MPV Commentary

David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan, sharing his concerns about his safety. He had good reason to fear that when the fervor of the moment passed, Saul would return to his usual violent nature.

It may seem imprudent for David to have directed his flight to Gibeah, but he was motivated by a desire to inform his friend of what had happened and to obtain Jonathan's approval for the course he felt compelled to take. Jonathan, however, was not convinced that there was any real danger after Saul's oath, and he felt assured that his father would do nothing without telling him.

Jonathan's filial loyalty blinded him to his father's flaws, making him reluctant to believe that Saul was capable of such cruelty. David repeated his conviction about Saul's intentions in carefully chosen words, not wanting to wound Jonathan's feelings. Meanwhile, Jonathan held onto the hope that the extraordinary scene at Naioth might have brought a positive change in Saul's character and behavior.

David said to Jonathan, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and I will be expected to join the king for dinner." The beginning of each month was celebrated with special sacrifices and feasting, and as the king's son-in-law and a prominent courtier, David would normally dine at the royal table. Given that it was known he had returned to Gibeah, his presence in the palace would be anticipated.

The two friends chose this occasion to test Saul's state of mind. As a pretext for David's absence, they arranged for him to visit his family in Bethlehem, creating an opportunity to observe how Saul would react to his non-appearance. They fixed a time and place for Jonathan to report back to David, but if circumstances made another meeting too risky, they agreed to communicate through a prearranged signal.