New King James Version
1 Samuel 20:2
2So 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!”
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.
- New International Version (NIV)“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!”
- 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 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 in Ramah, and went and said to Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?” 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!” 3Then David took an oath again, and said, “Your father certainly knows that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Do not let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.’ But truly, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.” 4So Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you yourself desire, I will do it for you.”
Read all of 1 Samuel 201 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 people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not! As the Lord lives, not one hair of his head shall fall to the ground, for he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he did not die.
- Genesis 44:7And they said to him, “Why does my lord say these words? Far be it from us that your servants should do such a thing.
- Joshua 22:29Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle.”
- Joshua 24:16So the people answered and said: “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods;
- Luke 20:16He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”
- 1 Samuel 20:12Then Jonathan said to David: “The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,
- 1 Samuel 9:15Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear the day before Saul came, saying,
- Psalms 40:6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened. Burnt offering and sin offering You did not require.
- Isaiah 50:5The Lord God has opened My ear; And I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away.
- John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
- John 17:8For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have 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
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries