1 Samuel 20:26 Meaning and Explanation
“Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Saul says nothing the first day, assuming David is absent because of ceremonial uncleanness.
What Does 1 Samuel 20:26 Mean?
On the first day Saul holds his peace, supposing David is kept away by some ritual impurity that barred him from the sacred feast. The repeated he is not clean shows Saul reasoning his way to an innocent explanation, unwilling yet to suspect flight.
Saul's assumption about outward cleanness is ironic, for the deeper uncleanness sits at his own table in a heart bent on murder. Outward ceremony cannot cover inward corruption. The Lord would later teach that what truly defiles comes not from without but from within, out of the heart.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 20:26
What does 1 Samuel 20:26 mean?
Saul says nothing the first day, assuming David is absent because of ceremonial uncleanness.