Samuel spends most of these chapters trying to find different ways to kill David, and no one seems to remember from one day to the next that this is his plan. They don’t even pay attention to his rants. In this quote, Jonathan is trying to figure out if Saul wants to kill David. Here is Saul mid-rant:

“As long as the son of Jesse [David] lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!” “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?” Jonathan asked his father. But Saul hurled his spear at him to kill him. Then Jonathan knew that his father intended to kill David. (1 Samuel 20:31-33 NIV)

Jonathan didn’t know until Saul hurled the spear. That is after two other times that he threw his spear at David, hired assassins, sent him underarmed against the Philistines, and generally acting against his interests.

Earlier, David is betrothed to Saul’s daughter, Merab, but while David is out fighting, Saul gives her to someone else. But he has another daughter, Merab, whom David loves, and who loves David, which makes Saul happy. Why is he happy? I thought he hated David?

But he’s willing to give David his younger daughter. He just has a special dowry request.

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife. (1 Samuel 18:25, 27 KJV)

These stories make no sense. The Lord wants to replace Saul with David, but only tells Samuel, and doesn’t do anything about it. Saul hates David so much that he sometimes tries to spear him. But he’s happy to give his daughter to him. David and Jonathan are never quite certain if Saul wants to kill David, in spite of all the signs, like:

Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. (1 Samuel 19:1, 2 NIV)

Then two more chapters of dithering.

Next: 1 Samuel 21-24