1 Samuel 20:35-42 Meaning: Loyalty in Secret
35In the morning, Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little boy with him.
36He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37When the boy had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the boy, and said, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
38Jonathan cried after the boy, “Go fast! Hurry! Don’t delay!” Jonathan’s boy gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, “Go, carry them to the city.”
41As soon as the boy was gone, David arose out of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times. They kissed one another and wept with one another, and David wept the most.
42Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have both sworn in Yahweh’s name, saying, ‘Yahweh is between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” He arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
35And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36And he said unto his lad, Run, find out now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
41And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
35And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.
36And he said unto his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.
37And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39But the lad knew not anything: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.
41And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
35And it cometh to pass in the morning, that Jonathan goeth out into the field for the appointment with David, and a little youth is with him.
36And he saith to his youth, `Run, find, I pray thee, the arrows which I am shooting;' the youth is running, and he hath shot the arrow, causing it to pass over him.
37And the youth cometh unto the place of the arrow which Jonathan hath shot, and Jonathan calleth after the youth, and saith, `Is not the arrow beyond thee?'
38and Jonathan calleth after the youth, `Speed, haste, stand not;' and Jonathan's youth gathereth the arrows, and cometh unto his lord.
39And the youth hath not known anything, only Jonathan and David knew the word.
40And Jonathan giveth his weapons unto the youth whom he hath, and saith to him, `Go, carry into the city.'
41The youth hath gone, and David hath risen from Ezel, at the south, and falleth on his face to the earth, and boweth himself three times, and they kiss one another, and they weep one with another, till David exerted himself;
42and Jonathan saith to David, `Go in peace, in that we have sworn--we two--in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah is between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed--unto the age;' and he riseth and goeth; and Jonathan hath gone in to the city.
35And it came to pass in the morning that Jonathan went out into the field, to the place agreed on with David, and a little lad with him.
36And he said to his lad, Run, find now the arrows which I shoot. The lad ran, and he shot the arrow beyond him.
37And when the lad came to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad and said, Is not the arrow away beyond thee?
38And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not! And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
39And the lad knew nothing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.
40And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.
41The lad went, and David arose from the side of the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded.
42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have both of us sworn in the name of Jehovah, saying, Jehovah be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever! And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.
Meaning in one sentence
Why does an unknowing boy carry a life-or-death signal? David and Jonathan's covenant loyalty faces its greatest test in this field.
Context
We have reached the breaking point. Saul has thrown a spear at Jonathan himself, and Jonathan now knows his father will not stop until David is dead. Earlier, David and Jonathan made a covenant and arranged a signal: Jonathan would go to the field with a servant boy, shoot arrows, and call out coded words to tell David whether to stay or flee. The boy sees nothing but archery practice. Only Jonathan and David understand what the arrows mean. When the boy is sent away, David comes out of hiding. They fall on their faces, weep together, and seal their promise one last time. Jonathan speaks the blessing that will carry David through years of running. Then they walk away in opposite directions.
Key Words
Two Hebrew words hold the weight of this scene. The first is yada (H3045), the verb for “know.” In verse 39 the boy “did not know anything” while Jonathan and David “knew the matter.” This is not just factual knowledge; the word carries intimacy and covenant awareness. The boy saw the arrows and heard the shouts, but he was outside the bond of loyalty that linked these two men. Their shared knowledge was the very thing that kept David alive.
The second word is shalom (H7965), spoken by Jonathan in verse 42: “Go in peace.” It means far more than calm, it means wholeness, health, fulfillment of covenant blessing. Jonathan could not give David safety; Saul’s army was hunting him. But he could hand David over to the God who keeps promises. That is the peace that goes deeper than circumstances.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have seen this passage as a picture of costly friendship. Protestant commentators like Matthew Henry highlight Jonathan's faithful love even when it meant losing his own claim to the throne. Catholic readers often reflect on the natural virtue of friendship raised by grace, pointing to how their covenant was sworn in Yahweh's name. The Geneva Bible notes the signal as a model of prudent loyalty. Jewish tradition reads these verses as the haftarah for the New Moon, a reminder that God's covenant endures even through political danger. All traditions agree: this is love that risks everything for the beloved.
A common misunderstanding
Some think the boy is simply a naive messenger who could have ruined everything. In fact, the boy’s ignorance is the whole point. The narrator stresses in verse 39 that “only Jonathan and David knew the matter.” The boy is not left out because he is useless, he is kept safe precisely because he knows nothing. Should Saul interrogate him later, he can only tell the truth: he saw nothing unusual. The secrecy protects everyone involved.
Living This Out
You may have a promise you made to someone that no one else understands. Keeping it costs you something, time, reputation, even safety. This week you might be tempted to let the promise slide because the situation has become too risky. Remember Jonathan. He gave up his place at the royal table, faced his father’s spear, and spoke coded words in a field so that his friend could live. He did not control the outcome, but he trusted God to hold what he could not. Ask yourself: what word of peace or act of loyalty can you extend today, even if no one else knows? You do not need to fix everything. You just need to shoot the arrow and let God handle the rest.
Main takeaway: True covenant loyalty risks everything in secret and trusts God to hold what we cannot see.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jonathan and David were best friends, but King Saul wanted to hurt David. So Jonathan made a secret plan with arrows. A little boy ran to get the arrows, but he didn’t know it was a warning. That kept him safe.
For ages 9, 12
Jonathan showed deep loyalty to David, even against his own father. He used a secret signal so only David would understand. When they said goodbye, they cried hard because they might never see each other again. But they trusted God’s promise between them. True friendship sometimes means making sacrifices to protect someone else.
Questions People Ask
What was the secret signal between Jonathan and David?
They agreed that Jonathan would shoot arrows and call out to his servant boy. If he said 'the arrows are ahead of you,' it meant David should keep fleeing because Saul was dangerous. If he said 'the arrows are behind you,' it meant David could come back safely. In this passage, he shouted 'isn't the arrow beyond you?', the danger signal.
Why did Jonathan bring a boy along?
The boy served as an unknowing cover. Saul's spies would see nothing suspicious, just a prince practicing archery. The boy also carried the arrows and equipment, so Jonathan could send him away before meeting David. Because the boy did not know the real purpose, he could not accidentally reveal the plan.
What does 'artillery' mean in this passage?
The English word 'artillery' in older translations like the KJV comes from the French artillerie, meaning archery gear, bows, arrows, and quivers. It does not mean cannons or gunpowder. The Hebrew word is keli (H3627), which simply means 'implements' or 'weapons.' Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy to carry back to the city.
Why did David bow three times before Jonathan?
David was honoring Jonathan as the king's son and his own superior in rank. Bowing three times was a sign of deep respect and submission. It also acknowledged the weight of Jonathan's loyalty, since Jonathan could have handed David over to Saul but chose instead to protect him.
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