1 Samuel 20:19

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(19) Go down quickly.—“Quickly” represents, but not faithfully, the Hebrew m’od. “Quickly” comes from the Vulg., descende ergo festinus. The literal rendering of m’od is “greatly,” and probably Dean Payne Smith’s rendering, “and on the third day go a long way (greatly) down into the valley,” represents the meaning of the original, which has been a general stumbling-block with the versions. The Chaldee, Arabic, and Syriac here interpret rather than translate, “on the third day thou will be missed the more.” “It did not matter,” writes the Dean, “whether David went fast or slow, as he was to hide there some time, but it was important that David should be far away, so that no prying eye might chance to catch sight of him.”

When the business was in hand.—The expression, b’yom hammaăseh, rendered in our version by “when the business was in hand,” is one hard to understand. Perhaps the best translation is that adopted by Gesenius, De Wette, and Maurer, who render it quite literally “on the day of the deed,” and understand by “deed” King Saul’s design of killing David (see 1Samuel 19:2).

By the stone Ezel.—This stone, or cairn, or possibly ruin, is mentioned nowhere else. Some have supposed it to have been a road-stone, or stone guide-post. The following ingenious conjecture is hazarded in the Speaker’s Commentary:—“The LXX. here, and again in 1Samuel 20:41 (where the spot, but not the stone, is spoken of), read argab, or ergab, a word meaning a heap of stones. If this is the true reading, David’s hiding place was either a natural cavernous rock, which was called argab, or some ruin of an ancient building equally suited for a hiding place.” Ewald, slightly changing the text, understands the word as signifying “the lonely waste.”

Benson Commentary

1 Samuel 20:19. When thou hast stayed three days, &c. — This is commonly interpreted of his staying so long with his kindred at Bethlehem. In the Hebrew the words are, Thou shalt three times go down to a very low place; and the meaning seems to be, that if Jonathan did not come to the place appointed the first day, David should take it for granted that he had no information of importance to communicate, and should come again the second day; and if Jonathan brought him no intelligence then, he should come on the third. Houbigant interprets the words, “But on the third day thou shalt come quickly to that place, in which thou shalt hide thyself on the feast-day.” When the business was in hand — When this same business which they were now treating about was in agitation formerly; namely, to discover Saul’s mind and purpose toward David, 1 Samuel 19:2-3. By the stone Ezel — A stone probably erected to direct travellers in the way: he was to hide himself in some cave or other convenient place near it.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

20:11-23 Jonathan faithfully promises that he would let David know how he found his father affected towards him. It will be kindness to ourselves and to ours, to secure an interest in those whom God favours, and to make his friends ours. True friendship rests on a firm basis, and is able to silence ambition, self-love, and undue regard for others. But who can fully understand the love of Jesus, who gave himself as a sacrifice for rebellious, polluted sinners! how great then ought to be the force and effects of our love to him, to his cause, and his people!

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The stone Ezel - It is not mentioned elsewhere, except possibly in 1 Samuel 20:41, where see the note.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19. when thou hast stayed three days—either with your family at Beth-lehem, or wherever you find it convenient.

come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand—Hebrew, "in the day," or "time of the business," when the same matter was under inquiry formerly (1Sa 19:22).

remain by the stone Ezel—Hebrew, "the stone of the way"; a sort of milestone which directed travellers. He was to conceal himself in some cave or hiding-place near that spot.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

When thou hast stayed three days; either at Bethlehem with thy friends, 1 Samuel 20:6, or elsewhere, as thou shalt see fit.

When the business was in hand, Heb. in the day of business; or, of the business. And these words are to be joined, either,

1. With the words next foregoing; and so they note the time when David hid himself there; which was, when this same business which now they were treating about was in agitation formerly, to wit, to discover Saul’s mind and purpose towards him, 1 Samuel 19:2,3. Or,

2. With the more remote words; and so they note the time when David should come to the place appointed, and formerly used to hide himself in, upon a like occasion, to wit, in the day when the business here spoken of was to be done, i.e. when the discovery of Saul’s mind was to be made.

