1 Samuel 20 28

1 Samuel 20:28 kjv

And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:

1 Samuel 20:28 nkjv

So Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked permission of me to go to Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 20:28 niv

Jonathan answered, "David earnestly asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 20:28 esv

Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 20:28 nlt

Jonathan replied, "David earnestly asked me if he could go to Bethlehem.

1 Samuel 20 verses

1 Samuel 20 28 Meaning

Jonathan provided an explanation to King Saul for David's absence from the new moon feast, stating that David had urgently requested permission from him to return to Bethlehem, his hometown. This was a strategic fabrication by Jonathan to protect David from Saul's murderous intentions.

1 Samuel 20 28 Context

1 Samuel chapter 20 narrates a pivotal moment in the relationship between David and Jonathan, set against the backdrop of King Saul's intensifying paranoid hatred for David. David has been in hiding, aware of Saul's attempts to kill him, while Jonathan remains loyal to both his father (the king) and his beloved friend David. The immediate context of verse 28 is the New Moon festival, a required gathering for the royal court. David's absence would be noticeable and requires an explanation. Jonathan, who is attempting to ascertain Saul's true intentions towards David, is questioned by Saul about David's seat being empty. This verse presents Jonathan's direct response to Saul, which is a carefully constructed lie designed to protect David, revealing the depth of Jonathan's self-sacrificial friendship and confirming Saul's violent intent.

1 Samuel 20 28 Word analysis

• Then Jonathan answered Saul, (וַיַּעַן יְהוֹנָתָן אֶת־שָׁאוּל - vayya'an yehonatan et-sha'ul)
  • Then Jonathan answered: Vayya'an is the standard Hebrew verb for "and he answered." Here, it signifies Jonathan's response under direct questioning and immense pressure from his father. This is not a casual answer but a critical one.
  • Saul: Jonathan's father and the reigning king. Saul's authority is immense, making Jonathan's deceptive answer a high-risk act of loyalty to David, risking his own safety and royal succession.
• 'David (דָּוִד - David)
  • David: The son of Jesse, Saul's designated successor, and God's anointed. He is the focus of Saul's escalating paranoia. Jonathan's loyalty to David overrides his duty to Saul in this critical instance, protecting God's chosen future king.
• earnestly asked leave of me (נִשְׁאֹל נִשְׁאַל מֵעִמָּדִי - nish'ol nish'al me'immadi)
  • earnestly asked leave: This is a key phrase. Nish'ol nish'al is an emphatic construction in Hebrew (infinitive absolute followed by the finite verb), meaning "he repeatedly asked," "he strongly urged," or "he certainly asked." Jonathan uses this strong linguistic device to lend credibility to his fabricated story, portraying David's request as urgent and compelling, therefore justifying his absence. This phrasing serves to emphasize the "reality" of the fictional plea, making it seem undeniable.
  • of me: Indicates that the request was made directly to Jonathan, placing the "permission" from the son, not the king. This makes Jonathan complicit in the narrative he constructs, further entangling him.
• to go to Bethlehem;’ (לֶכֶת בֵּית לָחֶם - lekhet Beit Lekhem)
  • to go: Lekhet simply means "to go." It frames the immediate action of David.
  • to Bethlehem: (Beit Lekhem - "house of bread") David's hometown. It's a plausible destination for David, a man whose family resided there. Bethlehem holds prophetic significance as the future birthplace of the Messiah (Mic 5:2), the line through which David's greater Son would come. In this narrative, it serves as a credible, familial reason for David's departure, though in reality, David had fled to Samuel at Ramah.
• Words-group by words-group analysis:
  • "Then Jonathan answered Saul, 'David earnestly asked leave of me...": This entire phrase sets up the intentional deception. Jonathan strategically crafted his words to explain David's absence, demonstrating his quick thinking and absolute loyalty to David, prioritizing his friend's life over absolute truth or deference to his father's destructive demands. It underscores the profound dilemma faced by Jonathan in navigating his conflicting loyalties.
  • "earnestly asked leave... to go to Bethlehem;": This portion constitutes the fabricated justification. The emphatic Hebrew (infinitive absolute) elevates the urgency of David's (fictional) request, making it seem a valid and immediate need rather than an intentional evasion. Choosing Bethlehem adds credibility as it is David's known ancestral home, making it a believable reason for a hasty departure for familial obligations (1 Sam 20:29). This lie served to buy time for David to escape and confirmed Saul's evil intentions when Saul reacted with uncontrollable rage.

1 Samuel 20 28 Bonus section

The narrative of Jonathan's lie in 1 Samuel 20:28 brings to the forefront an often-discussed ethical dilemma in Christian ethics: the justifiability of lying in extreme circumstances to protect innocent life, especially one that is divinely ordained for a higher purpose. While the Bible generally condemns lying as sinful (Prov 12:22), there are instances where individuals like the Hebrew midwives (Exod 1:15-20) or Rahab (Josh 2:4-6) used deception to save lives and are, remarkably, treated favorably in biblical accounts, with Rahab even appearing in the lineage of Christ. This suggests that the morality of an act can be complex and sometimes evaluated within a larger framework of divine will and the protection of the innocent from tyranny. Jonathan's action here is clearly for David's preservation, who is God's anointed for Israel's kingship. His action, though a lie, effectively confirms Saul's unrighteous intentions and ultimately served God's sovereign plan for David's protection and ascent to the throne. It serves as an example of human choices, even imperfect ones, being integrated into God's overarching plan.

1 Samuel 20 28 Commentary

1 Samuel 20:28 is Jonathan's desperate but cunning attempt to shield David from Saul's murderous wrath. Jonathan’s response is a deliberate deception, highlighting his supreme loyalty to David—a loyalty "closer than a brother"—and his prioritization of God’s anointed king over his own tyrannical father. The emphatic phrasing of "earnestly asked leave" (Hebrew infinitive absolute) indicates Jonathan's masterful art of pretense, trying to convince Saul of the legitimacy of David's absence. By feigning a trip to Bethlehem, David's ancestral home, Jonathan provides a believable excuse that diverts suspicion while validating the true, imminent danger David faces. This pivotal moment underscores the ethical complexity when preserving life, especially the life of God's chosen, conflicts with truth-telling in the face of tyranny, and it exposes the extent of Saul's irrational and dangerous hatred for David, ultimately setting the stage for David's extended period as a fugitive.