What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 20?

Introduction to 1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20 presents one of the most poignant demonstrations of covenant friendship in Scripture, showcasing the deep bond between David and Jonathan. This chapter serves as a pivotal moment in David’s journey from shepherd to king, revealing how true friendship, divine providence, and covenant loyalty intersect in the face of deadly opposition. The emotional depth and theological richness of this narrative provide profound insights into the nature of biblical covenant relationships and divine protection.

Context of 1 Samuel 20

This chapter sits at a crucial juncture in 1 Samuel, marking the definitive break between David and Saul’s court. Following David’s multiple escapes from Saul’s murderous attempts (1 Samuel 19), this chapter serves as the tipping point where David must permanently flee from Saul’s presence. The events here bridge David’s life as a court servant to his years as a fugitive.

Within the broader biblical narrative, this chapter exemplifies several key theological themes that resonate throughout Scripture. It demonstrates how יהוה (Yahweh) preserves His chosen servant David, despite overwhelming odds, through the covenant loyalty of Jonathan. This preservation is crucial as David’s line ultimately leads to the Messiah. The chapter also provides a powerful contrast between Saul’s jealousy-driven kingdom and the future kingdom of David, which points toward the ultimate Kingdom of the Messiah.

Ancient Key Word Study

• אהב (ahav) – “Love” (v. 17) – This term goes beyond mere friendship, denoting covenant commitment and loyalty. When used here between Jonathan and David, it reflects the same type of sacrificial love later exemplified by the Messiah, incorporating both emotional attachment and covenant faithfulness.
• ברית (brit) – “Covenant” (v. 8) – The formal agreement between David and Jonathan represents more than a friendship pact. This term carries the weight of divine covenant-making, mirroring יהוה (Yahweh)’s covenant relationships with His people.
• חסד (chesed) – “Lovingkindness” (v. 14) – This rich term encompasses loyalty, covenant faithfulness, and merciful love. Jonathan’s request for David to show חסד to his descendants reflects the divine attribute of faithful love that the Messiah would ultimately demonstrate.
• חץ (chetz) – “Arrow” (v. 20) – Beyond its literal meaning, the arrow serves as a prophetic sign, symbolizing divine direction and guidance. The arrangement involving arrows becomes a divinely orchestrated means of communication.
• כרת (karat) – “Cut” (v. 16) – Used in the phrase “cut a covenant,” this verb carries sacrificial overtones, suggesting the serious, blood-sealed nature of covenant relationships.
• נפש (nephesh) – “Soul” (v. 17) – Expressing the depth of Jonathan’s love for David as “loving him as his own soul,” this term denotes the complete unity of being and purpose in their covenant relationship.
• שבע (shava) – “Swear” (v. 42) – This solemn act of oath-taking invokes divine witness and carries eternal implications, binding both parties and their descendants in covenant loyalty.
• קשר (qashar) – “Bound” (v. 17) – The binding of souls described here suggests a spiritual union that transcends normal human relationships, pointing toward the mystical union between the Messiah and His followers.

Compare & Contrast

• Verse 3’s statement “there is but a step between me and death” uses the Hebrew word פסע (pesa) for “step” rather than the more common צעד (tsaad). This choice emphasizes the precariousness of David’s situation, as פסע suggests a smaller, more tentative step, highlighting his vulnerable position.
• The threefold repetition of the arrow ritual (verses 20-22) mirrors other biblical triads of confirmation, suggesting divine involvement in this covenant arrangement. The specific verb ירה (yarah – “to shoot”) is chosen over similar terms like שלח (shalach – “to send”), emphasizing precise divine guidance.
• Jonathan’s declaration in verse 13 employs the phrase “יהוה (Yahweh) be with you” rather than the more common “God be with you,” specifically invoking the covenant name of God to emphasize the divine oversight of their agreement.
• The description of Saul’s anger in verse 30 uses חרה (charah – “burning”) rather than other Hebrew words for anger, emphasizing the consuming, destructive nature of his rage against both Jonathan and David.
• The covenant renewal in verse 16-17 uses intentionally parallel structure with earlier covenant language from 1 Samuel 18:3, creating a literary frame that emphasizes the enduring nature of their commitment.

1 Samuel 20 Unique Insights

The chapter contains several layers of prophetic and theological significance often overlooked in casual reading. The Targum Jonathan, an ancient Aramaic paraphrase, sees in Jonathan and David’s covenant a prophetic picture of the relationship between the faithful remnant of Israel and the Messianic King. This interpretation gains credence when considering how Jonathan, the crown prince, willingly surrenders his royal rights to David, יהוה (Yahweh)’s chosen one.

