1 Samuel 20:25
New International Version
He sat in his customary place by the wall, opposite Jonathan, and Abner sat next to Saul, but David’s place was empty.

New Living Translation
He sat at his usual place against the wall, with Jonathan sitting opposite him and Abner beside him. But David’s place was empty.

English Standard Version
The king sat on his seat, as at other times, on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

Berean Standard Bible
He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.

King James Bible
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

New King James Version
Now the king sat on his seat, as at other times, on a seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

New American Standard Bible
Now the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan stood up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side; but David’s place was empty.

NASB 1995
The king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

NASB 1977
And the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

Legacy Standard Bible
And the king sat on his seat as usual, the seat by the wall; then Jonathan rose up, and Abner sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was missing.

Amplified Bible
The king sat on his seat as on previous occasions, on his seat by the wall; then Jonathan stood up, and Abner [his commander] sat down by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

Christian Standard Bible
He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David’s place was empty.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He sat at his usual place on the seat by the wall. Jonathan sat facing him and Abner took his place beside Saul, but David’s place was empty.

American Standard Version
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the King reclined on his couch as at all times on the side of the wall, and Jonathan stood and he reclined and Abnir was at the side of Shaul, and the place of David was empty

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And he sat upon his seat as in former times, even on his seat by the wall, and he went before Jonathan; and Abenner sat on one side of Saul, and the place of David was empty.

Contemporary English Version
by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And when the king sat down upon his chair (according to custom) which was beside the wall, Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place appeared empty.

English Revised Version
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He sat in his usual seat by the wall, while Jonathan stood. Abner sat beside Saul, but David's place was empty.

Good News Translation
and sat in his usual place by the wall. Abner sat next to him, and Jonathan sat across the table from him. David's place was empty,

International Standard Version
The king sat down at his place as before, in the seat by the wall. Jonathan stood while Abner sat next to Saul, but David's place was empty.

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul's side; but David's place was empty.

Literal Standard Version
and the king sits on his seat, as time by time, on a seat by the wall, and Jonathan rises, and Abner sits at the side of Saul, and David’s place is looked after.

Majority Standard Bible
He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty.

New American Bible
he took his usual place against the wall. Jonathan sat facing him, while Abner sat at the king’s side. David’s place was vacant.

NET Bible
The king sat down in his usual place by the wall, with Jonathan opposite him and Abner at his side. But David's place was vacant.

New Revised Standard Version
The king sat upon his seat, as at other times, upon the seat by the wall. Jonathan stood, while Abner sat by Saul’s side; but David’s place was empty.

New Heart English Bible
The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan sat opposite, and Abner sat by Saul's side: but David's place was empty.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

World English Bible
The king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on the seat by the wall; and Jonathan stood up, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, but David’s place was empty.

Young's Literal Translation
and the king sitteth on his seat, as time by time, on a seat by the wall, and Jonathan riseth, and Abner sitteth at the side of Saul, and David's place is looked after.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonathan and David Renew Their Covenant
24So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat. 25He sat in his usual place by the wall, opposite Jonathan and beside Abner, but David’s place was empty. 26Saul said nothing that day because he thought, “Something has happened to David to make him ceremonially unclean—surely he is unclean.”…

Cross References
1 Samuel 20:18
Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the New Moon, and you will be missed if your seat is empty.

1 Samuel 20:24
So David hid in the field, and when the New Moon had come, the king sat down to eat.


Treasury of Scripture

And the king sat on his seat, as at other times, even on a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

as at other times

Judges 16:20
And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him.

Jump to Previous
Abner Customary David's Empty Jonathan Opposite Riseth Rose Sat Saul Saul's Seat Seated Side Sitteth Stood Time Times Usual Wall
Jump to Next
Abner Customary David's Empty Jonathan Opposite Riseth Rose Sat Saul Saul's Seat Seated Side Sitteth Stood Time Times Usual Wall
1 Samuel 20
1. David consults with Jonathan for his safety
11. Jonathan and David renew their covenant by oath
18. Jonathan's token to David
23. Saul, missing David, seeks to kill Jonathan
35. Jonathan affectionately takes his leave of David














(25) David's place was empty.--All took place as the two friends had calculated. Saul's seat was by the wall--then, as now, in the East the highest place of honour was opposite the door. The exact meaning of the phrase, "and Jonathan arose," has been disputed. The LXX. translate here from a different text thus: "He (Saul) went before Jonathan." Keil speaks of this, however, as "the senseless rendering of the Greek Version." The sense in which this difficult passage is understood by Abarbanel and Rashi seems on the whole the best. Understanding that Jonathan had already seated himself after Saul, and that David's absence was observed, "he (Jonathan) arose and seated Abner at Saul's side," that is, in the place left vacant by David's absence, in order that the seat next to Saul might not be empty, he himself having taken the seat on the other side of Saul. This rendering considers vayeshev as causative, a verb in the Hipnil conjugation, written defectively, as in 2Chronicles 10:2; so Lange, who also quotes Kitto as suggesting an explanation of Saul's expecting David's presence at all at the new moon feast. David, after the strange events at Naioth by Ramah, would suppose (so the king thought) that Saul's feelings towards him had undergone a complete change, and that now, after the ecstasy into which Saul had fallen, he would be once more friendly with him as aforetime.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He
הַ֠מֶּלֶךְ (ham·me·leḵ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4428: A king

sat
וַיֵּ֣שֶׁב (way·yê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

his usual
כְּפַ֣עַם ׀ (kə·p̄a·‘am)
Preposition-k | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 6471: A beat, foot, anvil, occurrence

place
מ֨וֹשָׁב֜וֹ (mō·wō·šā·ḇōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 4186: A seat, assembly, dwelling place, dwelling, dwellers

by the wall,
הַקִּ֔יר (haq·qîr)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 7023: A wall

opposite
וַיָּ֙קָם֙ (way·yā·qām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

Jonathan
יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן (yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3083: Jonathan -- 'the LORD has given', the name of a number of Israelites

and
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב (way·yê·šeḇ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

beside
מִצַּ֣ד (miṣ·ṣaḏ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6654: A side, an adversary

Abner,
אַבְנֵ֖ר (’aḇ·nêr)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 74: Abner -- 'my father is a lamp', an Israelite name

but David’s
דָּוִֽד׃ (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

place
מְק֥וֹם (mə·qō·wm)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition

was empty.
וַיִּפָּקֵ֖ד (way·yip·pā·qêḏ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6485: To visit, to oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit


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OT History: 1 Samuel 20:25 The king sat on his seat as (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 20:24
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