1 Samuel 24:21

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.
• New International Version (NIV)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.”
• 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.”

Context of 1 Samuel 24:21

19Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. 20And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. Now swear to me by the Lord that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!” 22So David promised this to Saul with an oath. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went back to their stronghold.

1 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 20:14And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die,
• Genesis 21:23“Swear to me in God’s name that you will never deceive me, my children, or any of my descendants. I have been loyal to you, so now swear that you will be loyal to me and to this country where you are living as a foreigner.”
• Genesis 31:48Then Laban declared, “This pile of stones will stand as a witness to remind us of the covenant we have made today.” This explains why it was called Galeed—“Witness Pile.”
• Hebrews 6:16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.
• 2 Samuel 21:6So let seven of Saul’s sons be handed over to us, and we will execute them before the Lord at Gibeon, on the mountain of the Lord.” “All right,” the king said, “I will do it.”

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

• Oath
• Saul

In the dictionaries

• David
• Reward
• Flea
• Samuel, Books of
• Saul

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