God’s Word Translation
1 Samuel 19:4
4So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. “You should not commit a sin against your servant David,” he said. “He hasn’t sinned against you. Instead, he has done some very fine things for you:
1 Samuel 19:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
- New International Version (NIV)Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, "Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Thus Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you.
Context of 1 Samuel 19:4
2so he reported to David, “My father Saul is trying to kill you. Please be careful tomorrow morning. Go into hiding, and stay out of sight. 3I’ll go out and stand beside my father in the field where you’ll be. I’ll speak with my father about you. If I find out anything, I’ll tell you.” So Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul. “You should not commit a sin against your servant David,” he said. “He hasn’t sinned against you. Instead, he has done some very fine things for you: 5He risked his life and killed the Philistine Goliath, and the Lord gave all Israel a great victory. When you saw it, you rejoiced. Why then should you sin by shedding David’s innocent blood for no reason?” 6Saul listened to Jonathan, and he promised, “I solemnly swear, as the Lord lives, he will not be killed.”
Read all of 1 Samuel 191 Samuel 19:4 word by word
וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן בְּדָוִד֙ ט֔וֹב אֶל־שָׁא֖וּל אָבִ֑יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵ֠לָיו אַל־יֶחֱטָ֨א הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ בְּעַבְדּ֣וֹ בְדָוִ֗ד כִּ֣י ל֤וֹא חָטָא֙ לָ֔ךְ וְכִ֥י מַעֲשָׂ֖יו טוֹב־לְךָ֥ מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
- spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
- goodטוֹבţôb · pleasantH2896
- of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
- unto Saulשָׁאוּלshâ'ûl · SaulH7586
- his fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
- and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto him, Let not the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- sinחָטָאchâţâ' · to sinH2398
- against his servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- against thee, and because his worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deedH4639
- to thee-ward veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 19:4
- 1 Samuel 20:32Jonathan asked his father, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?”
- 1 Samuel 22:13Saul asked him, “Why did you and Jesse’s son plot against me? You gave him bread and a sword and prayed to God for him so that he can rise up against me and ambush me, as he’s doing now.”
- Proverbs 24:11Rescue captives condemned to death, and spare those staggering toward their slaughter.
- Proverbs 31:8“Speak out for the one who cannot speak, for the rights of those who are doomed.
- Jeremiah 18:20Good should not be paid back with evil. They dig a pit to take my life. Remember how I stood in your presence and pleaded for them in order to turn your anger away from them.
- 1 Samuel 2:25If one person sins against another, God will take care of him. However, when a person sins against the Lord, who will pray for him?” But they wouldn’t listen to their father’s warning—the Lord wanted to kill them.
- Genesis 9:6Whoever sheds human blood, by humans his blood will be shed, because in the image of God, God made humans.
- Genesis 42:22Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy? But you wouldn’t listen. Now we must pay for this bloodshed.”
- 2 Chronicles 6:22“If anyone sins against another person and is required to take an oath and comes to take the oath in front of your altar in this temple,
- 1 Corinthians 8:12When you sin against other believers in this way and harm their weak consciences, you are sinning against Christ.
- 1 John 3:15Everyone who hates another believer is a murderer, and you know that a murderer doesn’t have eternal life.
- Psalms 35:12I am devastated because they pay me back with evil instead of good.
- Psalms 109:4In return for my love, they accuse me, but I pray for them.
- Proverbs 17:13Whoever pays back evil for good— evil will never leave his home.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 19:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Jonathan spake good of David - It is evident that Jonathan was satisfied that David was an innocent man; and that his father was most unjustly incensed against him.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Jonathan addressed his father as the king to show respect.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-74-7. Jonathan spake good of David--He told his father he was committing a great sin to plot against the life of a man who had rendered the most invaluable services to his country and whose loyalty had been uniformly steady and devoted. The strong remonstrances of Jonathan produced an effect on the impulsive mind of his father. As he was still susceptible of good and honest impressions, he bound himself by an oath to relinquish his hostile purpose; and…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 19:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 19
- 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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries