1 Samuel 20:2

1 Samuel 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
• New International Version (NIV)“Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to him, "Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:2

1David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What did I do wrong? How have I sinned against your father so that he wants to take my life?” Jonathan said to him, “No, you won’t die. Listen, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This can’t be true.” 3But David said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor with you. He has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or else he will be grieved.’” David also swore, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.” 4Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”

1 Samuel 20:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֣וֹ חָלִילָה֮ לֹ֣א תָמוּת֒ הִנֵּ֡ה לֹֽא־יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה אָבִ֜י דָּבָ֣ר גָּד֗וֹל א֚וֹ דָּבָ֣ר קָטֹ֔ן וְלֹ֥א יִגְלֶ֖ה אֶת־אָזְנִ֑י וּמַדּוּעַ֩ יַסְתִּ֨יר אָבִ֥י מִמֶּ֛נִּי אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֵ֥ין זֹֽאת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, God forbidחָלִ֫ילָהchâlîylâh châlilâh · forbidH2486
• thou shalt not dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• behold, my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• will doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• nothingדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• either greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• or smallקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• but that he will shewאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• but that he will shewגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: revealH1540
• hideסָתַרsâthar · to hideH5641

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:2

• 1 Samuel 14:45But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die? He accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel! No, as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he worked with God’s help today.” So the people redeemed Jonathan, and he did not die.
• Genesis 44:7They said to him, “Why does my lord say these things? Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
• Joshua 22:29We would never ever rebel against the Lord or turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the Lord our God, which is in front of his tabernacle.”
• Joshua 24:16The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods!
• Luke 20:16He will come and kill those farmers and give the vineyard to others.” But when they heard this they said, “That must never happen!”
• 1 Samuel 20:12“By the Lord, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?
• 1 Samuel 9:15Now the day before Saul’s arrival, the Lord had informed Samuel,
• Psalms 40:6You do not delight in sacrifice and offering; you open my ears to listen. You do not ask for a whole burnt offering or a sin offering.
• Isaiah 50:5The Lord God has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious; I did not turn back.
• John 15:15I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father.
• John 17:8because I have given them the words you gave me. They have received them and have known for certain that I came from you. They have believed that you sent me.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2My father will do nothing - Jonathan thought that his father could have no evil design against David, because of the oath which he had sworn to himself 1 Samuel 19:6; and at any rate, that he would do nothing against David without informing him.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2It is not so - Jonathan‘s unwillingness to believe evil of his father is one of the many admirable traits in his character.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3Jonathan did not understand his father's plans. David's willingness to swear by the Lord showed he was sure about Saul's intentions.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-101Sa 20:1-10. David Consults with Jonathan for His Safety. 1-3. David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan--He could not remain in Naioth, for he had strong reason to fear that when the religious fit, if we may so call it, was over, Saul would relapse into his usual fell and sanguinary temper. It may be thought that David acted imprudently in directing his flight to Gibeah. But he was evidently prompted to go thither by the most…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 20:2

• Death

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Artillery
• David
• Ear
• Require
• Forbid
• Jesse
• Jonathan (2)
• Samuel, Books of

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary