1 Samuel 20 · Verse 27

1 Samuel 20:27

And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?
1 Samuel 20:27, King James Version

1 Samuel 20:27 in other translations

BSBBut on the day after the New Moon, the second day, David’s place was still empty, and Saul asked his son Jonathan, “Why hasn’t the son of Jesse come to the meal either yesterday or today?”
WEBOn the next day after the new moon, the second day, David’s place was empty. Saul said to Jonathan his son, “Why didn’t the son of Jesse come to eat, either yesterday, or today?”
ASVAnd it came to pass on the morrow after the new moon, which was the second day, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?
YLTAnd it cometh to pass on the second morrow of the new moon, that David's place is looked after, and Saul saith unto Jonathan his son, ‘Wherefore hath the son of Jesse not come in, either yesterday or to-day, unto the food?'
DARBYAnd it came to pass the next day after the new moon, the second day of the month, as David's place was empty, that Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why has not the son of Jesse come to table, neither yesterday nor to-day?
BBEAnd on the day after the new moon, that is, the second day, there was still no one in David's seat: and Saul said to his son Jonathan, Why has the son of Jesse not come to the feast yesterday or today?
WebsterAnd it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty: and Saul said to Jonathan his son, Why cometh not the son of Jesse to eat, neither yesterday, nor to-day?

What does 1 Samuel 20:27 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
27. on the morrow, which was the second day of the month--The time of the moon's appearance being uncertain--whether at midday, in the evening, or at midnight, the festival was extended over two days. Custom, not the law, had introduced this. Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse--The question was asked, as it were, casually, and with as great an air of indifference as he could assume. And Jonathan having replied that David had asked and obtained his permission to attend a family anniversary at Beth-lehem [Ac 20:28, 29], the pent-up passions of the king burst out in a most violent storm of rage and invective against his son.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 20:24-34

None were more constant than David in attending holy duties; nor had he been absent, but self-preservation obliged him to withdraw. In great peril present opportunities for Divine ordinances may be waved. But it is bad for us, except in case of necessity, to omit any opportunity of statedly attending on them. Jonathan did wisely and well for himself and family, to secure an interest in David, yet for this he is…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 20:24-34 →

1 Samuel 20:27 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְהִ֗יvay.Hiand it wasH1961
מִֽמָּחֳרַ֤תmi.mo.cho.Ratfrom [the] next day ofH4283
הַחֹ֙דֶשׁ֙ha.Cho.deshthe new moonH2320
הַשֵּׁנִ֔יha.she.Ni<the> secondH8145
וַיִּפָּקֵ֖דvai.yi.pa.Kedand it was emptyH6485
מְק֣וֹםme.Kom[the] place ofH4725
דָּוִ֑ד\ \סda.VidDavidH1732
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
שָׁאוּל֙sha.'UlSaulH7586
אֶל\־'el-toH413
יְהוֹנָתָ֣ןye.ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
בְּנ֔וֹbe.Noson hisH1121
מַדּ֜וּעַma.Du.a'why?H4069
לֹא\־lo'-notH3808
בָ֧אva'has he comeH935
בֶן\־ven-[the] son ofH1121
יִשַׁ֛יyi.ShaiJesseH3448
גַּם\־gam-bothH1571
תְּמ֥וֹלte.MolyesterdayH8543
גַּם\־gam-as well asH1571
הַיּ֖וֹםhai.Yomthis dayH3117
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הַלָּֽחֶם\׃ha.La.chemthe foodH3899

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 20:27

  • 1 Samuel 19:15

    And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him.

  • Matthew 13:55

    Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

  • 1 Samuel 25:10

    And Nabal answered David’s servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master.

  • Isaiah 11:1-2

    And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;

  • 1 Samuel 22:7-9

    Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds; That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

  • 1 Samuel 18:11

    And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

  • 1 Peter 2:4

    To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

  • 1 Samuel 19:9-10

    And the evil spirit from the Lord was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand. And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.

  • 1 Samuel 22:13-14

    And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast enquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day? Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Wherefore.
18:11; 19:9,10,15
the son.
22:7-9,13,14; 25:10; Isa 11:1,2; Mt 13:55; 1Pe 2:4

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 20:26

    Nevertheless Saul spake not any thing that day: for he thought, Something hath befallen him, he is not clean; surely he is not clean.

  • 1 Samuel 20:27

    And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday, nor to day?

  • 1 Samuel 20:28

    And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Beth–lehem:

Read all of 1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:27 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
El día siguiente, el segundo día de la nueva luna, aconteció también que el asiento de David estaba vacío. Y Saúl dijo á Jonathán su hijo: ¿Por qué no ha venido á comer el hijo de Isaí hoy ni ayer?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et le lendemain de la nouvelle lune, le second jour, comme la place de David était vide, Saül dit à Jonathan, son fils: Pourquoi le fils d’Isaï n’est-il venu au repas ni hier ni aujourd’hui?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und es geschah am anderen Tage des Neumondes, dem zweiten, als der Platz Davids leer blieb, da sprach Saul zu seinem Sohne Jonathan: Warum ist der Sohn Isais weder gestern noch heute zum Mahle gekommen?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Cumque illuxisset dies secunda post calendas, rursus apparuit vacuus locus David. Dixitque Saul ad Jonathan filium suum: Cur non venit filius Isai nec heri nec hodie ad vescendum?