New International Version
1 Samuel 24:21
21Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.”
1 Samuel 24:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Swear now therefore unto me by the Lord, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father’s house.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore swear now to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father’s house.”
- New Living Translation (NLT)Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!”
Context of 1 Samuel 24:21
19When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 22So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.
Read all of 1 Samuel 241 Samuel 24:21 word by word
וְעַתָּ֗ה הִשָּׁ֤בְעָה לִּי֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה אִם־תַּכְרִ֥ית אֶת־זַרְעִ֖י אַֽחֲרָ֑י וְאִם־תַּשְׁמִ֥יד אֶת־שְׁמִ֖י מִבֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Swearשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
- now therefore unto me by the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- that thou wilt notאִם'im · ifH518
- cut offכָּרַתkârath · to cut: eliminateH3772
- my seedזֶ֫רַעzera‛ · seed: childrenH2233
- afterאַחַר'achar · afterH310
- me, and that thou wilt not destroyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045
- my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
- out of my father’sאָב'âb · fatherH1
- houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: householdH1004
Cross-references for 1 Samuel 24:21
- 1 Samuel 20:14But show me unfailing kindness like the Lord’s kindness as long as I live, so that I may not be killed,
- Genesis 21:23Now swear to me here before God that you will not deal falsely with me or my children or my descendants. Show to me and the country where you now reside as a foreigner the same kindness I have shown to you.”
- Genesis 31:48Laban said, “This heap is a witness between you and me today.” That is why it was called Galeed.
- Hebrews 6:16People swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.
- 2 Samuel 21:6let seven of his male descendants be given to us to be killed and their bodies exposed before the Lord at Gibeah of Saul—the Lord’s chosen one.” So the king said, “I will give them to you.”
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Swear now - Saul knew that an oath would bind David, though it was insufficient to bind himself; see 1 Samuel 19:6. He had sworn to his son Jonathan that David should not be slain; and yet sought by all means in his power to destroy him!Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Swear now - The same request which Jonathan made 1 Samuel 20:15. The deep, genealogical feeling of the Israelites breaks out here as so often elsewhere.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 16-22Verses 16-22 Saul speaks as quite overcome with David's kindness. Many mourn for their sins, who do not truly repent of them; weep bitterly for them, yet continue in love and in league with them. Now God made good to David that word on which he had caused him to hope, that he would bring forth his righteousness as the light, Psa 37:6. Those who take care to keep a good conscience, may leave it to God to secure them the credit of it. Sooner or later, God…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-22swear to me … you will not cut off my descendants: Having descendants was a way that Saul’s name would endure among the living. David had already sworn such an oath with Jonathan (1 Samuel 20:14–17).Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Samuel 24:21
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Samuel 24
- 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
- EGW Writings
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