שמואל א 20:41

Hebrew Modern Translation

הנער בא ודוד קם מאצל הנגב ויפל לאפיו ארצה וישתחו שלש פעמים וישקו איש את רעהו ויבכו איש את רעהו עד דוד הגדיל׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
הנער בא ודוד קם מאצל הנגב ויפל לאפיו ארצה וישתחו שלש פעמים וישקו איש את רעהו ויבכו איש את רעהו עד דוד הגדיל

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
הַנַּעַר֮ בָּא֒ וְדָוִ֗ד קָ֚ם מֵאֵ֣צֶל הַנֶּ֔גֶב וַיִּפֹּ֨ל לְאַפָּ֥יו אַ֛רְצָה וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ פְּעָמִ֑ים וַֽיִּשְּׁק֣וּ ׀ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֗הוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵ֔הוּ עַד־דָּוִ֖ד הִגְדִּֽיל ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
הַנַּעַר בָּא וְדָוִד קָם מֵאֵצֶל הַנֶּגֶב וַיִּפֹּל לְאַפָּיו אַרְצָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים וַֽיִּשְּׁקוּ ׀ אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ וַיִּבְכּוּ אִישׁ אֶת־רֵעֵהוּ עַד־דָּוִד הִגְדִּֽיל ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and fell: 1 Samuel 25:23, Genesis 43:28, 2 Samuel 9:6

and they kissed: 1 Samuel 10:1, Genesis 29:11, Genesis 29:13, Genesis 45:15, 2 Samuel 19:39, Acts 20:37

David exceeded: 1 Samuel 18:3, 2 Samuel 1:26

Reciprocal: 1 Samuel 24:8 - David stooped 2 Samuel 14:4 - fell on her 1 Kings 1:16 - bowed 1 Kings 18:7 - fell on Acts 20:1 - embraced Acts 21:1 - we were

Gill's Notes on the Bible

[And] as soon as the lad was gone,.... Which David could observe from his lurking place:

David arose out of [a place] toward the south; to the south of the field in which he was hid, or to the south of the stone Ezel, near which he was; and so the Targum,

"and David arose from the side of the stone Atha, which was towards the south;''

Jonathan shooting his arrows to the north of it, lest the lad should have discovered David when he ran for them: and fell on his face to the ground; in reverence of Jonathan, as the son of a king, and in respect to him as his friend, who had so faithfully served him, and was so concerned to save his life:

and bowed himself three times: this was before he fell prostrate on the ground. Abarbinel observes, that bowing three; times was fit and proper to be done to a king; once at the place from whence they first see him, the second time in the middle of the way to him, and the third time when come to him; but though this may have been a custom in more modern times, it is a question whether it obtained so early; however it is certain bowing was as ancient, and therefore Xenophon z is mistaken in ascribing it to Cyrus as the first introducer of this custom; and be it that he was the first that began it among the Persians, it was in use with others before, as this behaviour of David shows:

and they kissed one another; as friends about to part:

and wept one with another: as not knowing whether they should ever see each other's face any more:

until David exceeded; in weeping more than Jonathan; he having more to part with, not only him his dear friend, but his wife and family, and other dear friends and people of God, and especially the sanctuary and service of God, which of all things lay nearest his heart, and most distressed him; see 1 Samuel 26:19; and many of his psalms on this occasion. Ben Gersom suggests that he wept more than was meet, through too much fear of Saul; but that seems not to be the case.

z Cyropaedia, l. 8. c. 23.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A place toward the south - An unintelligible description; one expects a repetition of the description of David’s hiding-place in 1 Samuel 20:19. The Septuagint in both places has “argab,” a word meaning a “heap of stones.” If this be the true reading, David’s hiding-place was either a natural cavernous rock which was called “Argab,” or some ruin of an ancient building, equally suited for a hiding-place.

Bowed himself three times - In token, doubtless, of his unshaken loyalty to Jonathan as the son of his king, as well as his friend; and in acknowledgment of Jonathan’s power to kill him if he saw fit. (Compare Genesis 33:3).

David exceeded - His affection for Jonathan, coupled with his sense of Saul’s injustice and his own injured innocence, fully accounts for his strong emotion.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 20:41. Until David exceeded. — David's distress must, in the nature of things, be the greatest. Besides his friend Jonathan, whom he was now about to lose for ever, he lost his wife, relatives, country; and, what was most afflictive, the altars of his God, and the ordinances of religion.

Saul saw David's growing popularity, and was convinced of his own maladministration. He did not humble himself before God, and therefore became a prey to envy, pride, jealousy, cruelty, and every other malevolent temper. From him David had every thing to fear, and therefore he thought it was safer to yield to the storm, than attempt to brave it; though he could have even raised a very powerful party in Israel, had he used the means which were so much in his power. But as he neither sought not affected the kingdom, he left it to the providence of God to bring him in by such means, at such a way, and in such a time, as was most suited to his godly wisdom. He that believeth shall not make haste: God's way and time are ever the best; and he who, even in God's way, runs before he is sent, runs at random; runs without light, and without Divine strength. Feeble, therefore, must be his own might, his own counsel, and his own wisdom: though he encompass himself with his own sparks yet this hath he at the Lord's hand - he shalt lie down in sorrow.