When you have stayed three days, hurry down to the place you hid on the day this trouble began, and remain beside the stone Ezel.
Here, I. Jonathan protests his fidelity to David in his distress. Notwithstanding the strong confidence David had in Jonathan, yet, because he might have some reason to fear that his father's influence, and his own interest, should make him warp, or grow cool towards him, Jonathan thought it requisite solemnly to renew the professions of his friendship to him (Sa1 20:9): "Far be it from...
Commenting on 1 Samuel 20:9-23
And when thou hast stayed three days,.... From court, either at Bethlehem, which seems most probable, or in some other place incognito; however, not in the field he proposed to hide himself in, where he could not continue so long for want of food: then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself; which makes it clear that...
when thou hast stayed three days--either with your family at Beth-lehem, or wherever you find it convenient. come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand--Hebrew, "in the day," or "time of the business," when the same matter was under inquiry formerly (Sa1 19:22). remain by the stone Ezel--Hebrew, "the stone of the way"; a sort of milestone which directed travellers.