1 Samuel

1 Samuel 23:16–18

¹⁶And Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God, ¹⁷saying, “Do not be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. And you will be king over Israel, and I will be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows this is true.”

¹⁸So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

Read all of 1 Samuel 23

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 23:16

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And	וַיָּ֙קָם֙	way·yā·qām	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
Saul’s	שָׁא֔וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
son	בֶּן־	ben-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H1121 son
Jonathan	יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן	yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3083 Jehonathan
came	וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ	way·yê·leḵ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
David	דָּוִ֖ד	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
in Horesh	חֹ֑רְשָׁה	ḥō·rə·šāh	Noun - feminine singular	H2793 wood, wooded height
and strengthened	וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק	way·ḥaz·zêq	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H2388 be or grow firm, strong, strengthen
his hand	יָד֖וֹ	yā·ḏōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H3027 hand
in God	בֵּאלֹהִֽים׃	bê·lō·hîm	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God

1 Samuel 23:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
saying	וַיֹּ֨אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
be afraid	תִּירָ֗א	tî·rā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H3372 fear
for	כִּ֠י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
my father	אָבִ֔י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
Saul	שָׁא֣וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
will never	לֹ֤א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
lay a hand on	תִֽמְצָאֲךָ֙	ṯim·ṣā·’ă·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular; second person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
you	יַ֚ד	yaḏ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H3027 hand
And you	וְאַתָּה֙	wə·’at·tāh	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - second person masculine singular	H859 thou
will be king	תִּמְלֹ֣ךְ	tim·lōḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H4427 be or become king, or queen, reign
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
Israel	יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל	yiś·rā·’êl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3478 Israel
and I will	וְאָנֹכִ֖י	wə·’ā·nō·ḵî	Conjunctive waw; Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
be	אֶֽהְיֶה־	’eh·yeh-	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
your	לְּךָ֣	lə·ḵā	Preposition; second person masculine singular
second-in-command	לְמִשְׁנֶ֑ה	lə·miš·neh	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular	H4932 double, copy, second
Even	וְגַם־	wə·ḡam-	Conjunction	H1571 also, moreover, yea
my father	אָבִ֖י	’ā·ḇî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H1 father
Saul	שָׁא֥וּל	šā·’ūl	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7586 Shaul
knows	יֹדֵ֥עַ	yō·ḏê·a‘	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H3045 know
this is true	כֵּֽן׃	kên	Adjective - masculine singular	H3651 right, veritable, honest

1 Samuel 23:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So the two	שְׁנֵיהֶ֛ם	šə·nê·hem	Number - masculine dual construct; third person masculine plural	H8147 two
of them made	וַיִּכְרְת֧וּ	way·yiḵ·rə·ṯū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H3772 cut off, cut down
a covenant	בְּרִ֖ית	bə·rîṯ	Noun - feminine singular	H1285 covenant
before	לִפְנֵ֣י	lip̄·nê	Preposition-l; Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
And David	דָּוִד֙	dā·wiḏ	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1732 David
remained	וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב	way·yê·šeḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3427 sit, remain, dwell
in Horesh	בַּחֹ֔רְשָׁה	ba·ḥō·rə·šāh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H2793 wood, wooded height
while Jonathan	וִיהוֹנָתָ֖ן	wî·hō·w·nā·ṯān	Conjunctive waw; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3083 Jehonathan
went	הָלַ֥ךְ	hā·laḵ	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk
home	לְבֵיתֽוֹ׃ס	lə·ḇê·ṯōw	Preposition-l; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H1004 house

Cross-references

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

1 Samuel 23:16 Isaiah 35:3–4 · Hebrews 12:12–13 · Job 4:3–4 · 2 Timothy 2:1 · Ephesians 6:10 · Luke 22:32 · 1 Samuel 30:6 · Luke 22:43 · Nehemiah 2:18 · Proverbs 27:9 · Proverbs 27:17 · Deuteronomy 3:28

1 Samuel 23:17 1 Samuel 20:31 · 1 Samuel 24:20 · Job 5:11–15 · Isaiah 54:17 · Hebrews 13:6 · Acts 28:16

1 Samuel 23:18 1 Samuel 18:3 · 1 Samuel 20:42 · 2 Samuel 21:7 · 2 Samuel 9:1 · 1 Samuel 20:12–17

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.