Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 1 Samuel · Chapter 20
CHAP. XX.
Verſ. 1. ANd David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and ſaid before Jonathan, &c.] Taking the opportunity of Sauls extaſie, wherein he continued all day and all night, David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came to Gibeah of Saul where Jonathan was.
Verſ. 2. And he ſaid unto him, God forbid; Thou ſhalt not die.] It ſeems Jonathan knew nothing of all that Saul had done againſt David, related in the former chapter; at leaſt he might think, that if he had done any thing againſt David, it was onelyonly in ſome frantick fit; and therefore was he thus confident, that David had no ſuch cauſe of fear as he deemed he had: and that the rather too, becauſe of the oath his father had taken, Chap. 19.6. And Saul ſware, as the Lord liveth he ſhall not die. And becauſe his father uſed to acquaint him with what he purpoſed to do, My father, ſaith he, will do nothing either great or ſmall, but that he will ſhew it me, &c.
Verſ. 5. Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I ſhould not fail to ſit with the king at meat, &c.] David fearing to venture himſelf in Sauls preſence any more, till he were better ſatisfied how he ſtood affected towards him, doth here preſcribe a way to Jonathan, how this might be diſcovered; namely, that whereas the feaſt of the new moon was to be kept the next day, at which time he uſed to ſit with the king at the table, he would abſent himſelf for three dayes, and if Saul ſhould be highly enraged at this, hereby Jonathan might know that his father intended ſome miſchief to him, and ſo was mad that he was diſappointed of his purpoſe. The feaſt David here ſpeaks of when he was by their ordinary courſe to ſit with the king at meat, was doubtleſſe a holy feaſt, kept with the peace-offerings of the new moon feſtivitie, as is evident, verſ. 26. Where Saul concludes of Davids abſence the firſt day, that by reaſon of ſome legall pollution that had befallen him he abſented himſelf, He is not clean, ſaith he, ſurely he is not clean; and obſervable it is, that Saul as bad as he was, yet was carefull to keep this feaſt of the new moon, and to have his chief princes keep it with him, To morrow, ſaith David, is the new moon, and I ſhould not fail to ſit with the king at meat: As for the three dayes wherein David ſaith he would abſent himſelf, But let me go, that I may hide my ſelf in the fields, unto the third day at even, this time was prefixed by David, becauſe ſooner Jonathan might not be able happely to enform him, how Saul took his abſence from the feaſt: For though the feſtivitie of the new moon laſted indeed but one day, to wit, the firſt day of the monethmonth, Numb. 28.1. (Concerning which, ſee the note there,) yet ſome kind of peace-offerings, which were offered on that day, to wit, thoſe that were offered for a vow, or voluntary offering, might be eaten not onelyonly on the ſame day whereon they were offered, but alſo the day following, Levit. 7.16. Therefore it ſeems the feaſt that was begun on the new moon with their peace-offerings, was continued the next day, as is evident, verſ. 27. And it came to paſſe on the morrow, which was the ſecond day of the monethmonth, that Davids place was empty &c. And ſo then the third was allowed for Jonathan to inform David how Saul was affected with his abſence from the feaſt.
Verſ. 6. If thy father at all miſſe me, then ſay, David earnestly asked leave of me, that he might run to Bethlehem, &c.] It ſeems in Sauls abſence they uſed to ask leave of Jonathan ere they left the Court, eſpecially at ſuch a feſtivity as that of the New-moon was, and therefore David deſires Jonathan to ſay, that David had asked leave of him, that he might go and keep the New-moon feaſt with his kinred at Bethlehem. Though David left Saul in a trance at Naioth, chap. 19.23, 24. yet he might be returned thence before this conference which David had with Jonathan; at leaſt he might ſuppoſe that he would ſoon come back again to Gibeah. But how could he conceive that Saul would expect David ſitting at his table in the feaſt of the New-moon, as in former times, when he had been forced ſo lately to flie for his life, both from him, and from his meſſengers ſent to apprehend him? chap. 19. I anſwer, No doubt Saul perſwaded himſelf, that David would think that what he had done, he had done onelyonly in his fits of phrenſie, and that being now come again to himſelf, he would be as farre from laying violent hands upon him, as ever before. Now though David were not ſo ſimply credulous as to think ſo, but diſcerned his ſettled malice againſt him, and verily believed that for all his prophecying at Naioth, he would thirſt after his bloud as formerly; yet ſuppoſing rightly as it was, that Saul in this his confidence and diſſimulation, would expect him at the feaſt the next day; he adviſeth Jonathan to obſerve how he would take his abſence, as concluding that thereby they might diſcern what his purpoſes were. As for Davids appointing Jonathan by an untruth to excuſe his abſence, in this doubtleſſe David, as the beſt are wont to do, forgot himſelf.
