1 Samuel 20:36
“He said to his boy, “Run, find now the arrows which I shoot.” As the boy ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.”
What does 1 Samuel 20:36 mean?
Jonathan and his young servant had devised a secret signal: if Jonathan shot arrows beyond where the boy would retrieve them, it would mean David wasn't safe to return. In this moment, Jonathan is acting out that coded message, shooting an arrow intentionally far to communicate the dangerous truth to David, who was hidden nearby watching. What looks like a simple instruction to the boy is actually a heartbreaking act of loyalty, as Jonathan chooses to warn his best friend even though it means defying his father King Saul. The arrow becomes the physical language of a friendship that transcends family loyalty, spoken in a way only David would understand.