The Skeptics Annotated Bible (276 page)

9 And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?

10 Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?

11 And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.

12 And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;

13 The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

14 And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:

15 But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

17 And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18 Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

19 And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

20 And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

21 And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.

22 But if I say thus unto the young man, Behold, the arrows are beyond thee; go thy way: for the LORD hath sent thee away.

23 And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

24 So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat.

25 And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.

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.

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?

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

29 And he said, Let me go, I pray thee; for our family hath a sacrifice in the city; and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there: and now, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren. Therefore he cometh not unto the king’s table.

30
Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman
, do not I know that
thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?

(20.30)
“ Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman … thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?”
Saul is angered by his son’s homosexual affair with David and says, “do not I know that thou has chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?”

31 For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

32 And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

33 And
Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him
: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

(20.33)
“Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him.”
Saul is a model for Christian parents that discover that they have a homosexual child: try to kill the child and his or her lover.

34 So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

35 And 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.

36 And 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.

37 And 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?

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.

39 But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

41 And 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.

(20.41a)
“David … fell on his face.”

(20.41b)
“They kissed one another.”
David and Jonathan “kissed one another,” and wept with one another” when they parted for the last time.

42 And 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.

21
Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest
: and Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David,
and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?

(21.1)
“Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest … and said unto him, Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?”
192 What was the priest’s name?
193 Was David alone when he came to Nob?

2 And
David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business
, and hath said unto me, Let no man know any thing of the business whereabout I send thee, and what I have commanded thee: and I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

(21.2)
“David said unto Ahimelech the priest, The king hath commanded me a business.”
David lies to the priest, saying he was on the king’s business (which, of course, he wasn’t), so that he could get food and weapons. His lie got him some holy bread and Goliath’s sword.
86 Is it OK to lie?

3 Now therefore what is under thine hand? give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present.