New International Version
1 Samuel 20:8
8As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?”
1 Samuel 20:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
- English Standard Version (ESV)Therefore deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. But if there is guilt in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?"
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore you shall deal kindly with your servant, for you have brought your servant into a covenant of the Lord with you. Nevertheless, if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself, for why should you bring me to your father?”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Show me this loyalty as my sworn friend—for we made a solemn pact before the Lord—or kill me yourself if I have sinned against your father. But please don’t betray me to him!”
Context of 1 Samuel 20:8
6If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David earnestly asked my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because an annual sacrifice is being made there for his whole clan.’ 7If he says, ‘Very well,’ then your servant is safe. But if he loses his temper, you can be sure that he is determined to harm me. As for you, show kindness to your servant, for you have brought him into a covenant with you before the Lord. If I am guilty, then kill me yourself! Why hand me over to your father?” 9“Never!” Jonathan said. “If I had the least inkling that my father was determined to harm you, wouldn’t I tell you?” 10David asked, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
Read all of 1 Samuel 201 Samuel 20:8 word by word
וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ חֶ֙סֶד֙ עַל־עַבְדֶּ֔ךָ כִּ֚י בִּבְרִ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה הֵבֵ֥אתָ אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֖ עִמָּ֑ךְ וְאִם־יֶשׁ־בִּ֤י עָוֹן֙ הֲמִיתֵ֣נִי אַ֔תָּה וְעַד־אָבִ֖יךָ לָמָּה־זֶּ֥ה תְבִיאֵֽנִי׃ פRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Therefore thou shalt dealעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- kindlyחֶ֫סֶדchêsêd · kindnessH2617
- with thy servantעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
- for thou hast broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
- into a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- with thee: notwithstanding, if there beיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
- in me iniquityעָוֺן‛âvôn ‛âvôn · iniquity: guiltH5771
- slayמוּתmûth · to dieH4191
- me to thy fatherאָב'âb · fatherH1
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 20:8
- Genesis 24:49Now if you will show kindness and faithfulness to my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, so I may know which way to turn.”
- Genesis 47:29When the time drew near for Israel to die, he called for his son Joseph and said to him, “If I have found favor in your eyes, put your hand under my thigh and promise that you will show me kindness and faithfulness. Do not bury me in Egypt,
- Joshua 2:14“Our lives for your lives!” the men assured her. “If you don’t tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the Lord gives us the land.”
- Ruth 1:8Then Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back, each of you, to your mother’s home. May the Lord show you kindness, as you have shown kindness to your dead husbands and to me.
- Proverbs 3:3Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.
- 1 Samuel 20:16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”
- 1 Samuel 18:3And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself.
- 1 Samuel 23:18The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.
- Joshua 22:22“The Mighty One, God, the Lord! The Mighty One, God, the Lord! He knows! And let Israel know! If this has been in rebellion or disobedience to the Lord, do not spare us this day.
- 2 Samuel 14:32Absalom said to Joab, “Look, I sent word to you and said, ‘Come here so I can send you to the king to ask, “Why have I come from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there!” ’ Now then, I want to see the king’s face, and if I am guilty of anything, let him put me to death.”
- Psalms 7:4if I have repaid my ally with evil or without cause have robbed my foe—
- Acts 25:11If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
- 1 Chronicles 12:17David went out to meet them and said to them, “If you have come to me in peace to help me, I am ready for you to join me. But if you have come to betray me to my enemies when my hands are free from violence, may the God of our ancestors see it and judge you.”
- Psalms 116:1I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 20:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8If there be in me iniquity - If thou seest that I am plotting either against the state, or the life of thy father, then slay me thyself.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8kindness: The Hebrew word ḥesed means faithful love or commitment. It describes faithfulness between people who are bound by a covenant (a binding agreement). a covenant: A covenant is a serious and binding agreement that includes promises and loyalty. David and Jonathan made such an agreement with each other (see 1 Samuel 18:3; 20:16).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 20:8
In the dictionaries
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
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