1 Samuel 20:21
And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth. And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the LORD liveth.
After David killed Goliath, Saul kept him with him and would not let him return to his father's house. At that time Jonathan's soul became closely bound to David in love, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. The two made a covenant to be united as brethren, and Jonathan gave David his robe and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle. Although entrusted with important responsibilities, David remained modest and won the affection of the people as well as of the royal household.
The arrows on this side were the secret sign Jonathan and David arranged to reveal whether Saul intended peace or murder. Conscious of his innocence yet convinced that only a step separated him from death, David dared not attend the new moon festival at the king's table. He would go to Bethlehem for his family's sacrifice and then hide three days in a field near the banqueting hall while Jonathan watched Saul. Jonathan would excuse David's absence as a trip home for the family sacrifice. If Saul answered, It is well, with no angry demonstration, the arrows being on this side meant peace and that David could safely return to court, while rage at his absence decided that David must flee for his life.
The arrangement belongs to the account of Jonathan's loyal friendship with David and God's providence in preserving David's life from Saul. Jonathan's bond with David remained unbroken until their deaths, and God used Jonathan to protect David. The hardship taught David to trust fully in God and prepared him to rule Israel.