1 Samuel 20:38
A focused desk for reading, commentary, cross-references, original language notes, and your own observations.
1 Samuel 20:38
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
Chapter Context
1 Samuel 20 is a biographical narrative chapter in the Old Testament that explores themes of grace, salvation, truth. Written during the transition to monarchy (c. 1050-1010 BCE), this chapter should be understood within its historical context: Israel transitioned from tribal confederacy to monarchy while facing Philistine military pressure.
The chapter can be divided into several sections:
- Verses 1-5: Introduction and setting the context
- Verses 6-12: Development of key themes
- Verses 13-20: Central message and teachings
- Verses 21-42: Conclusion and application
This chapter is significant because it illustrates divine judgment and mercy in response to human actions. When studying this passage, it's important to consider both its immediate context within 1 Samuel and its broader place in the scriptural canon.
Verse Study
1 Samuel 20:38
38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
Analysis
And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
The threefold urgency - 'Make speed, haste, stay not' - intensified the message to David. These words ostensibly hurried the servant but communicated deadly urgency to the hidden fugitive. Each term reinforced danger: speed indicated emergency, haste emphasized immediacy, 'stay not' commanded departure. The boy heard an impatient master; David heard a friend warning him to flee for his life. The innocent servant 'gathered up the arrows' and returned, his simple task complete, utterly unaware of the drama surrounding his actions.
Historical Context
Triple commands were emphatic in Hebrew rhetoric. The servant would interpret urgency as normal impatience. Jonathan's emotional state likely added genuine intensity to his voice, masking its true purpose behind apparent annoyance.
Reflection
- How do urgency and haste in one context carry different meaning in another?
- What does the servant's ignorance teach about how God uses unaware instruments?