1 Samuel 20:5
New International Version
So David said, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon feast, and I am supposed to dine with the king; but let me go and hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.

New Living Translation
David replied, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. I’ve always eaten with the king on this occasion, but tomorrow I’ll hide in the field and stay there until the evening of the third day.

English Standard Version
David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit at table with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field till the third day at evening.

Berean Standard Bible
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now.

King James Bible
And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

New King James Version
And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening.

New American Standard Bible
So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am obligated to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

NASB 1995
So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

NASB 1977
So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

Legacy Standard Bible
So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I ought to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go, that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

Amplified Bible
David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the New Moon [observance], and I should sit at the table to eat [the sacrificial meal] with the king; but let me go, so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

Christian Standard Bible
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I’ll hide in the countryside for the next two nights.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I’m supposed to sit down and eat with the king. Instead, let me go, and I’ll hide in the field until the third night.

American Standard Version
And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And David said to Jonathan: “Behold, the beginning of the month is tomorrow, and I sit down before your father to eat, and send me to hide in a field until the third evening

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but thou shalt let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.

Contemporary English Version
David answered: Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, and I'm supposed to eat dinner with your father. But instead, I'll hide in a field until the evening of the next day.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And David said to Jonathan: Behold to morrow is the new moon, and I according to custom am wont to sit beside the king to eat: let me go then that I may be hid in the field till the evening of the third day.

English Revised Version
And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
David replied, "Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival, when I should sit and eat at the king's [table]. But let me go and hide in the countryside for two more nights.

Good News Translation
"Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival," David replied, "and I am supposed to eat with the king. But if it's all right with you, I will go and hide in the fields until the evening of the day after tomorrow.

International Standard Version
David told Jonathan, "Look, the New Moon is tomorrow, and I'm expected to sit down with the king to eat. Let me go so I can hide in the field until the evening of the day after tomorrow.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And David said unto Jonathan: 'Behold, to-morrow is the new moon, when I should sit with the king to eat; so let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

Literal Standard Version
And David says to Jonathan, “Behold, the new moon [is] tomorrow; and I certainly sit with the king to eat; and you have sent me away, and I have been hidden in a field until the third evening;

Majority Standard Bible
So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now.

New American Bible
David answered: “Tomorrow is the new moon, when I should in fact dine with the king. Let me go and hide in the open country until evening.

NET Bible
David said to Jonathan, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and I am certainly expected to join the king for a meal. You must send me away so I can hide in the field until the third evening from now.

New Revised Standard Version
David said to Jonathan, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at the meal; but let me go, so that I may hide in the field until the third evening.

New Heart English Bible
So David said to Jonathan, "Look, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. Instead, let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until evening.

Webster's Bible Translation
And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new-moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.

World English Bible
David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to dine with the king; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at evening.

Young's Literal Translation
And David saith unto Jonathan, 'Lo, the new moon is to-morrow; and I do certainly sit with the king to eat; and thou hast sent me away, and I have been hidden in a field till the third evening;

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonathan Helps David
4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you desire, I will do for you.” 5So David told him, “Look, tomorrow is the New Moon, and I am supposed to dine with the king. Instead, let me go and hide in the field until the third evening from now. 6If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’…

Cross References
Numbers 10:10
And on your joyous occasions, your appointed feasts, and the beginning of each month, you are to blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings to serve as a reminder for you before your God. I am the LORD your God."

Numbers 28:11
At the beginning of every month, you are to present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished,

1 Samuel 19:2
so he warned David, saying, "My father Saul intends to kill you. Be on your guard in the morning; find a secret place and hide there.

1 Samuel 20:4
Then Jonathan said to David, "Whatever you desire, I will do for you."

1 Samuel 20:18
Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty.

1 Samuel 20:24
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.

1 Samuel 20:27
But on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David's place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, "Why hasn't the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?"


Treasury of Scripture

And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field to the third day at even.

1 Samuel 20:6
If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.

Numbers 10:10
Also in the day of your gladness, and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God.

Numbers 28:11
And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

that I may

1 Samuel 20:19
And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

1 Samuel 19:2
But Jonathan Saul's son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:

Psalm 55:12
For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:

Jump to Previous
David Dine Evening Hide Jonathan Meat Moon Morrow New New-Moon Ought Sit Table Third Tomorrow To-Morrow
Jump to Next
David Dine Evening Hide Jonathan Meat Moon Morrow New New-Moon Ought Sit Table Third Tomorrow To-Morrow
1 Samuel 20
1. David consults with Jonathan for his safety
11. Jonathan and David renew their covenant by oath
18. Jonathan's token to David
23. Saul, missing David, seeks to kill Jonathan
35. Jonathan affectionately takes his leave of David














(5) The new moon.--On the religious ceremonies connected with the day of the new moon at the beginning of each month, see the Mosaic enactments in Numbers 10:10; Numbers 28:11-15.

