1 Samuel 20:16

1 Samuel 20:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
• New International Version (NIV)So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “Let the Lord require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:16

14But as long as I live, ⌞promise me that you will⌟ show me kindness because of the Lord. And even when I die, 15never stop being kind to my family. The Lord will wipe each of David’s enemies off the face of the earth. At that time, if Jonathan’s name is cut off from David’s family, then may the Lord punish David’s house.” 17Once again Jonathan swore an oath to David because of his love for David. He loved David as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself. 18“Tomorrow is the New Moon Festival,” Jonathan told him, “and you will be missed when your seat is empty.

1 Samuel 20:16 word by word

וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת יְהוֹנָתָ֖ן עִם־בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֑ד וּבִקֵּ֣שׁ יְהוָ֔ה מִיַּ֖ד אֹיְבֵ֥י דָוִֽד׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• So Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• with the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
• of Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• Let the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• even requireבָּקַשׁbâqash · to seekH1245
• at the handיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
• enemiesאֹיֵב'ôyêb 'ôyêb · enemyH341

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:16

• 1 Samuel 18:3So Jonathan made a pledge of mutual loyalty with David because he loved him as much as ⌞he loved⌟ himself.
• Genesis 15:18At that time the Lord made a promise to Abram. He said, “I will give this land to your descendants. This is the land from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.
• 1 Samuel 25:22May God punish me if I leave even one of his men alive in the morning.”
• 1 Samuel 31:2The Philistines caught up to Saul and his sons. They killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul’s sons.
• 2 Samuel 4:7(They had come into the house while Ishbosheth was sleeping on his bed in his bedroom. They stabbed him, killed him, and cut off his head.) They took his head and traveled all night along the road to the plains.
• 2 Samuel 21:8The king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons whom Rizpah (Aiah’s daughter) gave birth to for Saul, and five sons whom Merab (Saul’s daughter) gave birth to for Adriel, son of Barzillai from Meholah.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:16

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 11-23Verses 11-23 Jonathan faithfully promises that he would let David know how he found his father affected towards him. It will be kindness to ourselves and to ours, to secure an interest in those whom God favours, and to make his friends ours. True friendship rests on a firm basis, and is able to silence ambition, self-love, and undue regard for others. But who can fully understand the love of Jesus, who gave himself as a sacrifice for rebellious, polluted…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14-16loving devotion: The Hebrew word ḥesed refers to loyal love and faithfulness to a covenant (see study note on 1 Samuel 20:8). Jonathan reminded David to keep his commitment to him when David became king. Jonathan’s concern was reasonable. In the ancient world, a new king might kill members of the former royal family to remove rivals to the throne. Saul later made a similar request of David (1 Samuel 24:21).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 20:16

• Alliances
• Constancy
• Covenant
• Oath

In the dictionaries

• David
• Jonathan
• house of David
• house, household, house of Israel, house of David
• Artillery
• Require
• Jesse
• Jonathan (2)
• Samuel, Books of
• New Moon

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