David And Jonathan Covenant

[1] And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? [2] And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so. [3] And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. [4] Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee. [5] 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. [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. [7] If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him. [8] Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father? [9] And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? [10] Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly? [11] And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field. [12] And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; [13] The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father. [14] And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not: [15] But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. [16] So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies. [17] And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. [18] Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. [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. [20] And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark. [21] And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth. [22] But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away. [23] And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever. [24] So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. [25] And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. [26] Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean. [27] 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? [28] And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem: [29] And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table.

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

• Jonathan
• Constancy
• Covenant

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

• Covenant

But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.