1 Samuel 20:21

1 Samuel 20:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth.
• New International Version (NIV)Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them here,’ then come, because, as surely as the Lord lives, you are safe; there is no danger.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And behold, I will send the boy, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I say to the boy, 'Look, the arrows are on this side of you, take them,' then you are to come, for, as the Lord lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger.
• New King James Version (NKJV)and there I will send a lad, saying, ‘Go, find the arrows.’ If I expressly say to the lad, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them and come’—then, as the Lord lives, there is safety for you and no harm.

Context of 1 Samuel 20:21

19On the third day you should go down quickly and come to the place where you hid yourself the day this all started. Stay near the stone Ezel. 20I will shoot three arrows near it, as though I were shooting at a target. When I send a boy after them, I will say, “Go and find the arrows.” If I say to the boy, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; get them,’ then come back. For as surely as the Lord lives, you will be safe and there will no problem. 22But if I say to the boy, “Look, the arrows are on the other side of you,’ get away. For in that case the Lord has sent you away. 23With regard to the matter that you and I discussed, the Lord is the witness between us forever!”

1 Samuel 20:21 word by word

וְהִנֵּה֙ אֶשְׁלַ֣ח אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר לֵ֖ךְ מְצָ֣א אֶת־הַחִצִּ֑ים אִם־אָמֹר֩ אֹמַ֨ר לַנַּ֜עַר הִנֵּ֥ה הַחִצִּ֣ים׀ מִמְּךָ֣ וָהֵ֗נָּה קָחֶ֧נּוּ׀ וָבֹ֛אָה כִּֽי־שָׁל֥וֹם לְךָ֛ וְאֵ֥ין דָּבָ֖ר חַי־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And, behold, I will sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• a ladנַ֫עַרna‛ar · youthH5288
• Goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• find outמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• the arrowsחֵץchêts · arrowH2671
• If I expresslyאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• on this side of thee, takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• them; then comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• peaceשָׁלוֹםshâlôm shâlôm · peace: well-beingH7965
• to thee, and no hurtדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• livethחַיchay · aliveH2416

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:21

• Jeremiah 4:2You must be truthful, honest and upright when you take an oath saying, ‘As surely as the Lord lives!’ If you do, the nations will pray to be as blessed by him as you are and will make him the object of their boasting.”
• Jeremiah 5:2These people make promises in the name of the Lord. But the fact is, what they swear to is really a lie.”
• Jeremiah 12:16But they must make sure you learn to follow the religious practices of my people. Once they taught my people to swear their oaths using the name of the god Baal. But then, they must swear oaths using my name, saying, “As surely as the Lord lives, I swear.” If they do these things, then they will be included among the people I call my own.
• Amos 8:14These are the ones who now take oaths in the name of the sinful idol goddess of Samaria. They vow, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or ‘As surely as your beloved one lives, O Beer Sheba!’ But they will fall down and not get up again.”

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:21

• 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. 18-22Jonathan's plan would allow David to get the message even if there could be no face-to-face meeting. The boy's presence reduced suspicion and gave Jonathan an excuse to go to the field. As it happened, only the boy went with Jonathan to the field. When the boy left, David could talk to Jonathan directly (1 Samuel 20:40–42).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Samuel 20:21

• Arrow
• Symbols and Similitudes

In the dictionaries

• Artillery
• David
• 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