At the court of Saul the feast seems to have been carefully observed, doubtless with the blast of trumpets, and with solemn burnt offerings and sin offerings, for we notice in this narrative that the plea of possible ceremonial uncleanness was at once accepted as an excuse for absence. (See 1Samuel 20:26.)

The sacrificial and ceremonial rites were accompanied by a state and family banquet, at which David, as the king's son-in-law, and also as holding a high post in the royal army, was expected to be present.

Jonathan persisted in looking upon his father's later designs against the life of David as simply frenzied acts, incident upon his distressing malady, and evidently believed that after his strange seizure at Ramah he would return, and treat David with the confidence of old days when he met him at the feast of the new moon. David, however, believed otherwise, and was convinced, to use his own expressive words, that there was but a step between him and death. He would not trust himself, therefore, to Saul's hands until his friend had made the experiment he suggested.

Verses 5-7. - Tomorrow is the new moon. The first day of the new moon was a joyful festival, its appearance being greeted with the sounding of trumpets, and celebrated by a burnt offering and a sin offering. It was, moreover, kept by Saul as a family festival, at which David, as his son-in-law, was expected to be present. As, moreover, David was to hide unto the third day at even, counting from the time when he was arranging his plans with Jonathan, it is plain that it was the rule to prolong the feasting unto the second day. When then Jonathan, convinced by David's pleading, had consented to aid him in his own way, they arrange that he shall absent himself from this festival, and remain during it hidden out of sight. In case Saul missed him and asked the reason of his absence, Jonathan was to offer as an excuse for him that he had earnestly requested leave to pay a hurried visit to Bethlehem, in order to be present at an annual festival: and if Saul took the excuse in good part it would be a sign that he had no malicious purposes towards David, whereas if he fell into a rage it would be a proof of a settled evil design. A yearly sacrifice for all the family. For all the mishpachah, i.e. not for all Jesse's household, but for all that subdivision of the tribe of Judah to which Jesse belonged; for a tribe was divided into families, and these again into fathers' houses (Joshua 7:16, 17). The occasion would thus be a grand one. In 1 Samuel 16:2 we have an instance of a special sacrifice at Bethlehem, but this feast of the mishpachah was held every year; and evidently before the temple was built at Jerusalem these local sacrifices were the rule. We may well believe that there was such a festival, and that the fictitious part of Jonathan's story was that David had been summoned to it.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So David
דָּוִ֜ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

told
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

him,
יְהוֹנָתָ֗ן (yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3083: Jonathan -- 'the LORD has given', the name of a number of Israelites

“Look,
הִֽנֵּה־ (hin·nêh-)
Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

tomorrow
מָחָ֔ר (mā·ḥār)
Adverb
Strong's 4279: Deferred, the morrow, tomorrow, hereafter

is the New Moon,
חֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ (ḥō·ḏeš)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 2320: The new moon, a month

and I am
וְאָנֹכִ֛י (wə·’ā·nō·ḵî)
Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

supposed to dine
יָשֹׁב־ (yā·šōḇ-)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

with
עִם־ (‘im-)
Preposition
Strong's 5973: With, equally with

the king.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

Instead, let me go
וְשִׁלַּחְתַּ֙נִי֙ (wə·šil·laḥ·ta·nî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

and hide
וְנִסְתַּרְתִּ֣י (wə·nis·tar·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 5641: To hide, conceal

in the field
בַשָּׂדֶ֔ה (ḇaś·śā·ḏeh)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7704: Field, land

until
עַ֖ד (‘aḏ)
Preposition
Strong's 5704: As far as, even to, up to, until, while

the third
הַשְּׁלִשִֽׁית׃ (haš·šə·li·šîṯ)
Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular
Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell)

evening {from now}.
הָעֶ֥רֶב (hā·‘e·reḇ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6153: Evening


Links
1 Samuel 20:5 NIV
1 Samuel 20:5 NLT
1 Samuel 20:5 ESV
1 Samuel 20:5 NASB
1 Samuel 20:5 KJV

1 Samuel 20:5 BibleApps.com
1 Samuel 20:5 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 20:5 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 20:5 French Bible
1 Samuel 20:5 Catholic Bible

OT History: 1 Samuel 20:5 David said to Jonathan Behold tomorrow (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 20:4
Top of Page
Top of Page