Jonathan's Covenant and the New Moon

"What have I done?… there is but a step between me and death." Jonathan: "Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee." "To morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself." They make a covenant: Jonathan asks that David show kindness to his house "for ever," even when the LORD has cut off David's enemies.

At the feast David's place is empty. On the second day Jonathan explains he went to Bethlehem. "Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman… as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom." "Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?" Saul hurls a javelin at Jonathan.

In the morning Jonathan shoots arrows and calls to the boy, "Is not the arrow beyond thee?" the agreed signal. David comes out, bows three times; "they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded." "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever."

The new moon

The new moon was a sacred feast with sacrifices (Numbers 10:10; 28:11–15; Amos 8:5), here a two-day royal meal. Ritual purity was required (20:26). Month-start festivals are known across the ancient Near East, including at Ugarit and in Mesopotamia.

A covenant across generations

Jonathan asks for ḥesed to his descendants. David keeps it by bringing Jonathan's son Mephibosheth to his table (2 Samuel 9) and sparing him (2 Samuel 21:7). Covenants in the ancient world often bound heirs.