Verſ. 8. For thou haſt brought thy ſervant into a covenant of the Lord with thee.] That is, a covenant made in the preſence of God, wherein God was invocated to bear witneſſe againſt, and to puniſh the party tranſgreſſing the covenant,
If there be in me iniquity, ſlay me thy ſelf, &c.] It may be that David ſpake this to Jonathan, as to one that had power under his father, even to puniſh with death thoſe that were liable to ſuch a ſentence.
Verſ. 10. Then ſaid David to Jonathan, Who ſhall tell me? &c.] That is, ſeeing it will not be ſafe for you to come to me, nor yet to truſt ſuch a meſſage with any of your ſervants, how ſhall I know whether your father be enraged at my abſence, or no?
Verſ. 11. And Jonathan ſaid unto David, Come, let us go out into the field.] Becauſe he could not, it ſeems, ſpeak his mind ſo freely to David in the place where they were, without ſome danger of being over-heard, therefore Jonathan deſired David to go with him out into the field: or rather in anſwer to the queſtion David had propounded in the foregoing verſe, he invites him to go out with him into the field, that there he might ſhew him, how by the token of ſhooting his arrows, he meant to inform him, whether there were any cauſe why he ſhould flee from his father, or no
Verſ. 13. The Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.] That is, the Lord advance thee to the kingdome as he did my father, and make thee victorious over thine enemies, as my father hath been. Whether he had heard of Davids anointing, either by David himſelf or any other, it is hard to ſay; moſt likely it is that he knew of the doom which Samuel had pronounced againſt his father, and obſerving the ſpeciall hand of God that was with David, did thereupon conclude that doubtleſſe he was the man to whom God intended the kingdome, whereto he willingly yields, and onelyonly ſeeks to make a covenant with David, and therefore we ſee afterwards alſo, how confidently he ſpake of Davids being king: chap. 23.17. And he ſaid unto him, Fear not, for the hand of my father Saul ſhall not find thee, and thou ſhalt be king over Iſrael, &c.
Verſ. 14. And thou ſhalt not onelyonly while yet I live ſhew me the kindneſſe of the Lord &c.] That is, either firſt, the kindneſſe which the Lord requires us to ſhew one to another, and which is ſo pleaſing and acceptable to him: or ſecondly, the kindneſſe which the Lord is wont to ſhew to his faithfull ſervants, and wherein thou ſhalt approve thy ſelf like unto God: or thirdly, the great kindneſſe which by covenant made in the Lords preſence, thou haſt bound thy ſelf to ſhew me. And thus whileſt David was in an humbled and afflicted eſtate, Jonathan beheld him as king of Iſrael, and ſo did the believing thief look upon Chriſt, when he hung upon the croſſe: Luke 23.42. And he ſaid unto Jeſus, Lord remember me when thou comeſt into thy kingdome.
Verſ. 16. Let the Lord even require it at the hands of Davids enemies.] And ſo conſequently of me, if I keep not covenant but prove an enemy to David.
Verſ. 17. And Jonathan cauſed David to ſwear again, becauſe he loved him.] As deſirous to make a ſure and ſtedfaſt league with him, whom he ſo dearly loved.
Verſ. 18. Then Jonathan ſaid to David, To morrow is the new moon, and thou ſhalt be miſſed, &c.] See the notes verſ. 5, 6.
