David and Jonathan devise a test to confirm Saul's intentions during the New Moon festival. When David's absence from the royal table enrages Saul, who hurls a spear at his own son while calling Jonathan's mother a "perverse and rebellious woman," Jonathan recognizes his father's determined hostility toward David. Through a prearranged arrow signal, Jonathan warns David to flee. The friends part with passionate weeping and a reaffirmation of their covenant that would extend to their descendants. This chapter poignantly portrays the cost of integrity when loyalties conflict, while demonstrating how covenant commitment transcends political expediency—foreshadowing how Jesus would later call disciples to prioritize kingdom allegiance over family ties when these came into conflict.