A marked man, David knew that his life lied in the balance. Sworn enemy King Saul made that patently clear time after time. Indeed, there had been harrowingly, close calls. Here in Samuel 20, we read more about Saul’s animus toward David. Royal vitriol is recorded in the middle of our chapter, bookended on both sides by two prescient conversations between David and Jonathan.
“And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan:
What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before your father,
that he seeks my life?”
Here, we’ll focus on realpolitik, as Abravanel’s reading of the text shows. Specifically, Abravanel
shares his understanding of monarchies, so far as succession in concerned. How does
succession typically play out? In atypical cases, what happens when an heir apparent doesn’t
ascend to the throne?
After Saul’s efforts to slay David, in Samuel 19, David ran to inform Samuel about King Saul’s
machinations. David found Samuel in Naioth. So did Saul. Once the king reached Naioth, his hot
pursued of David paused, permitting David to escape Saul’s clutches.
Our chapter says that David made a beeline to his confidante, Jonathan, King Saul’s son. Both men renewed pledges made to each other earlier, concerning their covenant. Jonathan blessed David, saying: “and the LORD be with you, as He has been with my father.” Abravanel understands the blessing to imply that Jonathan knew that David would succeed Saul and reign over the Hebrews, just as Saul had first been anointed to do. But then, Jonathan added a macabre caveat: “And you shall not only while yet I live…” It means that Jonathan did not want to be alive and witness David’s coronation; he wasn’t. Were Jonathan to be alive on the day of David’s assumption of the crown, it would be tantamount to a slap in Jonathan’s face, a stinging one at that.
Jonathan said more. “And you shall not only while yet I live show me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not.” David heard that Jonathan didn’t want to be in a position to need David’s – King David’s – favors. Abravanel explains that Jonathan understood realpolitik. Namely, should a son not succeed his father to the throne, and another man claims the crown, that new and outsider king’s first order of business would be to liquidate the heir apparent. Jonathan didn’t want David’s protection from that fate. Rather he preferred death and not to live to see that dark, dismal, and disgraceful day.
Jonathan, however, did elicit other favors from David – for his family. “But also you shall not cut off your kindness from my house for ever…” Jonathan beseeched David for the safety of his descendants. For Abravanel, Jonathan’s plea for his family went deeper. That is, Jonathan understood that David, as king, would have his hands tied for a while. Wars against enemies would be waged etc. Jonathan believed that, in time, David would emerge victorious over all of his foes. Nonetheless, God would shower peace upon the Holy Land. Even then, Jonathan wanted David’s firm commitment for his descendants. “No, not even when the LORD has cut off the enemies of David each one from the face of the earth.”
Promise made; promise kept. In peace as in war, King David would support Jonathan’s family.
”And David said: Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?” (II Samuel 9).