If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
If your father notices that I'm missing, tell him this: 'David urgently asked me for permission to go to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there's an annual family sacrifice happening there.'
David is asking Jonathan to cover for his absence with a believable excuse about attending a family religious ceremony in his hometown.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs during the tense period when King Saul was becoming increasingly jealous and suspicious of David's popularity and success. David and Jonathan, who were close friends, were devising a plan to test whether Saul truly intended to kill David. Annual family sacrifices were common religious observances in ancient Israel, making this a credible excuse for David's absence from the royal court.
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