of Saul, which is twelve miles from Ramah, say some, _a_ and... [ Continue Reading ]
_And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it [is] not [so]._ Ver. 2. _God forbid; thou shalt not die._] Jonathan could not think his father so perfidi... [ Continue Reading ]
And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly [as] the LORD liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, [there is] but a step between me and death. Ver. 3. _And David sware moreov... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do [it] for thee. Ver. 4. _Whatsoever thy soul desireth._] True love is easily persuadable to anything possible and lawful. The heathen promised his friend to stick to him _usque ad aras; _ so far as stood with piety and hones... [ Continue Reading ]
_And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow [is] the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third [day] at even._ Ver. 5. _Behold, tomorrow is the new moon._] The first day of the month - the Hebrews reckoned th... [ Continue Reading ]
If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked [leave] of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for [there is] a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. Ver. 6. _For there is a yearly sacrifice there._] This might very well be a true excuse; and he might in prudence take the... [ Continue Reading ]
If he say thus, [It is] well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, [then] be sure that evil is determined by him. Ver. 7. _But if he be very wroth._] The Rabbis have a saying, that three ways men discover their dispositions - viz., _bekis, bekos, becagnash,_ in their purses, cups,... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? Ver. 8. _Into a covenant of the Lord._] Who is witness to the barg... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? Ver. 9. _That evil were determined by my father._] The Vulgate rendereth it, _completam esse malitiam patris mei contra re,_ that my father were s... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what [if] thy father answer thee roughly? Ver. 10. _Who shall tell me?_] Since thou canst neither come, nor send to me with any safety. _ If thy father answer thee roughly._] As indeed he did, _Et tristoribus dictis atrocia facta coniungebat,_ as... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. Ver. 11. _Come, and let us go out into the field._] Where we may be private, and consider of some means of intercourse.... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, [or] the third [day], and, behold, [if there be] good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; Ver. 12. _O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded, &c._] Broken language... [ Continue Reading ]
The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father [to do] thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father. Ver. 13. _And the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father._] Much... [ Continue Reading ]
And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: Ver. 14. _Show me the kindness of the Lord._] Such as he showeth to his people; and such as they that have their thoughts steeped in the kindness of the Lord to themselves, do show one to another, loving mutu... [ Continue Reading ]
_But [also] thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth._ Ver. 15. _No, not when the Lord hath cut off,_] _i.e., _ When thou art in thy greatest power, and hast none to oppose thee. Jonathan... [ Continue Reading ]
So Jonathan made [a covenant] with the house of David, [saying], Let the LORD even require [it] at the hand of David's enemies. Ver. 16. Let the Lord even require it at the hands of David's enemies.] And more especially at my hands, if I keep not touch with thee, and do all the offices of a faithfu... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. Ver. 17. _And Jonathan caused David to swear again,_] _i.e., _ He required the like oath of him which he had made, that there might be a sure and steadfast league with him whom he so dearly lo... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow [is] the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. Ver. 18. _Tomorrow is the new moon._] _See Trapp on "_ 1Sa 20:5 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And [when] thou hast stayed three days, [then] thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was [in hand], and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. Ver. 19. _When the business was in hand._] When I advertised thee of my father's intent to kill thee, 1... [ Continue Reading ]
And I will shoot three arrows on the side [thereof], as though I shot at a mark. Ver. 20. _And I will shoot three arrows._] Which shall be as so many επεα πτεροεντα, a sure token between us, if we cannot conveniently come together for discourse but we shall be discovered.... [ Continue Reading ]
And, behold, I will send a lad, [saying], Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows [are] on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for [there is] peace to thee, and no hurt; [as] the LORD liveth. Ver. 21. _Then come thou._] Along with the lad, as if thou c... [ Continue Reading ]
But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows [are] beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away. Ver. 22. _Go thy way._] _Fuge, fuge, cito, citius, citissime,_ flee, flee, quickly, more quickly, most quickly, shift for thyself, and so serve God's providence in such a way as... [ Continue Reading ]
And [as touching] the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD [be] between thee and me for ever. Ver. 23. _And as touching the matter._] The mutual covenant, see that it be kept inviolable, or the Lord will require it.... [ Continue Reading ]
So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. Ver. 24. _The king sat him down to eat meat._] At the feast of the new moon, which Saul, as bad as he was, yet was careful to keep, and to have his chief princes keep it with him.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, [even] upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. Ver. 25. _And Jonathan arose,_] viz., To sit down at the table by his father; or perhaps in honour of Abner, and to give him place; as no... [ Continue Reading ]
Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he [is] not clean; surely he [is] not clean. Ver. 26. _Something hath befallen him._] _Casus est,_ it is some of those chances wherewith men are defiled and unfitted for holy services; such as were the touc... [ Continue Reading ]
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? Ver. 27. _Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat?_] Wherefore should... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked [leave] of me [to go] to Bethlehem: Ver. 28. _To go to Bethlehem._] _See Trapp on "_ 1Sa 20:6 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me [to be there]: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table. Ver. 29. _And my bro... [ Continue Reading ]
Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious [woman], do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? Ver. 30. _Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman._] Or... [ Continue Reading ]
For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die. Ver. 31. _For he shall surely die._] Yea, but stay: "Unto God the Lord belong the issues of death"; Psa 68:20 and "My times are... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done? Ver. 32. _Wherefore shall he be slain?_] Good blood will not belie itself. Nicodemus, faint hearted at first, yet when Christ was likely to be apprehended, stickled for him, and to very good pu... [ Continue Reading ]
And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. Ver. 33. _And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him._] Which, if it had hit him, and killed him, Saul would have had as small joy of it as Alexander when he had killed Clitus in... [ Continue Reading ]
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame. Ver. 34. _Because his father had done him shame._] Traducing him for a rebel and a traitor on so public a theatre. This went to goo... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him. Ver. 35. _And a little lad with him._] He went no better attended, because to shoot only for his recreation: but indeed that he might get an opportunity, if possibl... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. [And] as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. Ver. 36. _He shot an arrow beyond him._] God also shoots sometimes sharp arrows at his children, yet not to wound them, but to warn them that the will of Saul - the devil - is th... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, [Is] not the arrow beyond thee? Ver. 37. _Is not the arrow beyond thee?_] This was an item to David to be packing. See 1 Samuel 20:22 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master. Ver. 38. _Make speed, haste, stay not._] _Habent Aulae suum Cito, Cito. Sic et Amicitia._ See 1 Samuel 20:37 .... [ Continue Reading ]
But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter. Ver. 39. _But the lad knew not anything._] What a sweet saying is that of our Saviour: "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry [them] to the city. Ver. 40. _Go, carry them to the city._] The lad he sent away, that David and he might talk together the more freely; for he knew that little pitchers also have ears.... [ Continue Reading ]
1 Samuel 20:41 [And] as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of [a place] toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. Ver. 41. _David arose out of a place._] When now they saw... [ Continue Reading ]
And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city. Ver. 42. _Forasmuch as we have sworn both of us._]... [ Continue Reading ]