Commentary - 1 Samuel 23:15-18

Bird's-eye view

This brief encounter in the wilderness of Ziph is one of the most poignant and theologically rich moments in the entire David and Saul narrative. David, the anointed but not yet enthroned king, is at a low point, hunted like a partridge in the mountains. Saul, the rejected king, is in full pursuit, consumed by a murderous and paranoid rage. Into this desperate situation, God sends an astonishing instrument of grace: Jonathan, the son of the man trying to kill David. Jonathan risks his life not simply to offer a word of comfort, but to perform a priestly and kingly ministry to David. He comes to strengthen David's hand in God, reminding him of the divine promise and his certain future. This meeting, their last, culminates in the renewal of their covenant, a profound picture of loyal, self-sacrificial friendship that serves as a type of the believer's relationship to Christ, the true King.

The passage reveals the stark contrast between two sons and two responses to God's anointed. Jonathan, the heir apparent, lays down his crown and his life for David, affirming God's decree. Saul, the reigning king, fights against God's decree with every fiber of his being. This is a story of divine providence, where God uses the most unlikely means to sustain His chosen servant. It is a powerful illustration of what true Christian friendship looks like: actively and intentionally fortifying one another's faith in the promises of God, especially when circumstances are screaming the opposite.

Outline

Context In 1 Samuel

By this point in 1 Samuel, the lines have been drawn irrevocably. God, through Samuel, has rejected Saul as king and has anointed David. David has proven his valor and his heart for God, most notably in his defeat of Goliath, while Saul has descended into a dark spiral of jealousy, fear, and disobedience. This passage comes after David has already been on the run for some time, having fled from Saul's court. He has gathered a band of misfits and outcasts around him, and has been acting as a sort of shadow-government, protecting Israelite towns like Keilah from the Philistines. Yet his good deeds are repaid with betrayal, as the men of Keilah are ready to hand him over to Saul. David is isolated and vulnerable, and immediately after this encouraging meeting with Jonathan, he will be betrayed again by the Ziphites. This encounter is a bright spot of divine light and fellowship in one of David's darkest hours, a necessary provision of grace to sustain him for the trials yet to come.

Key Issues

Strengthening Hands in God

We live in a sentimental age, and so we are tempted to read this as a story about two buddies having a heartfelt chat to boost morale. But that is to shrink it down to almost nothing. The text says that Jonathan "strengthened his hand in God." This is not about positive thinking or emotional support group bromides. This is a robust, theological, and covenantal action. To strengthen someone's hand in God is to take their grip, which is slipping from the sword hilt of faith, and to wrap their fingers back around it, reminding them of its substance and weight. It is to point them away from the swirling, chaotic circumstances and back to the immovable, unchangeable promises of the sovereign God. Jonathan does not say, "Hang in there, buddy, I'm sure things will look up." He says, in effect, "Remember what God has said. God has chosen you. God will protect you. God will make you king. My father knows this, and he is fighting a battle he is guaranteed to lose." This is what true Christian encouragement looks like. It is deeply theological. It is wielding the Word of God as a balm for a wounded soul and a fire in a weary heart.

Verse by Verse Commentary

15 Then David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life. Now David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

The verse begins with the grim, objective reality. This is not paranoia on David's part. The sitting king, with the resources of the state, has taken to the field with one purpose: to kill him. David is a fugitive, living in the wilderness, a harsh and desolate place. The name "Horesh" means "wooded place," suggesting he is in hiding, but his location is known. There is no ambiguity about his situation. From a human point of view, his prospects are bleak. The established authority wants him dead, and he is hiding in the woods.

16 So Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.

Against the backdrop of Saul's murderous intent, the action of his son is breathtaking. Jonathan "arose and went." This was an act of immense courage. He was the heir to the throne, and he secretly went to meet with the state's most wanted man, the very man his father saw as his rival. He was committing what his father would certainly have seen as treason. And for what purpose? To strengthen David's hand in God. He is acting as a priest to David. He sees David's faith wavering under the immense pressure and he comes as God's instrument, a means of grace, to fortify him. He does not strengthen David's hand in his military strategy, or in his political maneuvering, but in his God.

17 And he said to him, “Do not be afraid, because the hand of Saul my father will not find you, and you will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you; and Saul my father knows that also.”

Jonathan's speech is a compact sermon, a declaration of faith. First, the command: "Do not be afraid." This is the constant refrain of God to His people, and Jonathan speaks it on God's behalf. Why? Not because the threat isn't real, but because God's promise is more real. Second, the promise of protection: "the hand of Saul my father will not find you." This is a prophecy. He is certain of David's preservation because he is certain of God's sovereignty. Third, the promise of exaltation: "you will be king over Israel." Jonathan, the man with the human right to the throne, acknowledges God's choice. Then comes the most stunning statement: "and I will be second to you." This is an act of profound, humble submission. He is not jockeying for position. He is joyfully ceding his place to God's anointed, content to serve him. This is the heart of every true believer toward King Jesus. Finally, he reveals the depth of Saul's wickedness: "Saul my father knows that also." Saul is not acting in ignorance. He knows God has chosen David. His rebellion is a high-handed, open-eyed sin against the known will of God.

18 So the two of them cut a covenant before Yahweh; and David stayed at Horesh while Jonathan went to his house.

Their meeting concludes with the most solemn act two men could perform in the ancient world. They "cut a covenant." This was not a mere promise; it was a sacred oath, with God as the witness and enforcer. By renewing this vow, Jonathan was formally binding himself, his house, and his future to David, God's chosen king. It was a political and spiritual act of the highest order. Then comes the melancholy parting. This is the last time they would see each other. David, though strengthened, must remain the fugitive. Jonathan must return to the palace of the mad king, a faithful man in a faithless house, a son loyal to God's future king while still living under the roof of his earthly father. There is a deep pathos in this separation, a picture of the cost of faithfulness in a fallen world.

Application

This passage is a profound lesson for the Church on the nature of true friendship and encouragement. We are all called to be Jonathans to one another. In a world that constantly seeks to wear down our faith, we must be those who will "arise and go" to our brothers and sisters who are in the wilderness of trial and doubt. And when we go, we must not go with empty platitudes. We must go with the Word of God. The only true encouragement is theological encouragement. We must strengthen one another's hands in God, reminding each other of His character, His promises, and His sovereign plan that is working all things for our good.

But the ultimate application is found in how we relate to David's greater Son, the Lord Jesus. Like Jonathan, we must all come to a point where we renounce our own claim to the throne of our lives. We must confess that Jesus is the true, anointed King. We must joyfully say to Him, "You will be king, and I will be second to you." Our loyalty is not to the mad and dying house of this world, represented by Saul, but to the coming King, represented by David. This loyalty may cost us. It may put us at odds with the established powers. But it is the only loyalty that leads to life. We are to cut a covenant with this King, through His blood, and pledge our lives to His service. For He is the ultimate friend, who, while we were in the wilderness of our sin, arose and came to us, not just to strengthen our hand, but to give us a new heart entirely.