And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.
The king sat upon his seat, as at other times ... by the wall. The left-hand grainer at the at the upper end of a room was, and still is, in the East, the most honourable place. The person seated there has his left arm confined by the wall, but his right hand is at full liberty. From Abner's position next the king, and David's seat being left empty, it would seem that a state etiquette was observed at the royal table, each of the courtiers and ministers having places assigned them according to their respective gradations of rank. Jonathan, as prince, had of course the highest seat; Abner was captain of the host, or commander-in-chief; and David was successively armour-bearer to the king (1 Samuel 16:21; 1 Samuel 18:2), captain over a thousand (1 Samuel 18:13), and on his becoming Saul's son-in-law, he had been promoted, as Ewald explains this passage (cf. 1 Samuel 22:14), to the dignified office of captain of the royal body-guard. These three were the most honoured guest on state occasions at Saul's table.
Jonathan arose - either as a mark of respect on the entrance of the king, or in conformity with the usual Oriental custom for a son to stand in prance of his father. [The Septuagint has: kai proefthase ton Ioonathan, and he went before, or he faced, Jonathan.]