1: J And Jonathan ſaid unto David. Come, and let us goout intOthe fieid z, And they went out both of them into the field.
z Leſt we be over-heard.
+ Heb, $12 And Jonathan ſaid unto David, O Lord GOD of Jearchet, Iſrael a, when I have | founded my facher, about to
of God, and in his preſence, calling him ro be the Wirneſs of our Sincerity therein, and the Avenger of Perfidiouſneſs in him that |
do otherwiſe. As if he ſhould ſay, I Adjure thee, as thou ho eſcape ſuch a Miſchief ( which Thad rather might befall + oof" nemies than thee ) that thou deal not ſo ungratefully with me or my Houſe. Which Adjuration of Jonathan, David ſeconds With an Oath in the next Verſe, at the requ«ſt of Fenarhan,
17 And Jonathan cauſed David to ſwear again 3 [|be- | cauſe he loved him k ; for he loved him = he {ono [Or his own ſoul. * ward: bitte
i Hebe. And Jonathan added or proceeded to make David Swear - 1. ej Having himſelf Sworn to David, or Adjured David, in the fore. going Verſe, he here requires Davids Oath to him, by way of Re. ftipulation or Confirmation. k. Becauſe he had a true Friendſhj p for
4
David, he deſired that the Covenant might be inviolab] through all cheir G2nerations. - ably obleryed
18 Then Jonathan ſaid to David, To morrow ;; the
new moon : and thou ſhalt be miſſed, becauſe thy ſeat / will be + empty.
UY* N5o
I9 And wc thou haſt ſtayed three days mn, then | thou
Chap. X&x,
I- & when God ſhall have advanced thee ro the Kingcomy, as he did
I5 But alſo thou ſhalt not cut off * thy kindneſs e * , 5x from my houſe for ever : no not when the LORD "Iv
{ i.e, The place where David uſed to ſit at Meals with Srl, See rr
Chap.
| Or, diligently f Hezb» eatlyi q He b . 71 the day of thebſineſ Gr- in the working day. | Or, tha? ſheweth the 82s
F Heb. 901 ay thing.
Verſe 4 Te
\ witneſs.
; *. 1 [. Chap. XY. : 10r, thou ſhait go down [| + quickly, and come to the diligently» place where thou didit hide thy ſelf, + when the t Heb» hyfineſs was in hand n, and ſhalt remain by the ſtone | eotlyv. Ezel 4 | ga; m Either at Bethlehem with thy Friends, v. 6. or elſewhere, as . _ th thou ſhalt ſee fit. 7 Heb. in the 4ay of buſineſs : or, of che buſineſs. And m mw theſe words are tobe joyned, cither, 1. with the words next fore- ay going ; and fo they note the time when David hid himſelf there ; mY which was, when t/-'s tame buſmeſs which now they were treating T that about, was in agitation formerly ; to wit, to diſcover Sauls Mind Adr and Parpoie towards him ; chap. 19. 2, 3- Or, 2. With the mcre Pp , remote words ; and fo they note the time when David ſhould come is to the place appointed, and formerly uſed ro hide himſelf in, upon a like occaſion ; to wit, in the day when the buſineſs here ſpoken of was to be dune ; 7. e. when the diſcovery of Sauls Mind was to be made. o Qr, bythe fone of going, or travelling ; i. e. By that Stone which dire&ts Travellers in the way; to wit, inſome Cave, or con- venient place, which was near that Stone.
20 And [ wi'l ſhoot three arrows on the ſide thereof, as though I ſhot at a mark p-
p He choſe this way to avoid Suls ſuſpicion, becauſe Bows and Arrows were the principal Arms of thoſe times; and Jonathan, as well as others, did off go forth to Exerciſe himſelf with them, both for Recreation, and Improvement of his Skill in that Art. Beſides, he knew rot that he ſhou'd have 2ny opportunity of private Con- verſe with Davidy by reaſon of P:f[:ngers, though the Event pro- ved better than he expected. .
2t And behold, I] will ſend alad, ſaying, Go, find out the arrows 9. If | expreſly ſay unto the lad, Be- hold, the arrows are On this ſide of thee, take them ;
+Heb. not then come thou, for there is peace to thee, and f no ay #ing- hart, as the LORD liveth.
q 1 will ſend him out before T ſhoot, to find out, and take up the Arrows which I ſhall ſhoot. And I ſhall ſhoot them either ſhort of him, or beyond him, as I ſhall tee occaſion.
22 But if I ſay thus unco the young man, Behold the arrows are beyond thee : go thy way, for the LORD bath ſent thee away r. |
+ Take this for an Intimation of Gods providence, that thuu ſhouldeſt keep away from the Courr.
t Verſe 23 And as touching * the matter which thou and I 5. have ſpoken of, behold, the LORD be tf between thee tains 1nd me for ever.
24 © So David hid himſelf in the field s : and when the new moon was come, the king ſat him down to eat meat.
s To wit, at the time appointed : for 1t ſeems probable, that he wenr firſt to Bethlehem, as he bad Jonathan tell his Father, wv. 6. and thence returned to the Field, when the occaſion required : elſe we muſt charge bim with a downright Lye, which ought not to be imagined ( without any app:rent cauſe ) concerning ſo good a Man ; eſpecially, in ſo diſtreſſed and dangerous a Condition And why ſhouid he hide himſelf there ſo long before the time, when Jo-
"nathan was to come thither to inform him ? Nor were there any © need of appointing a certain time to meet, if David were there all the while. : .
25 And the king fat upon his ſeat as at other times, even upon a ſeat by the wall : and Jonathan aroſe :, and Abner fat by Sauls ſide, and Davids place « was empty.
' t To wit, from his Seat where he was ſet next to the King, when he aroſe, and ſtood up at Abners coming, to. do Honour to him, who was his Fathers Couſin, and the General of the Army. # Which ſeems to have been next to Abner on the ſame ſide with ; him-
' 26 Nevertheleſs, Saul ipake not any thing that day : for he thought, ſomething hath befallen him x, he 5s not clean, ſurely he 7s not clean,
x Some Accident which hath rendred him unclean, and ſo un-
bt 4H#VEL