1 Samuel 20:1 Meaning and Explanation
“And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David escapes from Ramah and pours out his bewilderment to Jonathan, protesting his innocence before Saul.
What Does 1 Samuel 20:1 Mean?
David has just slipped away from Samuel's company at Naioth, where Saul's own spear could not reach him. Now he runs to the one friend left inside the palace, Jonathan, Saul's son, and lays bare the question that haunts him: what crime has earned a death sentence?
His threefold cry, what have I done, what is mine iniquity, what is my sin, is the protest of a clear conscience under unjust pursuit. David does not curse the king; he searches himself. In this he prefigures a greater innocent, hunted without cause, who would commit his case to the Father who judges righteously.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 20:1
What does 1 Samuel 20:1 mean?
David escapes from Ramah and pours out his bewilderment to Jonathan, protesting his innocence before Saul.