Jonathan Warns David

1 Samuel 20

1 Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, "What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?" 2 So Jonathan said to him, "By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!" 3 Then David took an oath again, and said, "Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But a truly, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death." 4 So Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you." 5 And David said to Jonathan, "Indeed tomorrow is the b New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may c hide in the field until the third day at evening. 6 "If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over d to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.' 7 e "If he says thus: 'It is well,' your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that f evil is determined by him. 8 "Therefore you shall g deal kindly with your servant, for h you have brought your servant into a covenant of the LORD with you. Nevertheless, i if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?" 9 But Jonathan said, "Far be it from you! For if I knew certainly that evil was determined by my father to come upon you, then would I not tell you?" 10 Then David said to Jonathan, "Who will tell me, or what if your father answers you roughly?" 11 And Jonathan said to David, "Come, let us go out into the field." So both of them went out into the field.

12 Then Jonathan said to David: "The LORD God of Israel is witness! When I have 1 sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you, 13 "may j the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And k the LORD be with you as He has l been with my father. 14 "And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die; 15 "but m you shall not 2 cut off your kindness from my 3 house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth." 16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the 4 house of David, saying, n "Let the LORD require it at the hand of David's enemies." 17 Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; o for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, p "Tomorrow is the New Moon; and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19 "And when you have stayed three days, go down quickly and come to q the place where you hid on the day of the deed; and remain by the stone Ezel. 20 "Then I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target; 21 "and there I will send a lad, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I expressly say to the lad, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come' - then, r as the LORD lives, there is safety for you and no harm. 22 "But if I say thus to the young man, 'Look, the arrows are beyond you' - go your way, for the LORD has sent you away. 23 "And as for s the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the LORD be between you and me forever."

24 Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast. 25 Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And 5 Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, but David's place was empty.

26 Nevertheless Saul did not say anything that day, for he thought, "Something has happened to him; he is unclean, surely he is t unclean." 27 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?" 28 So Jonathan u answered Saul, "David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem. 29 "And he said, 'Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.' Therefore he has not come to the king's table."

30 Then Saul's anger was aroused against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse, rebellious woman! Do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? 31 "For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he 6 shall surely die." 32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, v "Why should he be killed? What has he done?" 33 Then Saul w cast a spear at him to 7 kill him, x by which Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to kill David. 34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully.

35 And so it was, in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad was with him. 36 Then he said to his lad, "Now run, find the arrows which I shoot." As the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him. 37 When the lad had come to the place where the arrow was which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried out after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond you?" 38 And Jonathan cried out after the lad, "Make haste, hurry, do not delay!" So Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and came back to his master. 39 But the lad did not know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew of the matter. 40 Then Jonathan gave his 8 weapons to his lad, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city." 41 As soon as the lad had gone, David arose from a place toward the south, fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times. And they kissed one another; and they wept together, but David more so. 42 Then Jonathan said to David, y "Go in peace, since we have both sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, 'May the LORD be between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants, forever.' " So he arose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

