1 Samuel 20:2

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 King James Version (NKJV)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!”

Context of 1 Samuel 20:2

1And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life? 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. 3And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Yhwh liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. 4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

1 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

• 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 14:45And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as Yhwh liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
• Genesis 44:7And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing:
• Joshua 22:29God forbid that we should rebel against Yhwh, and turn this day from following Yhwh, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, beside the altar of Yhwh our God that is before his tabernacle.
• Joshua 24:16And the people answered and said, God forbid that we should forsake Yhwh, to serve other gods;
• Luke 20:16He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
• 1 Samuel 20:12And Jonathan said unto David, O Yhwh God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
• 1 Samuel 9:15Now Yhwh had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,
• Psalms 40:6Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.
• Isaiah 50:5The Lord Yhwh hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
• John 15:15Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
• John 17:8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send 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

• Death

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Artillery
• David
• Ear
• Require
• Forbid
• Jesse
• Jonathan (2)
• Samuel, Books of

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