1 Samuel 20:34

20:24-34 None were more constant than David in attending holy duties; nor had he been absent, but self-preservation obliged him to withdraw. In great peril present opportunities for Divine ordinances may be waved. But it is bad for us, except in case of necessity, to omit any opportunity of statedly attending on them. Jonathan did wisely and well for himself and family, to secure an interest in David, yet for this he is blamed. It is good to take God's people for our people. It will prove to our advantage at last, however it may now be thought against our interest. Saul was outrageous. What savage beasts, and worse, does anger make men!

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger,.... Resenting his father's attempt to smite him, and his resolution to slay David: and did eat no meat the second day of the month; not then at that meal he was just sat down to, nor at another time that day, his stomach was so full through indignation at his father, and grief for his friend David; and besides, being a mourner on the above accounts, he might not eat of the sacrifices: for he was grieved for David; that his death should be determined upon by his father, and he in so much danger of it; as also that he himself must be parted from and lose so dear a friend, which was one reason he ate no meat that day: and another follows: because his father had done him shame; the copulative "and" being wanting; and this he did by calling him a perverse and rebellious son, and representing him as an arrant fool, and particularly by casting a javelin at him to smite him.

34 . had done him shame ] Saul had insulted and wronged David by publicly charging him with treasonable intentions ( 1 Samuel 20:31 ). “The generosity of Jonathan’s character is very apparent. He did not resent the injury and insult offered to himself so much as the wrong done to his friend.” Speaker’s Comm . 1 Samuel 20:34

(34) So Jonathan arose. —“In fierce anger,” so runs the too true record. The son of Saul left the presence, and appeared no more at that fatal feast. The hot anger was stirred up, first, no doubt, by the terrible insult offered him, the prince and heir to the throne, before the assembled great ones of Israel. The great spear uplifted to strike, following the harsh and bitter words spoken, was an act not likely soon to be forgotten by the spectators. And secondly, by the determined and relentless enmity of Saul against David, of whose stainless integrity and perfect loyalty Jonathan was firmly convinced. The bitter wrong done to David his friend no doubt affected Jonathan most.

When Jonathan replied, "My father, why shall he die? what has he done?" Saul was so enraged that he hurled his javelin at Jonathan (cf. 1 Samuel 18:11 ). Thus Jonathan saw that his father had firmly resolved to put David to death, and rose up from the table in fierce anger, and did not eat that day; for he was grieved concerning David, because his father had done him shame. כּלה is a substantive in the sense of unalterable resolution, like the verb in 1 Samuel 20:9 . השּׁני בּיום־החדשׁ, on the second day of the new moon or month.

When Jonathan answered, "What thy soul saith, will I do to thee," i.e., fulfil every wish, David made this request, "Behold, to-morrow is new moon, and I ought to sit and eat with the king: let me go, that I may conceal myself in the field (i.e., in the open air) till the third evening." This request implies that Saul gave a feast at the new moon, and therefore that the new moon was not merely a religious festival, according to the law in Numbers 10:10 ; Numbers 28:11-15 , but that it was kept as a civil festival also, and in the latter character for two days; as we may infer both from the fact that David reckoned to the third evening, i.e., the evening of the third day from the day then present, and therefore proposed to hide himself on the new moon's day and the day following, and also still more clearly from 1 Samuel 20:12 , 1 Samuel 20:27 , and 1 Samuel 20:34 , where Saul is said to have expected David at table on the day after the new moon. We cannot, indeed, conclude from this that there was a religious festival of two days' duration; nor does it follow, that because Saul supposed that David might have absented himself on the first day on account of Levitical uncleanness ( 1 Samuel 20:26 ), therefore the royal feast was a sacrificial meal. It was evidently contrary to social propriety to take part in a public feast in a state of Levitical uncleanness, even though it is not expressly forbidden in the law.

To the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness; men will conclude, that thy mother was a whore, and thou a bastard; and that thou hast no royal blood in thy veins, that canst so tamely give up thy crown to so contemptible a person. 1 Samuel 20:31 Thus he grossly mistakes the cause of Jonathan’s loss of the kingdom, which was not David’s art, but Saul’s sin; and vainly endeavours to prevent God’s irrevocable sentence. 1 Samuel 20:32 No text from Poole on this verse. ## 1 Samuel 20:33 To smite him, i. e. to wound him, though not to smite him even to the wall, as he designed to do to David, 1Sa_19:10. ## 1 Samuel 20:34 Or, and because ; for this is a second cause of his grief. The conjunction and is ofttimes omitted, and to be supplied; as Psa_33:2 144:9 Hab_3:11. ## 1 Samuel 20:35 In the morning, to wit, of the third day, appointed, for this work, 1Sa_20:5. 1 Samuel 20:36 No text from Poole on this verse. ## 1 Samuel 20:37 To the place, i.e. near to the place. Or, and the lad went , or was going on to the place ; for the words following show the he was not yet come thither. The Hebrew verb bo , which properly signifies to come , sometimes signifies to go ; as here, and Rth_3:7 Jon_1:3. ## 1 Samuel 20:38 Haste, stay not; so he bids him, because finding the coast clear, he made haste to take the opportunity-to speak with his dearly beloved David. 1 Samuel 20:39 No text from Poole on this verse. ## 1 Samuel 20:40 His artillery; his bow, and arrows, and quiver.

By bringing both him and his men thus under a Divine influence, God prevented them from injuring the person of David. See the notes on 1 Samuel 10:6 (note), etc.; and see my sermon on The Christian Prophet and his Work. [ 1 Samuel 20 ] ADAM CLARKE'S BIBLE COMMETARY 1 SAMUEL 1SAMUEL 20: 1 David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” David complains to Jonathan of Saul's enmity against him; Jonathan comforts him, 1 Samuel 20:1-10. They walk out into the field, and renew their covenant, 1 Samuel 20:11-17. David asks Jonathan's leave to absent himself from Saul's court; and Jonathan informs him how he shall ascertain the disposition of his father towards him, 1 Samuel 20:18-23. David hides himself; is missed by Saul; Jonathan is questioned concerning his absence; makes an excuse for David; Saul is enraged, and endeavors to kill Jonathan, 1 Samuel 20:24-33. Jonathan goes out to the field; gives David the sign which they had agreed on, and by which he was to know that the king had determined to take away his life, 1 Samuel 20:34-39. He sends his servant back into the city; and then he and David meet, renew their covenant, and have a very affectionate parting, 1 Samuel 20:40-42.