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.
• 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.”
• New Living Translation (NLT)So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:16

14But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed, 15and do not ever cut off your kindness from my family—not even when the Lord has cut off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.” 17And Jonathan had David reaffirm his oath out of love for him, because he loved him as he loved himself. 18Then Jonathan said to David, “Tomorrow is the New Moon feast. You will be missed, because your seat will be 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 18:3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
• Genesis 15:18On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram and said, “To your descendants I give this land, from the Wadi of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates—
• 1 Samuel 25:22May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!”
• 1 Samuel 31:2The Philistines were in hot pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua.
• 2 Samuel 4:7They had gone into the house while he was lying on the bed in his bedroom. After they stabbed and killed him, they cut off his head. Taking it with them, they traveled all night by way of the Arabah.
• 2 Samuel 21:8But the king took Armoni and Mephibosheth, the two sons of Aiah’s daughter Rizpah, whom she had borne to Saul, together with the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, whom she had borne to Adriel son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

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