Bible Strands
1 Samuel 20:37
When the boy reached the place where Jonathan’s arrow had fallen, Jonathan called to him, “Isn’t the arrow beyond you?”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Jonathan speaks to the young boy at the field location where the previously shot arrow landed. This moment occurs immediately after the boy arrives at that spot and precedes Jonathan’s final command to flee.
The words — The Hebrew phrase מְק֣וֹם הַ/חֵ֔צִי (me.Kom ha.Che.tzi) literally translates to "the place of the arrow," establishing the precise geographic marker for the coded signal.
The thread — The text states that Jonathan confirms the arrow's position relative to the boy, which directly fulfills the signal protocol outlined in 1 Samuel 20:22. This exchange operates as the agreed-upon indicator that David must depart immediately.
Why it lands — The verse records a tactical confirmation under surveillance, requiring the reader to note how coded signals function when direct communication is dangerous. It demands recognition that the signal's purpose is to trigger immediate departure, not extended discussion.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And when the lad was come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad, and said, Is not the arrow beyond thee?
Cross-references
- 1 Samuel 20:22 But if I say to the young man, ‘Look, the arrows are beyond you,’ then you must go, for the LORD has sent you away.