1 Samuel 20:18-23

1 Samuel 20:18-23

[18] Then Jonathan  said  To morrow  is the new moon:  and thou shalt be missed,  because thy seat  will be empty.  [19] And when thou hast stayed three days,  then thou shalt go down  quickly,  and come  to the place  where thou didst hide  thyself when  the business  was in hand, and shalt remain  by  the stone  Ezel.  [20] And I will shoot  three  on the side  thereof, as though I shot  at a mark.  [21] And, behold, I will send  a lad,  find out  If I expressly  unto the lad,  are on this side of thee, take  them; then come  thou: for there is peace  to thee, and no hurt;  as the LORD  liveth.  [22] But if I say  thus unto the young man,  are beyond  for the LORD  hath sent thee away.  [23] And as touching the matter  which thou and I have spoken  of, behold, the LORD  be between thee and me for  ever. 

What does 1 Samuel 20:18-23 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Saul would miss David at his feast not only because his seat would be vacant but because warriors normally expressed their support for their king by eating with him at important meals ( 1 Samuel 20:18). David"s absence would have raised a question in Saul"s mind about David"s commitment to him. The writer did not identify the exact place where David had previously hidden himself on some eventful day ( 1 Samuel 20:19). Evidently it was near Ezel Stone, a site unknown today but well known then. Probably Jonathan chose this place to communicate with David because it was convenient and secure, evidently near Gibeah.
The shooting of arrows was probably just a practical way to signal David. Jonathan reminded David of their agreement as they parted ( 1 Samuel 20:23; cf. Genesis 31:48-53). [1]
"Friendships are one of the most enriching of life"s experiences: how poor is the man or woman who is friendless! Friends enrich life because they give, without counting the cost. Jonathan was a man who gave to David more than he received; and in doing so he showed how different he was from the typical king described in 1 Samuel 8:11-17, whose sole function was to take. Life has its givers and its takers; Jonathan was supremely a giver-and David, though destined to become a king, persistently declined to take anything away from Saul. He patiently waited for God to give him the crown of Israel." [2]