1 Samuel 20
Bob Utley · You Can Understand the Bible
1 Samuel 20
NJB (MT versing) David and Jonathan Covenant Jonathan's Loyalty to David An Independent Tradition of the Break Between Saul and David Jonathan Helps David Jonathan Helps David to Escape 20:1-11 20:1-11 20:1-11 20:1 20:1-3 20:2 20:3 20:4 20:4-10 20:5-8 20:9 20:10 20:11-16 20:11-17 20:12-17 20:12-16 20:12-17 20:17-23 20:17-23 20:18-23 20:18-23 20:18-23 20:24-29 20:24-34 20:24-25 20:24-27 20:24-29 20:26-29 Saul Is Angry with Jonathan 20:28-29 20:30-34 20:30-34 20:30-31 20:30-34 20:32 20:33-40 20:35-42 20:35-40 20:35-42 20:35-39 20:40-42 20:41-42 20:41-42 Etc. CONTEXTUAL INSIGHTS There are a large number of intensified forms in this chapter (INFINITIVE ABSOLUTE and a VERB of the same root). 1 Sam 20:3 ‒ "knows well," BDB 393, KB 390, Qal PERFECT 1 Sam. 20:5 ‒ "I ought to sit," BDB 442, KB 444, Qal IMPERFECT 1 Sam. 20:6 ‒ "misses me at all," BDB 823, KB 955, Qal IMPERFECT 1 Sam. 20:6 ‒ "earnestly asked leave of me," BDB 981, KB 1371, Niphal PERFECT 1 Sam. 20:7 ‒ "he is very angry," BDB 354, KB 351, Qal IMPERFECT 1 Sam. 20:9 ‒ "I should indeed learn," BDB 393, KB 390, Qal IMPERFECT 1 Sam. 20:21 ‒ "I specifically say," BDB 55, KB 65, Qal IMPERFECT 1 Sam. 20:28 ‒ "earnestly asked," BDB 981, KB 1371, Niphal PERFECT Notice the multiple allusions to oath/vow/covenant between Jonathan and David. "David vowed," 1 Sam 20:3 "truly as the Lord lives" (oath in God's name), 1 Sam 20:3 "brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord," 1 Sam 20:8 "the Lord, the God of Israel, be witness!" 1 Sam 20:12 "So Jonathan made covenant with the house of David," 1 Sam 20:16 "Jonathan made David vow again," 1 Sam 20:17 "As for the agreement," 1 Sam 20:23 "inasmuch as we have sworn to each other in the name of the Lord," 1 Sam 20:42
1 Samuel 20:1-11
20:1 "Naioth" See full note at 1 Sam. 19:18. ▣ "What have I done?" David wants to know why Saul is trying to kill him. Jonathan asks the same question in v. 32. 20:2 "my father does nothing. . ." The MT has the VERB (BDB 793 I, KB 889, Qal PERFECT), which means "do" or "make." The Masoretic scholars altered it to the IMPERFECT form to match the surrounding VERBS. 20:3 "as the Lord lives" This is a word play on the covenant name for Israel's God, YHWH, which is from the verb "to be." SPECIAL TOPIC: NAMES FOR DEITY, D ▣ "soul" This is the Hebrew word nephesh (BDB 659), which denotes the person. See full notes online at Gen. 35:18 and Lev. 17:11. ▣ "step" This NOUN (BDB 832) occurs only here. The root with different vowels appears in Isa. 27:4 (see NIDOTTE, vol. 3, pp. 703-704). 20:5-6 Apparently this was an official dinner required of all of Saul's officers (cf. vv. 24-29). 20:6 "the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family" This is similar to the custom described in 1 Sam. 1:3,21; 2:19; 20:6,29; Job 1. 20:8 "covenant" See SPECIAL TOPIC: COVENANT.
1 Samuel 20:12-17
20:12 "make it known to you" This is literally the Hebrew idiom, "uncover your ear." 20:13 "may the Lord be with you as He has been with my father" This is a strange statement, noting the mental conditions and irrational acts of Saul. It must be an idiom. It may refer to the initial period of Saul's reign where YHWH provided victory against the Amalekites and Philistines. ▣ "and more so" An idiom of severity (cf. Ruth 1:17; 1 Sam. 3:17; 14:44; 25:22; 2 Sam. 3:9,35; 19:13; 1 Kgs. 2:23; 19:2; 20:10; 2 Kgs. 6:31). 20:14-15 This refers to a period when David is king. David did later help Jonathan's descendant, Mephibosheth (cf. 2 Sam. 4:4; 9:1-13; also note 1 Sam. 20:42). ▣ "lovingkindness" This is a special covenant word for loyalty. SPECIAL TOPIC: LOVINGKINDNESS (hesed) 20:17 "he loved him as he loved his own life" See full note at 1 Sam. 18:1.
1 Samuel 20:18-23
20:18 "new moon" See NIDOTTE, vol. 3, p. 102 and SPECIAL TOPIC: THE FEASTS OF ISRAEL, II. D. 20:19 NASB, NKJV, JPSOA, NET "by the stone Ezel" "beside the stone there" "behind the pile of stones there" NJB, REB "beside that mound" "sit by that ergab" (i.e., stone heap)" "beside the same stone" The MT is followed by the NASB. The UBS Text Project, p. 192, gives it a "C" rating (considerable doubt). In v. 41 the MT has David rising from behind "the south" (lit. Negev, BDB 616, Josephus, Antiq. 6.6.10; "desert"). How these relate is uncertain. Gesenius' Lexicon thinks "south" should be read "mound," following the LXX. 20:21 "as the Lord lives" See note at 1 Sam. 20:3. 20:23 "forever" See SPECIAL TOPIC: FOREVER ('olam).
1 Samuel 20:24-29
20:25 "the seat by the wall" Leaders always sat in the most protected place (i.e., by the wall). ▣ "Abner" This was Saul's military commander (cf. 1 Sam. 14:50-51; 17:55). 20:26 "he is not clean" This refers to ceremonial cleanliness (i.e., Leviticus). Certain actions polluted people so that they could not attend public or cultic meetings (cf. Lev. 7:19-20; 2 Chr. 30:17-19; Ezra 6:20).
1 Samuel 20:30-34
20:30 Saul's anger burned against Jonathan because of his support and friendship with David. 20:31 "he must surely die" This is literally the Hebrew idiom, "son of death" (cf. 1 Sam. 26:16; 2 Sam. 12:5). 20:33 "hurled" "cast" NRSV, TEV, JPSOA "threw" "brandished" "picked up" LXX, Peshitta "lifted up" The MT has the VERB (BDB 376, KB 373, Hiphil IMPERFECT with waw), which means "cast" or "hurl," but many follow the LXX which follows a slightly different Hebrew root. cast, טול, BDB 376 lift, נטל (BDB 642)
1 Samuel 20:35-42
20:41 "David rose from the south side" This relates to v. 19. The UBS Text Project, p. 193, gives "from beside the mound" (RSV, NEB) a "D" rating (highly doubtful) but thinks it is the best option. The authors remark that they think the translators of the LXX had forgotten the meaning of the word. ▣ Notice David's acts of gratitude and friendship. fell on his face bowed three times kissed each other wept together (i.e., "but David more")