The Meaning of 1 Samuel 20:5 Explained

1 Samuel 20:5

KJV: And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

YLT: And David saith unto Jonathan, 'Lo, the new moon is to-morrow; and I do certainly sit with the king to eat; and thou hast sent me away, and I have been hidden in a field till the third evening;

Darby: And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

ASV: And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And David  said  unto Jonathan,  Behold, to morrow  [is] the new moon,  and I should not fail  to sit  with the king  at meat:  but let me go,  that I may hide  myself in the field  unto the third  [day] at even. 

What does 1 Samuel 20:5 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 20:1-16 - Friendship's Covenant
Life becomes intolerable when suspense is long drawn out; hence David's appeal to his friend. Besides, he yearned for one more glimpse of the dear home at Bethlehem, and to drink of "the well which was by the gate." The talk between the friends was heart-breaking to both. Only those who have experienced the severance of loving communion and intercourse can fathom the depth and bitterness of the waters that began to roll between the two friends.
Jonathan is one of the noblest types of manhood presented in Scripture biography. Whether in private or public life, he shone with peerless beauty, as a star in a dark sky. David said of him that he was "lovely and pleasant." Jonathan had a clear prevision of David's coming greatness, but it gave him no pang of jealousy. He loved his friend better than himself, so much, indeed, that it was a richer ecstasy for Jonathan to see David crowned and exalted than to ascend the throne himself. Love casts out jealousy. This friendship was ideal; and we can only ask that we may realize something of its sweetness, and know the love of Christ after the same fashion. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 20

1  David consults with Jonathan for his safety
11  Jonathan and David renew their covenant by oath
18  Jonathan's token to David
23  Saul, missing David, seeks to kill Jonathan
35  Jonathan affectionately takes his leave of David

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 20:5 mean?

And said David to Jonathan indeed the New Moon tomorrow [is] and I not fail to should sit with the king to eat but let me go that I may hide in the field until at evening the third [day]
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־ יְהוֹנָתָ֗ן הִֽנֵּה־ חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ מָחָ֔ר וְאָנֹכִ֛י יָשֹׁב־ אֵשֵׁ֥ב עִם־ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ לֶאֱכ֑וֹל וְשִׁלַּחְתַּ֙נִי֙ וְנִסְתַּרְתִּ֣י בַשָּׂדֶ֔ה עַ֖ד הָעֶ֥רֶב הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁית

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
דָּוִ֜ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
יְהוֹנָתָ֗ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
הִֽנֵּה־  indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙  the  New  Moon 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: the new moon, month, monthly.
מָחָ֔ר  tomorrow  [is] 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מָחָר  
Sense: tomorrow, in time to come, in the future.
וְאָנֹכִ֛י  and  I 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, first person common singular
Root: אָנׄכִי  
Sense: I (first pers.
יָשֹׁב־  not  fail  to 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
אֵשֵׁ֥ב  should  sit 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
לֶאֱכ֑וֹל  to  eat 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
וְשִׁלַּחְתַּ֙נִי֙  but  let  me  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, first person common singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
וְנִסְתַּרְתִּ֣י  that  I  may  hide 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.
בַשָּׂדֶ֔ה  in  the  field 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׂדֶה 
Sense: field, land.
עַ֖ד  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הָעֶ֥רֶב  at  evening 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֶרֶב  
Sense: evening, night, sunset.
הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁית  the  third  [day] 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.