1 Samuel

1 Samuel 20:13–17

¹³But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father. ¹⁴And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion,^b that I may not die, ¹⁵and do not ever cut off your loving devotion from my household— not even when the LORD cuts off every one of David’s enemies from the face of the earth.”

¹⁶So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.” ¹⁷And Jonathan had David reaffirm his vow out of love for him, for Jonathan loved David as he loved himself.

Footnotes

b 20:14 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant.

Read all of 1 Samuel 20

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

1 Samuel 20:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But if	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
my father	אָבִ֤י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
intends	יֵיטִ֨ב	yê·ṭiḇ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
bring evil	הָֽרָעָה֙	hā·rā·‘āh	Article; Adjective - feminine singular	H7451 bad, evil
on you	עָלֶ֔יךָ	‘ā·le·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular	H5921 height
then may the LORD	יְהוָ֨ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
punish	כֹּֽה־	kōh-	Adverb	H3541 thus, here
me	לִֽיהוֹנָתָ֜ן	lî·hō·w·nā·ṯān	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3083 Jehonathan
and ever so	וְכֹ֣ה	wə·ḵōh	Conjunctive waw; Adverb	H3541 thus, here
severely	יֹסִ֗יף	yō·sîp̄	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3254 add
if I do not tell	וְגָלִ֙יתִי֙	wə·ḡā·lî·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H1540 uncover, remove
you	אָזְנֶ֔ךָ	’ā·zə·ne·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H241 ear
and send you on your way	וְשִׁלַּחְתִּ֖יךָ	wə·šil·laḥ·tî·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular; second person masculine singular	H7971 send
in safety	לְשָׁל֑וֹם	lə·šā·lō·wm	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H7965 completeness, soundness, welfare, peace
May the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
be	וִיהִ֤י	wî·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive imperfect Jussive - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
with you	עִמָּ֔ךְ	‘im·māḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular	H5973 with
just as	כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
He has been	הָיָ֖ה	hā·yāh	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
with	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
my father	אָבִֽי׃	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father

1 Samuel 20:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And	וְלֹ֖א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
as long as	אִם־	’im-	Conjunction	H518 if
I live	חָ֑י	ḥāy	Adjective - masculine singular	H2416 alive, living
treat	תַעֲשֶׂ֧ה	ṯa·‘ă·śeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
me	עִמָּדִ֛י	‘im·mā·ḏî	Preposition; first person common singular	H5978 along with
with the LORD’s	יְהוָ֖ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
loving devotion	חֶ֥סֶד	ḥe·seḏ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2617 goodness, kindness
that I may not	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
die	אָמֽוּת׃	’ā·mūṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H4191 die

1 Samuel 20:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
and do not	וְלֹֽא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
ever	עַד־	‘aḏ-	Preposition	H5704 as far as, even to, up to, until, while
cut off	תַכְרִ֧ת	ṯaḵ·riṯ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3772 cut off, cut down
your loving devotion	חַסְדְּךָ֛	ḥas·də·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H2617 goodness, kindness
from	מֵעִ֥ם	mê·‘im	Preposition-m	H5973 with
my household	בֵּיתִ֖י	bê·ṯî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1004 house
not	וְלֹ֗א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
even when the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
cuts off	בְּהַכְרִ֤ת	bə·haḵ·riṯ	Preposition-b; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H3772 cut off, cut down
every one	אִ֕ישׁ	’îš	Noun - masculine singular	H376 man
of David’s	דָוִ֔ד	ḏā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
enemies	אֹיְבֵ֣י	’ō·yə·ḇê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H341 be hostile to
from	מֵעַ֖ל	mê·‘al	Preposition-m	H5921 height
the face	פְּנֵ֥י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of the earth	הָאֲדָמָֽה׃	hā·’ă·ḏā·māh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H127 ground, land

1 Samuel 20:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So Jonathan	יְהוֹנָתָ֖ן	yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3083 Jehonathan
made a covenant	וַיִּכְרֹ֥ת	way·yiḵ·rōṯ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3772 cut off, cut down
with	עִם־	‘im-	Preposition	H5973 with
the house	בֵּ֣ית	bêṯ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1004 house
of David	דָּוִ֑ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
May the LORD	יְהוָ֔ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
hold	מִיַּ֖ד	mî·yaḏ	Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
David’s	דָוִֽד׃	ḏā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
enemies	אֹיְבֵ֥י	’ō·yə·ḇê	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct	H341 be hostile to
accountable	וּבִקֵּ֣שׁ	ū·ḇiq·qêš	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1245 seek

1 Samuel 20:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And Jonathan	יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙	yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3083 Jehonathan
had David	דָּוִ֔ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
reaffirm	וַיּ֤וֹסֶף	way·yō·w·sep̄	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3254 add
his vow	לְהַשְׁבִּ֣יעַ	lə·haš·bî·a‘	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H7650 swear
out of love	בְּאַהֲבָת֖וֹ	bə·’a·hă·ḇā·ṯōw	Preposition-b; Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H160 love
for him	אֹת֑וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative
for	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
loved	אֲהֵבֽוֹ׃ס	’ă·hê·ḇōw	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H157 love
as he loved	אַהֲבַ֥ת	’a·hă·ḇaṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H160 love
himself	נַפְשׁ֖וֹ	nap̄·šōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion