1 Samuel 19:1 - Meaning and Application

Saul and Jonathan appear here in very different ways, both in relation to David.

Never was an enemy so cruel without cause as Saul. He spoke to his son and all his servants, telling them to kill David (1 Samuel 19:1). When his plans to remove David had failed, he now openly treated him as an outlaw and ordered everyone around him, on pain of loyalty, to take the first chance to kill him. It is strange that Saul was not ashamed to show such hatred when he could give no reason for it. It is also strange that, knowing his servants loved David, as he had said himself (1 Samuel 18:22), he did not fear pushing them toward rebellion with this bloody command.

Perhaps hatred was not yet as clever as it later became, or justice was not yet as corrupt as it has often been since. Otherwise Saul might have brought charges against David, hired false witnesses to accuse him of treason, and taken him off under the cover of law, as Naboth later was. But open hatred is often less dangerous than disguised hatred. It was also strange that Saul, who knew how much Jonathan loved David, would expect Jonathan to kill him. He seems to have assumed that because Jonathan was heir to the throne, he must be just as jealous of David as Saul was. In God’s providence, this very thing became a means of protecting David.

Never was a friend so unexpectedly kind as Jonathan. A friend in need truly proved himself here. Jonathan was that kind of friend to David. He kept delighting in David, even though David’s honor dimmed his own, and now he boldly stood up for him when everything was turning against him.

First, he protected David’s immediate safety by warning him of the danger (1 Samuel 19:2). “Take care of yourself and stay out of harm’s way,” was the message. Jonathan did not know whether some of the servants would be eager to please Saul or jealous enough to carry out the order if they could find David. So he gave David time to hide.

Second, he worked to calm his father and bring him back to a better mind toward David. The next morning he dared to speak to Saul about David (1 Samuel 19:3). Perhaps he waited until morning because Saul had been drinking the night before and was not fit to talk to, or because Jonathan hoped sleep would soften his father’s rage. Or perhaps he simply had no chance to speak earlier.

His plea for David was wise and careful. He used the meekness that comes from wisdom, and he showed true loyalty to his friend by speaking well of him, even though this risked his father’s anger. That is a rare and noble kind of friendship. Jonathan argued, first, from David’s good service to the public, and especially to Saul. “He has done you good,” he says, in effect, “in every way” (1 Samuel 19:4). Jonathan pointed to the help David had given Saul with his harp when Saul was troubled, and to David’s brave fight against Goliath, that famous act which had, in effect, saved Saul’s life and kingdom. Jonathan even appeals to Saul’s own memory: “You saw it yourself, and you were glad.” In that and other ways, David had shown himself a favorite of heaven and a friend to Israel, as well as a faithful servant to Saul, since through him the Lord had given Israel a great victory. To order such a man killed was not only bitter ingratitude, but also a great insult to God and a serious harm to the whole nation.

Jonathan also argued from David’s innocence. If David had now been guilty of some crime, that would be different. But he has not sinned against you (1 Samuel 19:1), and his blood is innocent (1 Samuel 19:5). If he were slain, it would be without cause. Jonathan had every reason to object, because nothing could burden his family more terribly than the guilt of innocent blood.

Because Jonathan’s plea was wise, God made it effective. The Lord softened Saul’s heart so that he listened to Jonathan. We should be ready to hear reason and receive correction, even from those beneath us. Parents should be willing to hear it from their own children. Good words can be very powerful. Saul was, for the moment, persuaded that his hatred of David made no sense.

So he called back the command for David’s execution (1 Samuel 19:6): “As the Lord lives, he shall not be killed.” We are not told whether Saul swore this with real seriousness. Perhaps he did, because the matter was important and uncertain. Yet Saul often used oaths carelessly and disrespectfully, which makes the sincerity of this oath doubtful. People who treat oaths as a joke and use them for small things may not truly respect them, and when it suits them, they may use them to support a lie. Some think Saul said this, and even swore it, only to bring David back within reach, hoping to kill him when the chance came. But though Saul was wicked, we can hardly assume that here. It is more likely that he spoke honestly for the moment, but his convictions soon faded, and his corrupt desires rose again and won out.

He also restored David to his place at court. Jonathan brought David back to Saul, and David stood before him as before (1 Samuel 19:7). Jonathan hoped the storm had passed and that he would be able to keep his father in this better mood.