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1 Samuel 20:22

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 1 Samuel 20:22 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away.
1 Samuel 20:22 — American Standard Version

Context — 1 Samuel 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
19And when thou hast stayed three days, 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.
20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.
21And, behold, I will send the lad, [saying], Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah liveth.
22But if I say thus unto the boy, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way; for Jehovah hath sent thee away.
23And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, Jehovah is between thee and me for ever.
24So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food.
25And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul`s side: but David`s place was empty.
← 1 Samuel 20:211 Samuel 20:23 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“But if I say thus unto the young man, behold, the arrows [are] beyond thee, etc.] Being shot to a greater distance than where the young man was: go thy way, for the Lord hath sent thee away; then he was to depart directly, without staying to have any conversation with Jonathan, which would not be safe for either of them, and so make the best of his way into the country, and escape for his life; for so it was ordered by the providence of God, that he must not stay, but be gone immediately: the signals were these, that if things were favourable, then he would shoot his arrows on one side of the lad, and David might come out and show himself at once; but if not, he would shoot them beyond him,…”
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Related study paths

Read 1 Samuel 20 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification