And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

But David fled from Najoth, which is in Ramatha, and came and said to Jonathan: What have I done? what is my iniquity, and what is my sin against thy father, that he seeketh my life?

And David fleeth from Naioth in Ramah, and cometh, and saith before Jonathan, 'What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what my sin before thy father, that he is seeking my life?'

And David went in flight from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and said, What have I done? What is my crime and my sin against your father that he is attempting to take my life?

Then David fled from the dwellings at Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, 'What have I done? What is my iniquity? What is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?'

Then David fled from Naioth, which is in Ramah, and he went and said before Jonathan: "What have I done? What is my iniquity, or what is my sin, against your father, so that he would seek my life?"

While Saul was under the constraining influence of the spirit of prophecy, David escaped from Naioth, and, probably by Samuel's advice, returned to Saul's court to commune with Jonathan. Nothing could be a better evidence of his innocence than thus putting himself in Jonathan's power. Perhaps something passed between Samuel and Saul on the subject, since it appears from 1-Samuel 20:5, 1-Samuel 20:25, 1-Samuel 20:27, that Saul expected David at the feast of the new moon.

David fled from Naioth - On hearing that Saul had come to that place, knowing that he was no longer in safety, he fled for his life.

And David (a) fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what [is] mine iniquity? and what [is] my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
(a) For Saul was detained, and prophesied a day and a night by God's providence, that David might have time to escape.

And David fled from Naioth in Ramah,.... While Saul was prophesying, or lay in a trance there:
and came; to Gibeah, where Saul dwelt, and had his palace, and kept his court:
and said before Jonathan; whom he found there, and for whose sake he thither fled to have his advice, and to use his interest with his father, and be his friend at court:
what have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? surely, as if he should say, I must have been guilty of some very great crime, and yet I am not sensible of it; canst thou tell me what it is that has so provoked thy father, that nothing will satisfy him but the taking away of my life, which he seeks to do?

The trials David met with, prepared him for future advancement. Thus the Lord deals with those whom he prepares unto glory. He does not put them into immediate possession of the kingdom, but leads them to it through much tribulation, which he makes the means of fitting them for it. Let them not murmur at his gracious appointment, nor distrust his care; but let them look forward with joyful expectation to the crown which is laid up for them. Sometimes it appears to us that there is but a step between us and death; at all times it may be so, and we should prepare for the event. But though dangers appear most threatening, we cannot die till the purpose of God concerning us is accomplished; nor till we have served our generation according to his will, if we are believers. Jonathan generously offers David his services. This is true friendship. Thus Christ testifies his love to us, Ask, and it shall be done for you; and we must testify our love to him, by keeping his commandments.

DAVID CONSULTS WITH JONATHAN FOR HIS SAFETY. (1-Samuel 20:1-10)
David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan--He could not remain in Naioth, for he had strong reason to fear that when the religious fit, if we may so call it, was over, Saul would relapse into his usual fell and sanguinary temper. It may be thought that David acted imprudently in directing his flight to Gibeah. But he was evidently prompted to go thither by the most generous feelings--to inform his friend of what had recently occurred, and to obtain that friend's sanction to the course he was compelled to adopt. Jonathan could not be persuaded there was any real danger after the oath his father had taken; at all events, he felt assured his father would do nothing without telling him. Filial attachment naturally blinded the prince to defects in the parental character and made him reluctant to believe his father capable of such atrocity. David repeated his unshaken convictions of Saul's murderous purpose, but in terms delicately chosen (1-Samuel 20:3), not to wound the filial feelings of his friend; while Jonathan, clinging, it would seem, to a hope that the extraordinary scene enacted at Naioth might have wrought a sanctified improvement on Saul's temper and feelings, undertook to inform David of the result of his observations at home.

After the occurrence which had taken place at Naioth, David fled thence and met with Jonathan, to whom he poured out his heart.
(Note: According to Ewald and Thenius, this chapter was not written by the author of the previous one, but was borrowed from an earlier source, and 1-Samuel 20:1 was inserted by the compiler to connect the two together. But the principal reason for this conjecture - namely, that David could never have thought of sitting at the royal table again after what had taken place, and that Saul would still less have expected him to come - is overthrown by the simple suggestion, that all that Saul had hitherto attempted against David, according to 1-Samuel 19:8., had been done in fits of insanity (cf. 1-Samuel 19:9.), which had passed away again; so that it formed no criterion by which to judge of Saul's actual feelings towards David when he was in a state of mental sanity.)
Though he had been delivered for the moment from the death which threatened him, through the marvellous influence of the divine inspiration of the prophets upon Saul and his messengers, he could not find in this any lasting protection from the plots of his mortal enemy. He therefore sought for his friend Jonathan, and complained to him, "What have I done? what is my crime, my sin before thy father, that he seeks my life?"