  1. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:10 - 12
    When they came there to the hill, there was a group of prophets to meet him; then the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.
  2. Cross References
    1 Samuel 27:1
    And David said in his heart, "Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.
    2 Kings 2:6
    Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan." But he said, " As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!" So the two of them went on.
  3. Cross References
    Numbers 10:10
    "Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the LORD your God."
    Numbers 28:11 - 15
    At the beginnings of your months you shall present a burnt offering to the LORD: two young bulls, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year, without blemish.
  4. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:2
    So Jonathan told David, saying, "My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.
    1 Samuel 19:3
    "And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak with my father about you. Then what I observe, I will tell you."
  5. Cross References
    1 Samuel 16:4
    So Samuel did what the LORD said, and went to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, "Do you come peaceably?
    1 Samuel 17:12
    Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah, whose name was Jesse, and who had eight sons. And the man was old, advanced in years, in the days of Saul.
    John 7:42
    "Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?"
  6. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 1:23
    The plan pleased me well; so I took twelve of your men, one man from each tribe.
    2 Samuel 17:4
    And the saying pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel.
  7. Cross References
    1 Samuel 25:17
    "Now therefore, know and consider what you will do, for harm is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that one cannot speak to him."
    Esther 7:7
    Then the king arose in his wrath from the banquet of wine and went into the palace garden; but Haman stood before Queen Esther, pleading for his life, for he saw that evil was determined against him by the king.
  8. Cross References
    Joshua 2:14
    So the men answered her, "Our lives for yours, if none of you tell this business of ours. And it shall be, when the LORD has given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
  9. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:3
    Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
    1 Samuel 20:16
    So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the LORD require it at the hand of David's enemies.
    1 Samuel 23:18
    So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
  10. Cross References
    2 Samuel 14:32
    And Absalom answered Joab, "Look, I sent to you, saying, 'Come here, so that I may send you to the king, to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me to be there still." ' Now therefore, let me see the king's face; but if there is iniquity in me, let him execute me.
  11. Cross References
    Ruth 1:17
    Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.
    1 Samuel 3:17
    And he said, "What is the word that the LORD spoke to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all the things that He said to you.
  12. Cross References
    Joshua 1:5
    No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you.
    1 Samuel 17:37
    Moreover David said, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said to David, "Go, and the LORD be with you!
    1 Samuel 18:12
    Now Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him, but had departed from Saul.
    1 Chronicles 22:11
    Now, my son, may the LORD be with you; and may you prosper, and build the house of the LORD your God, as He has said to you.
    1 Chronicles 22:16
    "Of gold and silver and bronze and iron there is no limit. Arise and begin working, and the LORD be with you."
  13. Cross References
    1 Samuel 10:7
    And let it be, when these signs come to you, that you do as the occasion demands; for God is with you.
  14. Cross References
    1 Samuel 24:21
    "Therefore swear now to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house."
    2 Samuel 9:1
    Now David said, "Is there still anyone who is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?
    2 Samuel 9:3
    Then the king said, " Is there not still someone of the house of Saul, to whom I may show the kindness of God?" And Ziba said to the king, "There is still a son of Jonathan who is lame in his feet.
    2 Samuel 9:7
    So David said to him, "Do not fear, for I will surely show you kindness for Jonathan your father's sake, and will restore to you all the land of Saul your grandfather; and you shall eat bread at my table continually.
    2 Samuel 21:7
    But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the LORD's oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.
  15. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 23:21
    When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.
    1 Samuel 25:22
    "May God do so, and more also, to the enemies of David, if I leave one male of all who belong to him by morning light."
    1 Samuel 31:2
    Then the Philistines followed hard after Saul and his sons. And the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.
    2 Samuel 4:7
    For when they came into the house, he was lying on his bed in his bedroom; then they struck him and killed him, beheaded him and took his head, and were all night escaping through the plain.
    2 Samuel 21:8
    So the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore to Saul, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.
  16. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:1
    Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
  17. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:5
    And David said to Jonathan, "Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.
    1 Samuel 20:24
    Then David hid in the field. And when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat the feast.
  18. Cross References
    1 Samuel 19:2
    So Jonathan told David, saying, "My father Saul seeks to kill you. Therefore please be on your guard until morning, and stay in a secret place and hide.
  19. Cross References
    Jeremiah 4:2
    And you shall swear, 'The LORD lives,' In truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; The nations shall bless themselves in Him, And in Him they shall glory.
  20. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:14
    And you shall not only show me the kindness of the LORD while I still live, that I may not die.
    1 Samuel 20:15
    "but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the LORD has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."
  21. Cross References
    Leviticus 7:20
    But the person who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, while he is unclean, that person shall be cut off from his people.
    Leviticus 7:21
    'Moreover the person who touches any unclean thing, such as human uncleanness, an unclean animal, or any abominable unclean thing, and who eats the flesh of the sacrifice of the peace offering that belongs to the LORD, that person shall be cut off from his people.'"
    Leviticus 15:5
    And whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe in water, and be unclean until evening.
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:6
    "If your father misses me at all, then say, 'David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.'
  23. Cross References
    Genesis 31:36
    Then Jacob was angry and rebuked Laban, and Jacob answered and said to Laban: "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have so hotly pursued me?
    1 Samuel 19:5
    "For he took his life in his hands and killed the Philistine, and the LORD brought about a great deliverance for all Israel. You saw it and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?"
    Proverbs 31:9
    Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy.
    Matthew 27:23
    Then the governor said, "Why, what evil has He done?" But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!
    Luke 23:22
    Then he said to them the third time, "Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.
  24. Cross References
    1 Samuel 18:11
    And Saul cast the spear, for he said, "I will pin David to the wall!" But David escaped his presence twice.
    1 Samuel 19:10
    Then Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he slipped away from Saul's presence; and he drove the spear into the wall. So David fled and escaped that night.
  25. Cross References
    1 Samuel 20:7
    If he says thus: ' It is well,' your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.
New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Next Book Next Book