Jonathan uses a covert signal to protect his friend and confirm King Saul’s intent toward David.
In 1 Samuel 20, Jonathan and David devise a plan to determine King Saul’s disposition toward David. Jonathan explains this plan when he declares, “I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target” (1 Samuel 20:20). The countryside of Gibeah in the tribal land of Benjamin, located a few miles north of what is now Jerusalem, served as the setting. Jonathan, the oldest son of King Saul (ruling around 1050-1010 BC), faithfully guarded his friend David, who was a shepherd from Bethlehem. Although David would eventually succeed Saul as king, Jonathan’s loyalty to David over his own father’s hostility was an extraordinary testimony of selfless friendship.
When Jonathan spoke of shooting arrows, he was establishing a secret sign for David’s safety (1 Samuel 20:21-23). If Jonathan shot arrows beyond the place where David waited, it would signal that King Saul’s anger was dangerously kindled and David must flee. In the ancient world, archery was a skilled practice used both in warfare and symbolic signaling. Jonathan’s reference to a “target” underscored how this was to look like simple weapons practice, so no one in Saul’s court would suspect their hidden intentions.
This single verse showcases the deep trust between Jonathan and David, grounded in their shared faith in God’s purposes and in their growing awareness that Saul’s reign was coming to an end. Jonathan’s arrangement took great courage, for he was torn between his father, the first king of Israel, and his dearest friend. The invisible tension between the chosen king (Saul), his rightful heir (Jonathan), and the anointed future king (David) offered a dramatic moment where devotion to God’s will won out over personal ambition.
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1 Samuel 20:20 meaning
In 1 Samuel 20, Jonathan and David devise a plan to determine King Saul’s disposition toward David. Jonathan explains this plan when he declares, “I will shoot three arrows to the side, as though I shot at a target” (1 Samuel 20:20). The countryside of Gibeah in the tribal land of Benjamin, located a few miles north of what is now Jerusalem, served as the setting. Jonathan, the oldest son of King Saul (ruling around 1050-1010 BC), faithfully guarded his friend David, who was a shepherd from Bethlehem. Although David would eventually succeed Saul as king, Jonathan’s loyalty to David over his own father’s hostility was an extraordinary testimony of selfless friendship.
When Jonathan spoke of shooting arrows, he was establishing a secret sign for David’s safety (1 Samuel 20:21-23). If Jonathan shot arrows beyond the place where David waited, it would signal that King Saul’s anger was dangerously kindled and David must flee. In the ancient world, archery was a skilled practice used both in warfare and symbolic signaling. Jonathan’s reference to a “target” underscored how this was to look like simple weapons practice, so no one in Saul’s court would suspect their hidden intentions.
This single verse showcases the deep trust between Jonathan and David, grounded in their shared faith in God’s purposes and in their growing awareness that Saul’s reign was coming to an end. Jonathan’s arrangement took great courage, for he was torn between his father, the first king of Israel, and his dearest friend. The invisible tension between the chosen king (Saul), his rightful heir (Jonathan), and the anointed future king (David) offered a dramatic moment where devotion to God’s will won out over personal ambition.