1Sa 20:18-23 | KD | STEP | He then discussed the sign with him for letting him know about his father’s state of mind: “ To-morrow is new moon, and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty ,” sc., at Saul’s table (see at ). “ And on the third day come down quickly (from thy sojourning place), and go to the spot where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the deed, and place thyself by the side of the stone Ezel .” The first words in this (19th) verse are not without difficulty. The meaning “on the third day” for the verb שׁלּשׁ cannot be sustained by parallel passages, but is fully established, partly by השּׁלשׁית, the third day, and partly by the Arabic usage (vid., Ges. Thes. s. v. ). מאד after תּרד, lit., “ go violently down ,” is more striking still. Nevertheless the correctness of the text is not to be called in question, since שׁלּשׁתּ is sustained by τρισσεύσει in the Septuagint, and מאד תּרד by descende ergo festinus in the Vulgate, and also by the rendering in the Chaldee, Arabic, and Syriac versions, “and on the third day thou wilt be missed still more,” which is evidently merely a conjecture founded upon the context. The meaning of המּעשׂה בּיום is doubtful. Gesenius , De Wette, and Maurer render it “on the day of the deed,” and understand it as referring to Saul’s deed mentioned in , viz., his design of killing David; others render it “on the day of business,” i.e., the working day (Luther, after the lxx and Vulgate), but this is not so good a rendering. The best is probably that of Thenius, “on the day of the business” (which is known to thee). Nothing further can be said concerning the stone Ezel than that Ezel is a proper name.

‏ 1 Samuel 20:18-23

He then discussed the sign with him for letting him know about his father’s state of mind: “To-morrow is new moon, and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty,” sc., at Saul’s table (see at 1Sa 20:5). “And on the third day come down quickly (from thy sojourning place), and go to the spot where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the deed, and place thyself by the side of the stone Ezel.” The first words in this (19th) verse are not without difficulty. The meaning “on the third day” for the verb שׁלּשׁ cannot be sustained by parallel passages, but is fully established, partly by השּׁלשׁית, the third day, and partly by the Arabic usage (vid., Ges. Thes. s. v.). מאד after תּרד, lit., “go violently down,” is more striking still. Nevertheless the correctness of the text is not to be called in question, since שׁלּשׁתּ is sustained by τρισσεύσει in the Septuagint, and מאד תּרד by descende ergo festinus in the Vulgate, and also by the rendering in the Chaldee, Arabic, and Syriac versions, “and on the third day thou wilt be missed still more,” which is evidently merely a conjecture founded upon the context. The meaning of המּעשׂה בּיום is doubtful. Gesenius, De Wette, and Maurer render it “on the day of the deed,” and understand it as referring to Saul’s deed mentioned in 1Sa 19:2, viz., his design of killing David; others render it “on the day of business,” i.e., the working day (Luther, after the lxx and Vulgate), but this is not so good a rendering. The best is probably that of Thenius, “on the day of the business” (which is known to thee). Nothing further can be said concerning the stone Ezel than that Ezel is a proper name. 1Sa 20:20

“And I will shoot off three arrows to the side of it (the stone Ezek), to shoot for me at the mark,” i.e., as if shooting at the mark. The article attached to החצּים is either to be explained as denoting that the historian assumed the thing as already well known, or on the supposition that Jonathan went to the field armed, and when giving the sign pointed to the arrows in his quiver. In the word צדּה the Raphe indicates that the suffix of ־ה is not a mere toneless ה, although it has no mappik, having given up its strong breathing on account of the harsh צ sound. 1Sa 20:21

“And, behold (הנּה, directing attention to what follows as the main point), I will send the boy (saying), Go, get the arrows. If I shall say to the boy, Behold, the arrows are from thee hitherwards, fetch them; then come, for peace is to thee, and it is nothing, as truly as Jehovah liveth.” 1Sa 20:22

“But if I say to the youth, Behold, the arrows are from thee farther off; then go, for Jehovah sendeth thee away,” i.e., bids thee flee. The appointment of this sign was just as simple as it was suitable to the purpose. 1Sa 20:23

This arrangement was to remain an eternal secret between them. “And (as for) the word that we have spoken, I and thou, behold, the Lord is between me and thee for ever,” namely, a witness and judge in case one of us two should break the covenant (vid., Gen 31:48-49). This is implied in the words, without there being any necessity to assume that עד had dropped out of the text. “The word” refers not merely to the sign agreed upon, but to the whole matter, including the renewal of the bond of friendship.

David thereupon concealed himself in the field, whilst Jonathan, as agreed upon, endeavoured to apologize for his absence from the king’s table.