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.
• New International Version (NIV)So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord call David’s enemies to account.”
• 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.”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:16

14And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die, 15treat my family with this faithful love, even when the Lord destroys all your enemies from the face of the earth.” So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, “May the Lord destroy all your enemies!” 17And Jonathan made David reaffirm his vow of friendship again, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself. 18Then Jonathan said, “Tomorrow we celebrate the new moon festival. You will be missed when your place at the table is 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 solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself.
• Genesis 15:18So the Lord made a covenant with Abram that day and said, “I have given this land to your descendants, all the way from the border of Egypt to the great Euphrates River—
• 1 Samuel 25:22May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”
• 1 Samuel 31:2The Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed three of his sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.
• 2 Samuel 4:7They went into the house and found Ishbosheth sleeping on his bed. They struck and killed him and cut off his head. Then, taking his head with them, they fled across the Jordan Valley through the night.
• 2 Samuel 21:8But he gave them Saul’s two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth, whose mother was Rizpah daughter of Aiah. He also gave them the five sons of Saul’s daughter Merab, the wife of Adriel son of Barzillai from Meholah.

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