Sarah
This story takes place right after David escaped from Naioth in Ramah.
David had been running for his life. He looked exhausted, as if he had run so fast his shoes were about to fly off. Panting, he finally found his best friend—Jonathan.
The moment they met, David looked completely frustrated.
“Brother, you tell me—what did I even do? What law did I break? Did I steal your family’s chickens? Did I shave your sheep? Why is your father so determined to kill me?”
Jonathan immediately shook his head like a rattle.
“No way! Absolutely not! If my father really wanted to get rid of you, I’d know about it. He tells me everything—big things, small things—nothing is hidden from me.”
David smiled bitterly.
“My friend… you’re too trusting.
Your father knows we’re close. If he told you his real plan, it would break your heart. That’s why he’s keeping it from you.
Let me tell you the truth from the bottom of my heart—
I’m only one step away from death.”
Seeing David’s serious expression, Jonathan realized he wasn’t joking.
“Alright,” Jonathan said. “Tell me what you want me to do, and I’ll do it.”
David explained,
“Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival. By tradition, I’m supposed to eat with the king.
But I can’t go.
If your father asks where I am, tell him I went home to Bethlehem because my family is offering the annual sacrifice.
If your father says, ‘That’s fine,’ then I’m probably safe.
But if he blows up…
Then we’ll know he’s truly determined to kill me.”
Jonathan nodded.
“Deal.”
Then the two friends renewed their covenant before the Lord.
Jonathan placed his hand on David’s shoulder and said,
“God is our witness today.
No matter who becomes king…
No matter who becomes successful…
Let’s never forget this friendship.”
To stay safe, they even came up with a secret code.
Jonathan said,
“On the third day, hide behind the rock and don’t come out.
I’ll bring a young servant and shoot some arrows.
If I shout,
‘The arrows are beside you!’
That means—
You’re safe. Come back.
But if I shout,
‘The arrows are beyond you!’
That means—
Brother… run.
Run as far as you can.
We won’t be able to meet.”
David nodded.
“I understand.”
The next day, King Saul sat down for dinner.
Everyone took their seats.
Saul looked around.
“Hmm?
Where’s David?”
The first day, he didn’t say anything.
He thought,
“Maybe he’s ceremonially unclean today.”
But the second day…
David’s seat was still empty.
Saul asked Jonathan,
“Why hasn’t Jesse’s son come to dinner?”
Jonathan gave the answer they had agreed upon.
“He went back to Bethlehem because his family is offering the annual sacrifice.”
The moment those words left Jonathan’s mouth…
Saul exploded.
He turned to his son and shouted,
“You foolish boy!
Have you lost your mind?
Why are you always taking David’s side?
As long as he’s alive,
You’ll never become king!
Go bring him here!
He deserves to die!”
Jonathan still tried to defend his friend.
“Father…
What has he done?
Why does he deserve to die?”
That question pushed Saul completely over the edge.
Whoosh!
A spear came flying through the air.
This wasn’t meant to scare him.
Saul was trying to kill his own son.
Jonathan jumped aside just in time.
Bang!
The spear slammed into the wall.
At that moment Jonathan knew.
“My father has completely made up his mind.
If he’s willing to throw a spear at me…
David is in even greater danger.”
Early the third morning,
Jonathan went out to the field just as they had planned.
He brought along a young servant who had no idea what was happening.
Jonathan shot an arrow far away.
Then he shouted loudly,
“Hurry!
Isn’t the arrow farther ahead?
Go get it!
Don’t waste any time!”
The servant was puzzled.
“Why is my master yelling so loudly today?”
He had no idea…
Jonathan wasn’t really talking to him.
He was sending a message to David.
After the servant returned to the city with the arrows,
the field became quiet.
Slowly, David stepped out from behind the rock.
The moment he came out,
he bowed to the ground three times before Jonathan.
The two friends walked toward each other.
Neither of them spoke.
First they embraced.
Then they kissed each other as brothers.
Suddenly…
Neither of them could hold back the tears anymore.
These two grown men wept openly.
David cried even harder.
Because he knew…
This goodbye might be the last one.
Jonathan fought back his tears and said,
“My brother…
Go in peace.
Don’t look back.
The covenant we made today isn’t just empty words.
May the Lord remain between you and me,
and between our descendants forever.
No matter what happens…
We’ll always be brothers.”
David nodded,
wiped away his tears,
and walked away.
Jonathan stood there,
watching his friend disappear into the distance.
One returned to the palace.
The other began a life of exile.
From that day on,
their paths went in completely different directions.
If you ask which friendship in the book of 1 Samuel is the most moving,
this one has to be near the top.
One man would become Israel’s future king.
The other was the rightful heir to the throne.
From a human perspective,
they should have become rivals.
Instead,
Jonathan willingly gave up his own future to protect his friend.
David, even while fleeing for his life,
never stopped respecting Jonathan or Saul,
and never allowed hatred to replace his reverence for God.
Their friendship wasn’t built on power or personal gain.
It was built on faith in God,
trust,
sacrifice,
and a covenant before the Lord.
That’s why, even today,
when people talk about true friendship,
David and Jonathan are among the first names that come to mind.
Now that’s the kind of brotherhood that warms people’s hearts in every generation.
