1 Samuel 24:21

1 Samuel 24:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.
• New International Version (NIV)Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”

Context of 1 Samuel 24:21

19If someone catches his enemy, he does not let him escape. But you have not tried to hurt me today. So I ask that the Lord will bless you in return. 20I know that you will be the king of Israel one day. The kingdom will be strong when you rule. So promise me in the Lord's name that you will not kill any of my descendants. Please make sure that people do not forget my family's name.’ 22So David made a strong promise to Saul. Then Saul returned to his home. But David and his men went back to the place where they had been hiding.

1 Samuel 24:21 word by word

וְעַתָּ֗ה הִשָּׁ֤בְעָה לִּי֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה אִם־תַּכְרִ֥ית אֶת־זַרְעִ֖י אַֽחֲרָ֑י וְאִם־תַּשְׁמִ֥יד אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י מִבֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• now therefore unto me by the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• that thou wilt notאִם'im · ifH518
• cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
• my seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
• afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
• me, and that thou wilt not destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
• my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• out of my father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
• houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:21

• 1 Samuel 20:14While I am still alive, please be kind to me. Continue to love me, as the Lord loves his people. And if I die,
• Genesis 21:23So please make a promise to me in front of God. Promise that you will never deceive me, or my children, or my descendants. You are living here in this land as a stranger. I have been kind to you, so please show that you will also be kind to us.’
• Genesis 31:48Laban said, ‘These stones show that we have made an agreement today.’ That is why the place was called Galeed.
• Hebrews 6:16When someone makes a strong promise, he uses the authority of a person who is greater than himself. This shows that he will certainly obey his promise. Then nobody can argue about it.
• 2 Samuel 21:6So we want you to give us seven of his male descendants. Then we will kill them. We will hang their bodies at the place where people worship the Lord in Gibeah. That was Saul's town, the man that the Lord had chosen to be king.’ The king said, ‘I will give them to you.’

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Swear now - Saul knew that an oath would bind David, though it was insufficient to bind himself; see 1 Samuel 19:6. He had sworn to his son Jonathan that David should not be slain; and yet sought by all means in his power to destroy him!Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Swear now … - The same request which Jonathan made 1 Samuel 20:15. The deep, genealogical feeling of the Israelites breaks out here as so often elsewhere.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Saul speaks as quite overcome with David's kindness. Many mourn for their sins, who do not truly repent of them; weep bitterly for them, yet continue in love and in league with them. Now God made good to David that word on which he had caused him to hope, that he would bring forth his righteousness as the light, Psa 37:6. Those who take care to keep a good conscience, may leave it to God to secure them the credit of it. Sooner or later, God…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22swear to me … you will not cut off my descendants: Having descendants was a way that Saul’s name would endure among the living. David had already sworn such an oath with Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:14–17).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 24:21

• Oath
• Saul

In the dictionaries

• David
• Reward
• Flea
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24

• 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
• EGW Writings