The three-day waiting period mentioned in verse 5 carries significant theological weight in rabbinic tradition. Rabbi David Kimchi (Radak) notes its parallel to other biblical three-day periods of testing and divine revelation, suggesting this time frame serves as a divine template for periods of testing followed by deliverance. This pattern ultimately finds its fulfillment in the Messiah’s death and resurrection.

The early church father Ambrose of Milan saw in Jonathan’s loyalty to David a prefiguring of how believers must choose allegiance to the Messiah over earthly kingdoms and family ties. The fact that Jonathan chooses David over his father Saul parallels Yeshua’s teaching that His followers must be willing to choose Him over family (Matthew 10:37).

The exchange of weapons and royal garments earlier referenced in 1 Samuel 18 finds its completion in this chapter’s covenant renewal. Ancient Jewish commentators saw this as a prophetic picture of how the Messiah would be clothed in humanity while His followers would be clothed in His righteousness.

1 Samuel 20 Connections to Yeshua

The covenant friendship between David and Jonathan powerfully foreshadows the relationship between Yeshua and His followers. Just as Jonathan stripped himself of his royal position and rights for David’s sake, Yeshua “stripped Himself” of His divine privileges to serve humanity (Philippians 2:7). The self-sacrificial nature of Jonathan’s love prefigures the Messiah’s ultimate expression of love on the cross.

The chapter’s themes of covenant loyalty, sacrificial love, and divine protection all find their ultimate fulfillment in Yeshua. The way Jonathan mediates between David and Saul points to Yeshua’s role as the ultimate mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5). Furthermore, the arrows serving as signs of divine guidance prefigure how the Messiah would become the ultimate “sign that is spoken against” (Luke 2:34).

1 Samuel 20 Scriptural Echoes

This chapter’s covenant themes resonate with numerous biblical passages. The loyalty displayed here echoes Ruth’s commitment to Naomi (Ruth 1:16-17), while the protection of David prefigures how יהוה (Yahweh) would preserve the Messianic line through various threats. The three-day motif connects to Joseph’s imprisonment (Genesis 42:17-18), Jonah’s time in the fish (Jonah 1:17), and ultimately to Yeshua’s resurrection.

The covenant renewed here finds parallel expressions in David’s later covenant with all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3) and the New Covenant proclaimed by Jeremiah (Jeremiah 31:31-34). The theme of divine protection through human agency appears throughout Scripture, from Moses’ preservation by Pharaoh’s daughter to Paul’s rescue by his nephew (Acts 23:16-22).

1 Samuel 20 Devotional

This chapter challenges us to examine the depth of our covenant commitments, both to יהוה (Yahweh) and to fellow believers. Jonathan’s example calls us to love sacrificially, potentially surrendering our rights and privileges for the sake of God’s kingdom purposes. His willingness to decrease so David could increase mirrors the attitude John the Baptist would later express toward Yeshua (John 3:30).

We’re also reminded that divine guidance often comes through seemingly ordinary means – like arrows and predetermined signals. This encourages us to remain attentive to how God might be speaking through everyday circumstances and relationships. The chapter further challenges us to maintain covenant loyalty even when it conflicts with cultural or familial expectations.

Did You Know

• The Hebrew word order in verse 17 literally reads “because with a love of his own soul he loved him,” emphasizing the extraordinary depth of Jonathan’s commitment to David.
• The new moon festival mentioned in verse 5 was a time when extended families gathered for special meals, making David’s absence particularly noticeable and requiring explanation.
• Jonathan’s shooting of arrows northward (verse 20) would have positioned him facing Jerusalem, perhaps prophetically significant given David’s future establishment of the city as Israel’s capital.
• The phrase “as his own soul” appears three times in relation to Jonathan’s love for David, creating a literary pattern that Jewish tradition sees as establishing the completeness of their covenant bond.
• The specific location mentioned for their meeting, the stone Ezel, means “stone of departure” in Hebrew, marking both the physical parting of the friends and David’s departure from court life.
• The tearful farewell between David and Jonathan (verse 41) uses a unique Hebrew construction suggesting their weeping exceeded normal boundaries of emotional expression.
• The thrice-repeated bow gesture mentioned in verse 41 carries ceremonial significance in ancient Near Eastern covenant rituals, marking this as a formal covenant renewal.
• The meal Jonathan was expected to attend was not just any new moon feast but the first of the month Tishri, making it particularly significant in the Jewish calendar.
• The specific term used for Saul’s spear-throwing (verse 33) is the same word used for ritual sacrifice, perhaps suggesting the corrupted nature of his kingship.