1 Samuel 20 29

1 Samuel 20:29 kjv

And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

1 Samuel 20:29 nkjv

And he said, 'Please let me go, for our family has a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me get away and see my brothers.' Therefore he has not come to the king's table."

1 Samuel 20:29 niv

He said, 'Let me go, because our family is observing a sacrifice in the town and my brother has ordered me to be there. If I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away to see my brothers.' That is why he has not come to the king's table."

1 Samuel 20:29 esv

He said, 'Let me go, for our clan holds a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has commanded me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, let me get away and see my brothers.' For this reason he has not come to the king's table."

1 Samuel 20:29 nlt

He said, 'Please let me go, for we are having a family sacrifice. My brother demanded that I be there. So please let me get away to see my brothers.' That's why he isn't here at the king's table."

1 Samuel 20 verses

1 Samuel 20 29 Meaning

1 Samuel 20:29 presents Jonathan's fabricated alibi to King Saul regarding David's absence from the new moon feast. It portrays David requesting permission to leave because his family had an annual clan sacrifice in his hometown, Bethlehem, requiring his presence. He reportedly appealed to Saul for favor, emphasizing the obligatory nature of the family gathering, especially as a brother had commanded him to be there, and expressed a desire to see his family members. This carefully crafted excuse was part of Jonathan's plan to protect David from Saul's escalating wrath.

1 Samuel 20 29 Context

1 Samuel 20 is a pivotal chapter demonstrating the unbreakable bond between David and Jonathan amidst Saul's deepening jealousy and murderous intent towards David. The immediate context is Saul's monthly New Moon feast, a significant communal and religious event where the king's top commanders and close associates were expected to dine with him. David's usual seat at this royal table being empty would signal his disloyalty or disrespect to the king. Jonathan, aware of his father's true intentions to kill David (1 Sam 19:1), devises an elaborate test involving three arrows to confirm Saul's heart (1 Sam 20:18-23). This verse, 1 Samuel 20:29, is the specific alibi that David provided to Jonathan (which Jonathan then faithfully relays to Saul, as if quoting David directly) as the reason for his absence. The fabricated nature of the excuse underscores the peril David was in and Jonathan's determination to protect his covenant friend, even at great personal risk to his relationship with his own father, the king. Historically, clan sacrifices and new moon celebrations were deeply ingrained cultural and religious obligations, making this an ironclad and culturally understandable reason for David's temporary leave.

