Useful Bible Studies > 1 Samuel Commentary > chapter 20
This argument between Saul and Jonathan happened in public, before a meal where Saul’s most important officials were guests.
Jonathan only intended to test whether Saul was plotting against David. However, Saul replied immediately in a very angry manner. He insulted Jonathan in a very nasty manner because of his friendship with David. At once, the situation became very serious.
Still, Jonathan continued to defend David. He insisted that David was an innocent man. Saul hated David without any proper reason.
David’s experiences at this time help us to understand several of the Psalms that he wrote. (For example, see Psalm 59.) Christians believe that many of David’s Psalms refer to Christ. Christ’s enemies, like David’s enemies, hated him without any proper reason (Psalm 59:4; 1 Peter 2:22-24). David wrote by the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:29-31; 1 Peter 1:10-11); but he also wrote from his own experience.
As Jonathan spoke on David’s behalf, Saul could no longer control his anger. It seems that he always kept a spear (a pole with a sharp metal head) by him. Suddenly, Saul took the spear and he tried to kill Jonathan with it. On previous occasions, Saul had tried to kill David in the same manner (18:11; 19:10).
Jonathan managed to avoid the spear, but he too was very angry. He was angry, not that Saul had tried to kill him, but about Saul’s attitude towards David. For that reason, Jonathan left the meal; he refused to eat anything from that meal.
Next part: Jonathan tells David to escape (1 Samuel 20:35-39)
Please use the links at the top of the page to find our other articles in this series. You can download all our articles if you go to the download page for our free 450 page course book.
© 2014, Keith Simons.