A royal feast hosted by King Saul serves as a tense political and psychological battleground, where even the seating arrangements and an empty chair reveal the intense drama unfolding beneath the surface. During this era, it was customary for diners to eat while reclining on couches [רש״י, רד״ק], with their positions carefully reflecting their social standing.
Saul takes his regular, designated place at the head of the guests [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. The primary approach among commentators is that he sat with his back to the wall for reasons of security and comfort. Plagued by paranoia and a fear of assassins, Saul wanted to ensure that no one could surprise him from behind [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אהבת יהונתן]. A completely different perspective suggests that Saul chose to face the wall out of self-awareness regarding his own violent outbursts. Fearing that a dark mood might overtake him, he positioned himself so that if he were to throw an object at David in a fit of rage, it would strike the wall rather than kill him [אהבת יהונתן].
The standard seating order at the royal table placed Saul first, followed by David, Jonathan, and finally Abner. With David missing, Jonathan found himself seated directly next to his father, prompting him to stand up. The primary approach among commentators views this as a matter of basic respect and etiquette. It was considered inappropriate for a son to recline right next to his father without any separation, so Jonathan stood to allow Abner to sit between them [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Conversely, others believe Jonathan was motivated by genuine fear. Knowing that his father might lash out at him for his loyalty to David, Jonathan worried that sitting too close would make it dangerously easy for Saul to strike him [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. Additional views suggest this was a calculated tactical move. Jonathan may have sat down and quickly stood up specifically to draw Saul's attention to David's absence [מלבי״ם], or he may have moved in order to sit on Saul's left side, leaving the right side exclusively for the king [אהבת יהונתן].
Abner, the commander of the army [ביאור שטיינזלץ], then takes the seat beside Saul, effectively creating a physical buffer between the king and his son. Rather than simply taking David's empty chair, Abner sat elsewhere. He likely assumed that David might still arrive. At the same time, Jonathan was pretending not to know about David's planned absence, which is why everyone initially maintained the standard seating arrangement [מצודת דוד]. Another explanation is that Abner deliberately avoided taking David's specific seat out of deep reverence, aware that David was destined to become the future king [אהבת יהונתן]. Ultimately, David's seat remained entirely unoccupied, and his glaring absence echoed loudly through the royal dining hall [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].