1 Samuel 20:26

Contextual Overview

²⁴So David hid in the countryside. ²⁴ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat food. ²⁴ So David hid himself in the field: and when the new moon was come, the king sat him down to eat meat. ²⁴ So David hid himself in the field. When the new moon came, the king was seated at the feast. ²⁴ So David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. ²⁴ So David hid in the field. When the New Moon festival came, the king sat down to eat. ²⁴ So David hid in the field. When the new moon came, the king sat down to eat his meal. ²⁴So David hid in the field; and when the New Moon [festival] came, the king sat down to eat food. ²⁴ So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon came, the king sat down to eat food. ²⁴ So Dauid hid him selfe in the field: and when the first day of the moneth came, the King sate to eate meate.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

he is not clean: Leviticus 7:21, Leviticus 11:24, Leviticus 11:27, Leviticus 11:31, Leviticus 11:40, Leviticus 15:5, Leviticus 15:16, Leviticus 15:17, Leviticus 15:19-21, Numbers 19:16

Reciprocal: Numbers 11:26 - went not out Ecclesiastes 10:13 - beginning Zephaniah 1:7 - bid

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Nevertheless, Saul spake not anything that day,.... About David's absence, took no notice of it, said nothing about it:

for he thought something had befallen him; some impurity, some nocturnal pollution, see Leviticus 15:16;

he [is] not clean, surely he [is] not clean; which he repeated in his mind for the confirmation of it, and in contempt, and to the reproach of David; and in this way he accounted for his absence the first day, and so was easy, it not being lawful and fitting for an unclean person in a ceremonial sense to eat of the peace offerings, which Saul and his family were now partaking of.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

He is not clean - The new moon being a religious feast, and the meat to be eaten being peace-offerings, no one could assist at the feast who had any ceremonial uncleanness upon him (marginal references).