1 Samuel 20:30

SAUL VIOLENTLY ANGRY WITH DAVID AND JONATHAN

"Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse lives upon the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and fetch him to me, for he shall surely die." Then Jonathan answered Saul his father, "Why should he be put to death? What has he done"? But Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to put David to death. And Jonathan rose from the table in fierce anger and ate no food the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had disgraced him."

"You son of a perverse and rebellious woman" (1 Samuel 20:30) This vile slur cast upon Jonathan was the ancient equivalent of the vulgar present-day insult, "You son-of-a-bitch." "These words possibly meant that Jonathan was born of a prostitute."[11] From the most ancient times, it has been customary to revile a person by slandering or belittling his ancestors. It became perfectly clear to all present, when Saul thus addressed Jonathan, that Saul would not only kill David if possible, but anyone else who stood between him and the achievement of his fiendish purpose.

"The shame of your mother's nakedness" (1 Samuel 20:30). In these words, Saul recognized the prevalent Oriental custom of those times that gave all of a deposed king's wives and concubines to his successor. Saul meant by this that Jonathan's mother, "Would become the wife of the new king."[12] Second Samuel has this statement from the prophet Nathan in his rebuke of David for his adultery with Bathsheba and his murder of her husband:

"Thus saith the Lord ... I anointed you king ... I delivered you from Saul ... I gave you your masters house ... and your master's wives into your bosom ..." (2 Samuel 12:8).

"Neither you nor your kingdom shall be established" (1 Samuel 20:31). From this it is clear that Saul did not believe the word of the prophet Samuel who had told him long previously that his kingdom would not continue. In this unbelief of God's prophet, the sin of Saul was approaching its climax. He was in this purpose the avowed enemy, not only of David, but of God Himself. He would continue to be king, so he thought, in spite of the will of God; and here it appears that he expected Jonathan to succeed him and continue his dynasty.