1 Samuel 20:18 Commentary and Bible Study

Jonathan now rehearses their agreed plan. At the feast of the new moon, held at the start of the month (1 Samuel 20:27; Numbers 10:10; 28:11), David was expected to be in attendance, but he would deliberately stay away, leaving his seat empty which Saul was bound to notice. Jonathan would faithfully report Saul’s reaction on seeing this. ‘And when thou hast stayed three days’ – this might seem to imply that David really did go to Bethlehem, but verse 24 says otherwise. He hid in the vicinity, but he must be careful to be present at the place in the field where they had previously discussed this plan, and where they had already agreed to meet, by the stone Ezel. He was to go there at an agreed time each day (verse 35), since it was not know when Saul would react to his absence. Ezel means departure, and was either a stone marking a route away from Jerusalem, or perhaps a stone which they had agreed to meet near in order for this sign to be delivered indicating that David should leave. Jonathan will then shoot arrows either on the nearside or on the farside of this stone, indicating that David should return to court, or flee. All this would be done without the knowledge of the servant accompanying Jonathan, for it must be hidden from Saul without any possibility of word getting back to him. This signal could theoretically be delivered to David without any contact between him and Jonathan, though in fact, when it came to it, they were unable to resist the impulse to greet each other before they parted. In the event they did meet once more (1 Samuel 23:16).