1 Samuel 20 29 Word analysis

• He said (וַיֹּאמֶר - vayyomer): Grammatically refers to Jonathan. This phrase indicates Jonathan is reporting what David supposedly said to him earlier (refer back to 1 Sam 20:6, where David suggests this very alibi to Jonathan), thereby delivering the fabricated excuse to Saul as David's own words. It highlights Jonathan's role as a faithful intermediary in the deception.
• 'Please let me go' (שַׁלְּחֵנִי נָא - shalleḥēnī nā): A polite but earnest request. The addition of נָא (nā - "please," "now," or "pray") indicates an urgent and respectful plea for permission, reinforcing the deferential tone appropriate for a subject addressing a king, lending credibility to the alibi.
• 'for our family has a sacrifice' (כִּי זֶבַח מִשְׁפָּחָה לָּנוּ - kī zevaḥ mishpāḥāh lānnū):
  • זֶבַח (zevach): Literally "sacrifice," often referring to a peace offering or fellowship offering where parts of the animal are consumed by the participants, forming a communal meal. It implies an act of worship and covenantal fellowship, crucial for family cohesion.
  • מִשְׁפָּחָה (mishpāḥāh): "Family," "clan," "kindred." Denotes a significant extended family or tribal gathering. Such an event would typically be annual or semi-regular, a crucial social and religious observance that demanded attendance. The "our family" establishes David's connection to the clan sacrifice in Bethlehem.
• 'in the city' (בָּעִיר - bā‘īr): "In the city." Specifies a definite location, lending specificity and therefore credibility to the excuse. This city would be Bethlehem, David's hometown, as implied by David's words to Jonathan in 1 Sam 20:6 and elsewhere (1 Sam 16:4-5).
• 'and my brother has commanded me' (וְהוּא צִוָּה עָלַי אָחִי - we'hû ṣiwwâ ‘ālay 'āḥî):
  • צִוָּה (ṣiwwâ): "Commanded," "instructed," implying authority and obligation.
  • אָחִי (’āḥî): "My brother." This "brother" likely refers to an elder, head of the family, or an authoritative figure within the clan. A command from such a figure, especially for a religious observance, was a binding social and familial obligation in ancient Israelite culture, providing an indisputable reason for David's absence. This emphasizes the mandatory nature of David's (supposed) attendance.
• 'to be there' (לִהְיוֹת שָׁם - lihyôt shām): "To be there," indicating a requirement of physical presence, implying that attendance was non-negotiable for a faithful clan member.
• 'So now, if I have found favor in your eyes' (וְעַתָּה אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ - we‘attāh 'im-māṣā'tī ḥēn bə‘eynekā):
  • וְעַתָּה (we‘attāh): "And now," or "therefore." Connects the legitimate reason to the ensuing request.
  • אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ ('im-māṣā'tī ḥēn bə‘eynekā): A classic deferential phrase in the Hebrew Bible, literally "if I have found grace/favor in your eyes." It is a polite yet strategic appeal to the king's benevolence and authority, common in requests from a subordinate to a superior (Gen 32:5, Ruth 2:13). Its inclusion adds another layer of formal correctness to the alibi.
• 'please let me go and see my brothers' (שַׁלְּחֵנִי נָא וְאֶרְאֶה אֶת־אַחַי - shalleḥēnī nā we'er'eh 'et-’aḥay): Reiteration of the request to leave, now reinforced by the explicit purpose of visiting family. "See my brothers" underscores the social and relational aspect of the visit, not just the ritual, adding a natural human dimension to the plea.

1 Samuel 20 29 Bonus section

• Ethical Consideration of Deception: While this passage details Jonathan's deception, the Bible generally condemns lying. However, this is one of several instances in Scripture (e.g., Rahab in Josh 2, the Hebrew midwives in Exod 1:15-21) where righteous individuals use strategic falsehoods to achieve a greater good—in this case, protecting David, God's anointed, from murderous tyranny. The narrative implicitly values saving a life over absolute adherence to truthfulness in this specific context, emphasizing the ethical complexity and priority of protecting the innocent.
• New Moon Festival Significance: The New Moon festival (Rosh Chodesh) was a significant religious occasion marked by special sacrifices and the blowing of trumpets (Num 10:10; 28:11-15). It was a time of communal gathering, feasting, and often inquiry of prophets. David's expected presence at the king's table during such a feast highlighted his status and the social decorum required within Saul's court, making his absence a conspicuous act requiring a solid excuse.
• Covenant Meal: The zevach mishpaḥah (family sacrifice) often involved the peace offering, which facilitated a communal meal among participants after parts were offered to God. Such meals were powerful symbols of covenant, community, and reconciliation. David's supposed participation would underscore his rootedness in his clan, further bolstering the legitimacy of his fabricated absence.

1 Samuel 20 29 Commentary

1 Samuel 20:29 serves as the pivotal, precisely crafted alibi that Jonathan, out of profound loyalty and love, presents to Saul for David's absence. The alibi relies on deeply ingrained Israelite customs: the obligatory nature of the yearly clan sacrifice, commanded by a family elder, and the need to attend communal and familial gatherings. Jonathan’s articulate and deferential delivery of David’s purported words to Saul (as recorded in 1 Sam 20:6) demonstrates his deep commitment to his friend and their covenant (1 Sam 18:3-4). The excuse is carefully constructed to be socially unassailable in that culture, designed to appease Saul without arousing suspicion, showcasing Jonathan's shrewdness in protecting the life of the future king. This verse, therefore, highlights Jonathan's unparalleled faithfulness, the intensity of Saul's unjustifiable anger, and the extreme lengths to which David's closest friend would go to secure his safety.