What is the meaning of 1 Samuel 20:31? For as long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth • Saul identifies David—“the son of Jesse” (1 Samuel 16:1, 13)—as a present, living threat. • Jealousy has been smoldering since the song “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7–9). • Saul knows the Lord is with David (1 Samuel 18:12; 18:28), and this divine favor exposes Saul’s own spiritual decline (1 Samuel 16:14). • Earlier attempts on David’s life have failed (1 Samuel 19:10; 19:11–12); keeping David “on this earth” means Saul’s throne is never secure. neither you nor your kingdom shall be established • Saul addresses Jonathan, warning that David’s survival blocks Jonathan’s succession. • God had already declared, “The Lord has sought a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) and torn the kingdom from Saul (1 Samuel 15:26–28; 28:17). • Jonathan accepts God’s choice of David in faith and friendship (1 Samuel 23:17), contrasting Saul’s self-preservation with Jonathan’s submission to God’s will. • Saul’s words expose a heart clinging to power instead of repentance (cf. Matthew 16:25; Proverbs 16:18). Now send for him and bring him to me • The king issues a direct order: retrieve David immediately. Similar commands had preceded earlier assassination attempts (1 Samuel 19:15; 23:8). • Jonathan’s loyalty is put to the test: obey his father’s murderous demand or protect God’s anointed friend (1 Samuel 20:32–33). • God repeatedly frustrates Saul’s searches (1 Samuel 23:14; Psalm 59:1), displaying His sovereignty over human schemes (Proverbs 21:30). for he must surely die! • Saul pronounces a death sentence, using emphatic language to justify killing an innocent man (1 Samuel 19:5; 20:32). • The king is acting as judge, jury, and executioner, defying God’s law that condemns shedding innocent blood (Deuteronomy 19:10; Proverbs 6:17). • Saul’s rage foreshadows the unjust trials of later righteous sufferers, culminating in the greater Son of David (Luke 23:22; Acts 3:13-15). summary Saul’s declaration in 1 Samuel 20:31 reveals a heart consumed by self-preservation and rebellion against God’s revealed will. Believing that David’s existence threatens both his dynasty and Jonathan’s future, Saul orders David’s death. Yet every attempt to eliminate David only highlights the Lord’s faithfulness to His promise: the kingdom is moving to the man after His own heart. Jonathan recognizes this truth; Saul resists it. The verse therefore underscores God’s sovereignty over kings, the futility of opposing His purposes, and the certainty that His chosen ruler will be established despite human opposition. |
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