1 Samuel 20:3

1 Samuel 20:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
• New International Version (NIV)But David took an oath and said, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said to himself, ‘Jonathan must not know this or he will be grieved.’ Yet as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, there is only a step between me and death.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But David vowed again, saying, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he thinks, 'Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:3

1Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and he came and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he is seeking my life?” 2He said to him, “Far from it, you shall not die! Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without informing me. So why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!” Yet David vowed again, saying, “Your father is well aware that I have found favor in your sight, and he has said, ‘Jonathan is not to know this, otherwise he will be worried.’ But indeed as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is just a step between me and death.” 4Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.” 5So David said to Jonathan, “Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I am obligated to sit down to eat with the king. But let me go so that I may hide myself in the field until the third evening.

1 Samuel 20:3 word by word

וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע ע֜וֹד דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יָדֹ֨עַ יָדַ֜ע אָבִ֗יךָ כִּֽי־מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אַל־יֵֽדַע־זֹ֥את יְהוֹנָתָ֖ן פֶּן־יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב וְאוּלָ֗ם חַי־יְהוָה֙ וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ כִּ֣י כְפֶ֔שַׂע בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הַמָּֽוֶת׃Read the interlinear

• Yet Davidדָּוִדdâvid dâvîyd · DavidH1732
• vowedשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• againעוֹד‛ôd ‛ôd · stillH5750
• sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Your fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• isיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• that I have foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• favorחֵןchên · favorH2580
• in your sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: appearanceH5869
• Jonathanיְהוֹנָתָןyehônâthân · JonathanH3083
• thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• otherwiseפֶּן־pên · lestH6435
• he will be worriedעָצַב‛âtsab · to hurtH6087
• But indeedאוּלָם'ûlâm · butH199
• as the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livesחַיchay · aliveH2416
• and as your soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• just a stepפֶּ֫שַׂעpeώa‛ · stepH6587
• betweenבַּ֫יִןbêyn · betweenH996
• me and deathמָ֫וֶתmâveth · deathH4194

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:3

• Deuteronomy 6:13You shall fear only the Lord your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name.
• Jeremiah 4:2And if you will swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ In truth, in justice, and in righteousness; Then the nations will bless themselves in Him, And in Him they will boast.”
• Hebrews 6:16For people swear an oath by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath serving as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
• 1 Samuel 25:26“Now then, my lord, as the Lord lives, and as your soul lives, since the Lord has restrained you from shedding blood, and from avenging yourself by your own hand, now then, may your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be like Nabal.
• 1 Samuel 27:1Then David said to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to safely escape into the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand.”
• 2 Samuel 15:21But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether for death or for life, there assuredly shall your servant be!”
• 2 Kings 2:2And Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here please, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As surely as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
• 1 Samuel 1:26And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord.
• 1 Samuel 17:55Now when Saul had seen David going out against the Philistine, he said to Abner the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?” And Abner said, “By your life, O king, I do not know.”
• Jeremiah 38:16But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret, saying, “As the Lord lives, who made this life for us, I certainly will not put you to death, nor will I hand you over to these men who are seeking your life.”
• Deuteronomy 28:66So your lives will be hanging in doubt before you; and you will be terrified night and day, and have no assurance of your life.
• Psalms 116:3The snares of death encompassed me And the terrors of Sheol came upon me; I found distress and sorrow.
• 1 Corinthians 15:30Why are we also in danger every hour?
• 2 Corinthians 1:9Indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3There is but a step between me and death - My life is in the most imminent danger. Your father has, most assuredly, determined to destroy me. The same figure used here, there is but a step between me and death, may be found in Juvenal, who, satirizing those who risk their lives for the sake of gain in perilous voyages, speaks thus: - I nune et ventis animam committe, dolato Confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus Quatuor aut septem, si sit latissima teda…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And David sware moreover - Rather, “yet again.” He met Jonathan‘s denial by repeating his statement and confirming it with an oath.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 20:3

• Death
• Life
• Oath

In the dictionaries

• David
• Jonathan
• Artillery
• Require
• Certain; Certainly; Certainty
• Jesse
• Jonathan (2)
• Oath
• 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