《撒母耳记上》第20章
这事儿，发生在大卫刚从拉玛逃出来的时候。
大卫一路跑得那叫一个狼狈，鞋都快跑飞了，气喘吁吁地找到自己的铁哥们——约拿单。
一见面，大卫就一脸委屈：
“老弟啊，你评评理！我到底干啥了？我犯啥法了？我偷他家鸡了？还是薅他家羊毛了？你爸咋非整死我不可呢？”
约拿单一听，脑袋摇得跟拨浪鼓似的：
“不能啊！绝对不能！我爸要是真想办你，我还能不知道？他啥事儿都跟我说，大事小情，一点都不瞒我。”
大卫苦笑着说：
“兄弟，你还是太年轻了。
你爸知道咱俩关系铁，他要是真告诉你，你肯定难受。所以他故意瞒着你。
我跟你说句掏心窝子的话——
我离死，也就一步远。”
约拿单一看，大卫不像开玩笑，脸色也严肃起来：
“行，那你说咋整，我全听你的。”
大卫说：
“明天不是初一嘛，按规矩，我得陪国王吃饭。
但是我不能去。
你就跟你爸说，我请假回老家伯利恒了，因为全家献祭去了。
如果你爸说：
‘嗯，去吧。’
那说明还有缓儿。
要是他当场炸毛……
那就证明，他是真想要我命。”
约拿单点点头：
“妥！”
随后，两个人又来到耶和华面前立约。
约拿单拍着胸脯说：
“咱哥俩今天说的话，上帝作证。
以后不管谁当王，不管谁发达，都不能忘了今天这份情。”
为了安全起见，两个人还设计了一套“地下接头暗号”。
约拿单说：
“第三天，你就在石头后边猫着，千万别出来。
我带个小孩出来射箭。
如果我喊：
‘箭就在你旁边！’
那意思就是——
安全，回来吧！
可要是我喊：
‘箭在前头！’
那意思就是——
兄弟，赶紧跑！跑得越远越好！
咱就不能见面了。”
大卫点点头：
“明白。”
第二天，国王扫罗开始吃饭。
大伙儿都坐好了。
扫罗一瞅：
“嗯？大卫呢？”
第一天，他没吱声。
心想：
“可能碰着啥事儿，不洁净，不能来。”
第二天再一看：
“嘿？还没来？”
于是他问约拿单：
“那个耶西家的小子咋没来？”
约拿单按照之前商量好的回答：
“他回伯利恒了，全家献祭去了。”
这句话刚落地。
扫罗“噌”一下就火了！
他冲着儿子就开骂：
“你个糊涂玩意儿！
你是不是傻？
你咋净帮着大卫呢？
只要那小子还活着，
将来还有你当王的份儿吗？
赶紧把他抓回来！
今天必须弄死！”
约拿单还想替朋友说句话：
“爸，他到底犯啥罪了？
你为啥非杀他不可啊？”
谁知道这句话，直接把扫罗最后一点理智给整没了。
只听“嗖——”
一杆长枪飞了过来！
好家伙！
这不是吓唬人，
是真扎啊！
约拿单赶紧一闪。
枪“咣”一声扎到墙上。
约拿单心里一下全明白了：
“坏了。
我爸是真疯了。
他连亲儿子都敢扎，
那大卫肯定更危险。”
第三天一大早。
约拿单按约定来到田野。
旁边带着一个啥也不知道的小跟班。
约拿单把箭往远处一射。
故意冲着童子大喊：
“快点！
箭不是在前头吗？
快去捡！
别磨蹭！”
童子还纳闷：
“今天主人咋这么大嗓门？”
他哪知道，
这哪是在喊自己，
这是在给大卫传信。
等童子拿着箭回城以后。
田野终于安静下来。
大卫慢慢从石头后边走出来。
一出来，
扑通一下跪在地上，
朝约拿单拜了三拜。
两个人走到一起，
啥话都没说。
先抱一下。
又互相亲嘴。
随后，
眼泪一下子就止不住了。
两个大老爷们，
哭得稀里哗啦。
尤其是大卫，
哭得更厉害。
因为他知道，
这一别，
不知道啥时候还能再见。
也许，
就是永别。
约拿单强忍着眼泪，对大卫说：
“兄弟，走吧。
平平安安地走。
别回头。
咱哥俩今天立的约，
不是嘴上说说。
愿耶和华永远在你我中间，
也在咱们的后代中间作证。
无论以后发生啥，
咱永远都是兄弟。”
大卫点点头，
擦了擦眼泪，
转身离开。
约拿单望着他的背影，
一直站在那里，
直到再也看不见。
一个回了王宫。
一个踏上了逃亡的路。
从此以后，
他们的人生，
走向了完全不同的方向。
要说《撒母耳记上》里最让人感动的一段兄弟情，这绝对排得上号。
一个是未来要当王的人。
一个是本来最有资格当王的人。
按人的想法，这俩应该互相提防、争得头破血流。
可偏偏没有。
约拿单宁可放下自己的王位，也要保护朋友；
大卫即使一路逃亡，也始终敬重约拿单和扫罗，没有因仇恨失去敬畏神的心。
这份友情，不是建立在利益上，而是建立在敬畏神、彼此信任和舍己相爱的约上。
所以直到今天，人们一提到真正的朋友，很多人都会想到大卫和约拿单。
这儿情义，放在哪个年代，都让人心里暖乎乎的。