שמואל א, פרק כ׳, פסוק כ׳

Jonathan establishes a secret communication system to convey Saul's intentions to David without arousing the suspicion of the young servant accompanying him. The entire operation is carefully designed to look like routine archery practice. Because the two friends cannot speak face-to-face without risking exposure, the seemingly innocent instructions Jonathan shouts to the boy to retrieve the arrows will actually serve as a hidden code. Through these commands, David, listening from his hiding place, will know whether he must flee or if it is safe to stay [רד״ק, רש״י].

The specific plan to shoot three arrows carries multiple layers of meaning. Practically, three arrows are needed to ensure the message is delivered: the first arrow initiates the practice, the second signals the actual code of whether the danger is near or far, and the third acts as a backup in case the second misses its mark [מצודת דוד]. Symbolically, the arrows represent the three days David spends hiding in the field [רד״ק]. On an allegorical level, arrows are a classic metaphor for slander, which is traditionally described as a three-fold weapon that kills three people at once. Through this imagery, Jonathan hints to David how the destructive words of informers have influenced Saul's heart against him [מלבי״ם].

To execute the plan, Jonathan uses the stone where David is hiding as his practice target, but he deliberately aims to shoot the arrows just to the side of it [רלב״ג, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This careful precision ensures that when the servant runs to collect the arrows, he will not get too close to the actual hiding spot and accidentally discover David [מלבי״ם, רש״י].