Verſ. 19. Thou ſhalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thy ſelf when the buſineſſe was in hand, and thou ſhalt remain by the ſtone Ezel, &c.] According to this Tranſlation of ours, the meaning of theſe words muſt needs be this, that Jonathan adviſed David, that on the third day he ſhould go down to the place where he hid himſelf at the firſt, and ſhould ſtay there till he came thither, and did by his ſhooting of arrows, according to their following agreement▪ ſecretly inform him whether he might ſafely come to his father or no. Now the place intended, was doubtleſſe that where David hid himſelf when Jonathan firſt gave him notice of his fathers purpoſe to kill him, chap. 19.2. Saul my father ſeeketh to kill thee, now therefore I pray thee take heed to thy ſelf and hide thy ſelf &c. and therefore Jonathan ſaith, Where thou didſt hide thy ſelf, when the buſineſſe was in hand, becauſe then was the firſt time when Saul did diſcover his purpoſe to kill David. As for the ſtone Ezel, that is, that ſheweth the way, which was hard by that place, it was probably ſome ſtone to direct travellers the way they were to go.
Verſ. 20 And I will ſhoot three arrows on the ſide thereof, &c.] The reaſon why Jonathan did not agree to meet with David, and ſo to make known to him how his father ſtood affected towards him, but rather to give him warning thus ſecretly by ſhooting of arrows, was becauſe he deſired to decline as much as might be his fathers jealouſie of any intercourſe that was betwixt him and David.
Verſ. 27. And Jonathan aroſe, and Abner ſat by Sauls ſide, and Davids place was empty.] To wit, Jonathan aroſe to Abner coming to ſit down, as thereby teſtifying his reſpect of him, &c. It ſeems that Saul and Jonathan were ſet down at the table before Abner came; and ſo when he came, Jonathan roſe as by way of honour to Abner, becauſe he was the kings coſin, and captain of the hoſt, and then Abner ſat by Sauls ſide, and Davids place was empty; whereby it may appear that (as Joſephus ſaith) Jonathan ſat at the right hand of the king, and David uſed to ſit on his left hand, as being his ſonne in law, and ſo Abner now ſitting on that ſide, he was next Saul, becauſe Davids place was empty: yet the meaning of thoſe words and Jonathan aroſe, may be, that Saul being ſet down in his ſeat, Jonathan aroſe to ſit down at the table by his father.
Verſ. 26. Something hath befallen him, he is not clean, ſurely he is not clean.] See the note verſe 5.
Verſ. 27. Saul ſaid unto Jonathan his ſonne, Wherefore cometh not the ſonne of Jeſſe, &c.] This title be gives him the ſonne of Jeſſe, ſheweth in part his diſcontent and diſpleaſure againſt him.
Verſ. 30. Thou ſonne of the perverſe rebellious woman, &c.] As if he had ſaid, thou art right thy mothers ſonne, ſhe hath been alwayes perverſe and rebellious, and ſo art thou: We need not enquire wherein Jonathans mother had deſerved this cenſure; for this is the property of wrathfull perſons, to ſpare none in their anger, but to ſpeak any thing that may grieve or diſhonour the partie againſt whom their ſpirit is ſtirred; and therefore he addes alſo, Thou hast choſen the ſonne of Jeſſe to thine own confuſion, and to the confuſion of thy mothers nakedneſſe: that is, to the diſhonour and ſhame of thy mother, to wit, by bereaving her of the honour of having a king for her ſonne, yea, by bringing a ſtain of diſhoneſty upon her: becauſe if David ſhould ſucceed in the kingdome▪ and Jonathan be paſſed by, it would imply that Jonathan were illegitimate, and baſe born, and ſo not fit to inherit, and that therefore David that was onelyonly Sauls ſonne in law, was choſen in his room,
Verſ. 40. And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad.] That is, his quiver, bow, and arrows.
Verſ. 41. And aſſoon as the lad was gone, David aroſe out of a place towards the ſouth, &c.] When they firſt agreed that Jonathan ſhould give notice to David, how his father ſtood affected towards him by the ſhooting of his arrows, and the words he ſhould ſpeak to the lad that was ſent to fetch them, they agreed upon this ſecret way of giving David intelligence, becauſe they thought ſome body might be preſent in the field where it was done, and hardly could hope for an opportunity to meet and conſult together; yet when Jonathan had done that, and looking about perceived the coaſt was clear, he ſent away the lad, and then David aroſe out of a place towards the ſouth, that is, the place where he had hid himſelf, ſouth-ward of the field where all this had been done, and ſo they had an opportunity beyond their expectation to mourn with one another, and conferre together before their parting.
And they kiſſed one another, and wept one with another till David exceeded.] His condition being now in the eye of reaſon moſt grievous and moſt miſerable.