1 Samuel 20:27

25 He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.

26 Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”

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?”

28 Jonathan answered, “David urgently requested my permission to go to Bethlehem,

29 saying, ‘Please let me go, because our clan is holding a sacrifice in the city, and my brother has told me to be there. So now, if I have found favor in your eyes, please let me go and see my brothers.’ That is why he did not come to the king’s table.”

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
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?”
KJV
And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
WEB
On the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why didn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”
ASV
And it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, [which was] the second [day], that David`s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?
DARBY
And it came to pass the next day after the new moon, the second [day of the month], as David's place was empty, that Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to table, neither yesterday nor to-day?
BLB
And it came to pass on the next day, the second of the New Moon, that the place of David was found empty. And Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why has not the son of Jesse come either yesterday or today to eat?”
ÅB
Men da Davids plass også den neste dag - dagen etter nymåne - var tom, sa Saul til Jonatan, sin sønn: Hvorfor er Isais sønn hverken igår eller idag kommet til måltidet?
OTB
Og det skjedde neste dag, den andre dagen av nymånen, at Davids plass var tom. Så sa Saul til Jonatan, hans sønn: "Hvorfor har ikke Isais sønn kommet til måltidet, verken i går eller i dag?"
B1930
Men da Davids plass også den næste dag - dagen efter nymåne - var tom, sa Saul til Jonatan, sin sønn: Hvorfor er Isais sønn hverken igår eller idag kommet til måltidet?

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • 1 Samuel 19:15

    But Saul sent the messengers back to see David and told them, “Bring him up to me in his bed so I can kill him.”

    Read in context
  • Matthew 13:55

    “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t His mother’s name Mary, and aren’t His brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 25:10

    But Nabal asked them, “Who is David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants these days are breaking away from their masters.

    Read in context
  • Isaiah 11:1–2

    Then a shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 22:7–9

    Then Saul said to his servants, “Listen, men of Benjamin! Is the son of Jesse giving all of you fields and vineyards and making you commanders of thousands or hundreds?

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 18:11

    and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.

    Read in context
  • 1 Peter 2:4

    As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 19:9–10

    But as Saul was sitting in his house with his spear in his hand, a spirit of distress from the LORD came upon him. While David was playing the harp,

    Read in context