By the stone Ezel, or, by the stone of going, or travelling, i.e. by that stone which directs travellers in the way, to wit, in some cave, or convenient place, which was near that stone.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And when thou hast stayed three days,.... From court, either at Bethlehem, which seems most probable, or in some other place incognito; however, not in the field he proposed to hide himself in, where he could not continue so long for want of food:

then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself; which makes it clear that he did not continue there during that time, but went elsewhere; from whence he was to come in haste at the expiration of three days, to the place he first hid himself in, and which was fixed upon to meet at:

when the business was in hand; when the affair was discoursed of, about getting knowledge how Saul was affected to David, and of informing him of it; or "on the day of work" (x); or business, on a working day, as the Septuagint; and so the Targum, on a common day; when, as the Vulgate Latin, it was lawful to work on it; and such was the day when Jonathan and David conversed together about the above affair; it being the day before the new moon, or first day of the month, on which day they used not to work: Some render it, "thou shalt three times go down" (y) to that place; and the sense is, that he should come on the morrow, and if he found not Jonathan there, he might conclude that as yet he knew nothing of his father's mind, and therefore should come the day following that; and if he found him not then, to come on the third day, that so he might be on the spot, let him come on which day he would:

and shalt remain by the stone Ezel; which, because it signifies "going", the Jewish commentators generally understand it as a sign to direct travellers which way to go; but one would think this should be an improper place for David to be near, since it must be where two or more ways met, and so a public frequented place; others think therefore it had its name from David and Jonathan often going thither, to discourse with each other; the Septuagint calls it Ergab; and so the place where Jonathan, the son of Saul, exercised himself by shooting darts, is called by Jerom (z); it is said by Josephus (a) to be an hundred fifty furlongs (about nineteen miles), from Jerusalem, and from Jordan sixty, (about eight miles).

(x) "in die operis", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus; "die profesto", Tigurine version. (y) "tertiabis, descendes valde", Montanus; "descendes ter, vel tertiabis descendere", Castalio; so Patrick. (z) De loc. Heb. fol. 91. C. (a) Apud Adrichem. Theatrum T. S. p. 17.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. when the business was in hand] Lit. “on the day of the business,” either the incident recorded in 1 Samuel 19:1-7, or some unknown matter.

the stone Ezel] The name “stone of departure” may have been given in remembrance of the parting of David and Jonathan beside it. The Sept. however, (cp. 1 Samuel 20:41), reads “beside yonder heap of stones;” either some natural rocks or a heap of ruins, which might serve for a hiding-place. The rendering of E. V. marg. “the stone that sheweth the way” comes from the Targum, which gives “sign-stone.”

1 Samuel 20:19

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

He then discussed the sign with him for letting him know about his father's state of mind: "To-morrow is new moon, and thou wilt be missed, for thy seat will be empty," sc., at Saul's table (see at 1 Samuel 20:5). "And on the third day come down quickly (from thy sojourning place), and go to the spot where thou didst hide thyself on the day of the deed, and place thyself by the side of the stone Ezel." The first words in this (19th) verse are not without difficulty. The meaning "on the third day" for the verb שׁלּשׁ cannot be sustained by parallel passages, but is fully established, partly by השּׁלשׁית, the third day, and partly by the Arabic usage (vid., Ges. Thes. s. v.). מאד after תּרד, lit., "go violently down," is more striking still. Nevertheless the correctness of the text is not to be called in question, since שׁלּשׁתּ is sustained by τρισσεύσει in the Septuagint, and מאד תּרד by descende ergo festinus in the Vulgate, and also by the rendering in the Chaldee, Arabic, and Syriac versions, "and on the third day thou wilt be missed still more," which is evidently merely a conjecture founded upon the context. The meaning of המּעשׂה בּיום is doubtful. Gesenius, De Wette, and Maurer render it "on the day of the deed," and understand it as referring to Saul's deed mentioned in 1 Samuel 19:2, viz., his design of killing David; others render it "on the day of business," i.e., the working day (Luther, after the lxx and Vulgate), but this is not so good a rendering. The best is probably that of Thenius, "on the day of the business" (which is known to thee). Nothing further can be said concerning the stone Ezel than that Ezel is a proper name.