1 Samuel

1 Samuel 20:2–3

²“Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”

³But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”

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 20:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Far from it	חָלִילָה֮	ḥā·lî·lāh	Interjection; third person feminine singular	H2486 far be it
Jonathan replied	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
You will not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
die	תָמוּת֒	ṯā·mūṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H4191 die
Indeed	הִנֵּ֡ה	hin·nêh	Interjection	H2009 lo! behold!
my father	אָבִ֜י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
does nothing	עָשָׂה	ʿå̄·śå̄h	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
great	גָּד֗וֹל	gā·ḏō·wl	Adjective - masculine singular	H1419 great
or	א֚וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
small	קָטֹ֔ן	qā·ṭōn	Adjective - masculine singular	H6996 small, young, unimportant
without	וְלֹ֥א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
telling	יִגְלֶ֖ה	yiḡ·leh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1540 uncover, remove
me	אָזְנִ֑י	’ā·zə·nî	Noun - feminine singular construct; first person common singular	H241 ear
So why	וּמַדּוּעַ֩	ū·mad·dū·a‘	Conjunctive waw; Interrogative	H4069 wherefore?
would he	אָבִ֥י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
hide	יַסְתִּ֨יר	yas·tîr	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5641 hide, conceal
this	הַזֶּ֖ה	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
matter	הַדָּבָ֥ר	had·dā·ḇār	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H1697 speech, word
from me	מִמֶּ֛נִּי	mim·men·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
This cannot be true	אֵ֥ין	’ên	Adverb	H369 nothing, nought

1 Samuel 20:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But David	דָּוִ֗ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
again	ע֜וֹד	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance
vowed	וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע	way·yiš·šā·ḇa‘	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7650 swear
Your father	אָבִ֗יךָ	’ā·ḇî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H1 father
knows very well	יָדֹ֨עַ	yā·ḏō·a‘	Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H3045 know
that	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I have found	מָצָ֤אתִי	mā·ṣā·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H4672 attain to, find
favor	חֵן֙	ḥên	Noun - masculine singular	H2580 favour, grace
in your eyes	בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ	bə·‘ê·ne·ḵā	Preposition-b; Noun - cdc; second person masculine singular	H5869 eye
and he has said	וַיֹּ֛אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Jonathan	יְהוֹנָתָ֖ן	yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3083 Jehonathan
must not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
know	יֵֽדַע־	yê·ḏa‘-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3045 know
of this	זֹ֥את	zōṯ	Pronoun - feminine singular	H2063 this
or	פֶּן־	pen-	Conjunction	H6435 lest
he will be grieved	יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב	yê·‘ā·ṣêḇ	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6087 hurt, pain, grieve
As surely as	וְאוּלָ֗ם	wə·’ū·lām	Conjunction	H199 but, but indeed
the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
lives	חַי־	ḥay-	Noun - masculine singular	H2416 alive, living
and as you	נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ	nap̄·še·ḵā	Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H5315 soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, appetite, emotion, and passion
yourself live	וְחֵ֣י	wə·ḥê	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct	H2416 alive, living
there is but a step	כְפֶ֔שַׂע	ḵə·p̄e·śa‘	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H6587 step
between me	בֵּינִ֖י	bê·nî	Preposition; first person common singular	H996 interval, space between
and	וּבֵ֥ין	ū·ḇên	Conjunctive waw; Preposition	H996 interval, space between
death	הַמָּֽוֶת׃	ham·mā·weṯ	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H4194 death

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

1 Samuel 20:2 John 17:8 · 1 Samuel 9:15 · Genesis 44:7 · 1 Samuel 14:45 · Joshua 24:16 · Joshua 22:29 · Isaiah 50:5 · 1 Samuel 20:12

1 Samuel 20:3 1 Samuel 25:26 · Deuteronomy 6:13 · 1 Samuel 27:1 · 2 Kings 2:6 · 2 Kings 2:2 · 1 Samuel 1:26 · 2 Kings 2:4

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.