David arranges to use the yearly family sacrifice in Bethlehem as a justification for his absence, illustrating his prudence and cautious faith in a time of personal danger.
“If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’” (v.6)
In 1 Samuel 20:6, David is speaking to Jonathan (the son of Israel’s first king, Saul, who reigned circa 1050-1010 BC) to arrange an alibi that will explain David’s sudden absence from a royal feast. David instructs Jonathan to tell Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me” (v.6), framing David’s departure as a pious duty—to celebrate the yearly family sacrifice in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a small town located a few miles south of Jerusalem, historically tied to David’s lineage as the city where he was born and later anointed. This clever plan reveals David’s caution in the face of Saul’s erratic and dangerous temper, because any perceived slight could provoke a deadly response.
By referencing “Bethlehem his city” (v.6), the verse underscores David’s familial roots and the significance of the annual religious practices that drew scattered family members back together. Although David had already been chosen by God to be Israel’s next king, he still had to navigate Saul’s courtly tensions. Claiming a sacrificial gathering gave David a plausible, socially acceptable reason to be elsewhere if Saul questioned his absence. It also highlighted the ongoing tension between David’s outward appearance of allegiance to Saul and the private knowledge that the LORD had anointed him as the rightful heir.
The background to this verse is deeply relational. Jonathan, loyal both to his father Saul’s kingship and to his dear friend David, found himself in a precarious position. He agreed to help discover the depth of Saul’s anger toward David. In doing so, Jonathan became an advocate for truth and a protector of David’s life—knowing that David’s safety might hinge on whether Saul accepted or rejected the explanation “because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family” (v.6).
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1 Samuel 20:6 meaning
“If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethlehem his city, because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family.’” (v.6)
In 1 Samuel 20:6, David is speaking to Jonathan (the son of Israel’s first king, Saul, who reigned circa 1050-1010 BC) to arrange an alibi that will explain David’s sudden absence from a royal feast. David instructs Jonathan to tell Saul, “David earnestly asked leave of me” (v.6), framing David’s departure as a pious duty—to celebrate the yearly family sacrifice in Bethlehem. Bethlehem was a small town located a few miles south of Jerusalem, historically tied to David’s lineage as the city where he was born and later anointed. This clever plan reveals David’s caution in the face of Saul’s erratic and dangerous temper, because any perceived slight could provoke a deadly response.
By referencing “Bethlehem his city” (v.6), the verse underscores David’s familial roots and the significance of the annual religious practices that drew scattered family members back together. Although David had already been chosen by God to be Israel’s next king, he still had to navigate Saul’s courtly tensions. Claiming a sacrificial gathering gave David a plausible, socially acceptable reason to be elsewhere if Saul questioned his absence. It also highlighted the ongoing tension between David’s outward appearance of allegiance to Saul and the private knowledge that the LORD had anointed him as the rightful heir.
The background to this verse is deeply relational. Jonathan, loyal both to his father Saul’s kingship and to his dear friend David, found himself in a precarious position. He agreed to help discover the depth of Saul’s anger toward David. In doing so, Jonathan became an advocate for truth and a protector of David’s life—knowing that David’s safety might hinge on whether Saul accepted or rejected the explanation “because it is the yearly sacrifice there for the whole family” (v.6).