1 Samuel 20:27
in 1 Samuel 20But 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?”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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?
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?
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseIt is a bad thing for us, except in case of necessity, to omit an opportunity of statedly attending on God in solemn ordinances. Thomas lost a sight of Christ by being once absent from a meeting of the disciples. But that which displeased Saul was that hereby he missed the opportunity he expected of doing David a mischief.
This site's exposition
Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today
on 1 Samuel 20:27-29
By the second day the ordinary explanation has run out, and Saul asks Jonathan directly, calling David only "the son of Jesse" and not by name. Jonathan gives the excuse rehearsed at verse 6, a clan sacrifice at Bethlehem and a brother’s summons, true as far as it goes. Bethlehem covers for David, the town that sent him to Saul’s camp as an errand boy in chapter 17.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
A commentator
John ChrysostomHOMILY TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED THE ASSEMBLY 6 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
As for Saul he hated and abhorred him so much after the countless good services which he had done, after his brilliant triumphs, and the salvation which he had wrought in the matter of Goliath, that he could not bear to mention him by his own name, but called him after his father. For once when a festival was at hand, and Saul, having devised some treachery against him, and contrived a cruel plot, did not see him arrive—"where," said he, "is the son of Jesse?" He called him by his father's name, both because on account of his hatred he could not endure the recollection of his proper name, and also because he thought to damage the distinguished position of that righteous man by a reference to his low birth—a miserable and despicable thought: for certainly, even if he had some accusation to bring against the father this could in no wise injure David. For each man is answerable for his own deeds, and by these he can be praised and accused. But as it was, not having any evil deed to mention, he brought forward his low birth, expecting by this means to throw his glory into the shade, which in fact was the height of folly. For what kind of offence is it to be the child of insignificant and humble parents?
The Medieval Church1 voice
And when the second day after the Kalends dawned, etc. When in the hearts of the faithful the radiance of new grace happily grew after the silence of listening to the word until the time arrived to act on what was taught, nevertheless, the brazenness …
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
on the morrow, which was the second day of the month--The time of the moon's appearance being uncertain--whether at midday, in the evening, or at midnight, the festival was extended over two days.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤ת | mimochorat | from [the] next day of | H4283 → | 32 times |
| הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ | hachodesh | the new moon | H2320 → | 284 times |
| הַשֵּׁנִ֔י | hasheni | <the> second | H8145 → | 156 times |
| וַיִּפָּקֵ֖ד | vaiyipaked | and it was empty | H6485 → | 303 times |
| מְק֣וֹם | mekom | [the] place of | H4725 → | 401 times |
| דָּוִ֑ד ס | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| שָׁאוּל֙ | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| בְּנ֔וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| מַדּ֜וּעַ | madua' | why? | H4069 → | 72 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בָ֧א | va' | has he come | H935 → | 2568 times |
| בֶן־ | ven- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יִשַׁ֛י | yishai | Jesse | H3448 → | 42 times |
| גַּם־ | gam- | both | H1571 → | 769 times |
| תְּמ֥וֹל | temol | yesterday | H8543 → | |
| גַּם־ | gam- | as well as | H1571 → | 769 times |
| הַיּ֖וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַלָּֽחֶם׃ | halachem | the food | H3899 → | 298 times |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤תfrom [the] next day of
mimochoratH4283 →32 times
הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙the new moon
hachodeshH2320 →284 times
הַשֵּׁנִ֔י<the> second
hasheniH8145 →156 times
וַיִּפָּקֵ֖דand it was empty
vaiyipakedH6485 →303 times
מְק֣וֹם[the] place of
mekomH4725 →401 times
דָּוִ֑ד סDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
שָׁאוּל֙Saul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוֹנָתָ֣ןJonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
בְּנ֔וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
מַדּ֜וּעַwhy?
madua'H4069 →72 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
בָ֧אhas he come
va'H935 →2568 times
בֶן־[the] son of
ven-H1121 →4930 times
יִשַׁ֛יJesse
yishaiH3448 →42 times
גַּם־both
gam-H1571 →769 times
תְּמ֥וֹלyesterday
temolH8543 →
גַּם־as well as
gam-H1571 →769 times
הַיּ֖וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַלָּֽחֶם׃the food
halachemH3899 →298 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
1 Peter 2:4As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
it leads to
- Psalms 118:22–23
The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
- Acts 4:11–12
This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
- 1 Peter 2:7
To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
- Isaiah 28:16
So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken.
- Luke 20:17–18
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
- Psalms 118:22–23
Through
1 Samuel 18:11and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 20:33
Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
- Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
- John 10:39
At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
- 1 Samuel 20:33
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PersonEarly monarchyJonathanSon of King Saul who climbed a cliff to rout a garrison on the conviction that nothing restrains Jehovah; cut a covenant of steadf…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, HOMILY TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT ATTENDED THE ASSEMBLY 6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.