1 Samuel 20:2

1 Samuel 20:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And he said to him, "Far from it! You shall not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me. And why should my father hide this from me? It is not so."
• New King James Version (NKJV)So Jonathan said to him, “By no means! You shall not die! Indeed, my father will do nothing either great or small without first telling me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so!”
• New Living Translation (NLT)“That’s not true!” Jonathan protested. “You’re not going to die. He always tells me everything he’s going to do, even the little things. I know my father wouldn’t hide something like this from me. It just isn’t so!”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:2

1Then David fled from Naioth at Ramah and went to Jonathan and asked, “What have I done? What is my crime? How have I wronged your father, that he is trying to kill me?” “Never!” Jonathan replied. “You are not going to die! Look, my father doesn’t do anything, great or small, without letting me know. Why would he hide this from me? It isn’t so!” 3But 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.” 4Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do for you.”

1 Samuel 20:2 word by word

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֣וֹ חָלִילָה֮ לֹ֣א תָמוּת֒ הִנֵּ֡ה לֹֽא־יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה אָבִ֜י דָּבָ֣ר גָּד֗וֹל א֚וֹ דָּבָ֣ר קָטֹ֔ן וְלֹ֥א יִגְלֶ֖ה אֶת־אָזְנִ֑י וּמַדּוּעַ֩ יַסְתִּ֨יר אָבִ֥י מִמֶּ֛נִּי אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֵ֥ין זֹֽאת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And he saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, God forbidחָלִ֫ילָהchâlîylâh châlilâh · forbidH2486
• thou shalt not dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
• behold, my fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
• will doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• nothingדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• either greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• or smallקָטֹןqâţân qâţôn · smallH6996
• but that he will shewאֹ֫זֶן'ôzen · ear: to earsH241
• but that he will shewגָּלָהgâlâh · to reveal: revealH1540
• hideסָתַרsâthar · to hideH5641

Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:2

• 1 Samuel 14:45But the men said to Saul, “Should Jonathan die—he who has brought about this great deliverance in Israel? Never! As surely as the Lord lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for he did this today with God’s help.” So the men rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
• Genesis 44:7But they said to him, “Why does my lord say such things? Far be it from your servants to do anything like that!
• Joshua 22:29“Far be it from us to rebel against the Lord and turn away from him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings and sacrifices, other than the altar of the Lord our God that stands before his tabernacle.”
• Joshua 24:16Then the people answered, “Far be it from us to forsake the Lord to serve other gods!
• Luke 20:16He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
• 1 Samuel 20:12Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?
• 1 Samuel 9:15Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel:
• Psalms 40:6Sacrifice and offering you did not desire— but my ears you have opened— burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
• Isaiah 50:5The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears; I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.
• John 15:15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
• John 17:8For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2My father will do nothing - Jonathan thought that his father could have no evil design against David, because of the oath which he had sworn to himself 1 Samuel 19:6; and at any rate, that he would do nothing against David without informing him.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2It is not so - Jonathan‘s unwillingness to believe evil of his father is one of the many admirable traits in his character.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 20:2

• Death

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Artillery
• David
• Ear
• Require
• Forbid
• Jesse
• Jonathan (2)
• 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