1 Samuel 19:4
in 1 Samuel 19Then Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
KJV
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
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This verse in 1 Samuel 19
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
As he was still susceptible of good and honest impressions, he bound himself by an oath to relinquish his hostile purpose; and thus, through the intervention of the noble-minded prince, a temporary reconciliation was effected, in consequence of which David was again employed in the public service.
This site's exposition
I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are
on 1 Samuel 19:3-5
Jonathan's plea rests on two arguments, David's innocence and his service to the throne, and Saul can still be reached by reason at this stage. Verse 5 recalls Goliath without naming him, "the LORD worked a great salvation for all Israel," turning Saul's own memory against the order.
This site's exposition
The king should not sin against his servant David
Jonathan calls his father's plan a sin in plain words. The verse uses the word twice, once for what Saul intends and once for the sin David is cleared of. Jamieson, Fausset and Brown note that the appeal won an oath from Saul and a return to service for David.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
Therefore Jonathan spoke good of David to his father Saul, etc. The apostles spoke good of Christ to the Jews, recalling him as a man approved by God among them in the powers and signs and wonders which God had done through him in their …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father,....
In that and other instances it appeared that David was a favourite of heaven and a friend to Israel, as well as a good servant to Saul, for by him the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel; so that to order him to be slain was not only base ingratitude to so good a servant, but a great affront to God and a great injury to the public. [2.] He pleads his innocency.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Jonathan spake good of David - It is evident that Jonathan was satisfied that David was an innocent man; and that his father was most unjustly incensed against him.
The words behind it
23 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְדַבֵּ֨ר | vaydaber | and he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוֹנָתָ֤ן | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| בְּדָוִד֙ | bedavid | in David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| ט֔וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| שָׁא֖וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אָבִ֑יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וַיֹּ֣אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֵ֠לָיו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יֶחֱטָ֨א | yecheta' | he sin | H2398 → | 238 times |
| הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| בְּעַבְדּ֣וֹ | beavdo | against servant his | H5650 → | 799 times |
| בְדָוִ֗ד | vedavid | against David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| ל֤וֹא | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| חָטָא֙ | chata' | he has sinned | H2398 → | 238 times |
| לָ֔ךְ | lakh | to <the> you | ||
| וְכִ֥י | vekhi | and for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| מַעֲשָׂ֖יו | maasav | deeds his | H4639 → | 236 times |
| טוֹב־ | tov- | [are] good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| לְךָ֥ | lekha | for <the> you | ||
| מְאֹֽד׃ | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
וַיְדַבֵּ֨רand he spoke
vaydaberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוֹנָתָ֤ןJonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
בְּדָוִד֙in David
bedavidH1732 →999 times
ט֔וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
שָׁא֖וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אָבִ֑יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אֵ֠לָיוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יֶחֱטָ֨אhe sin
yecheta'H2398 →238 times
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
בְּעַבְדּ֣וֹagainst servant his
beavdoH5650 →799 times
בְדָוִ֗דagainst David
vedavidH1732 →999 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
ל֤וֹאnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
חָטָא֙he has sinned
chata'H2398 →238 times
לָ֔ךְto <the> you
lakh
וְכִ֥יand for
vekhiH3588 →4482 times
מַעֲשָׂ֖יוdeeds his
maasavH4639 →236 times
טוֹב־[are] good
tov-H2896 →538 times
לְךָ֥for <the> you
lekha
מְאֹֽד׃exceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 17:13If anyone returns evil for good, evil will never leave his house.
it leads to
- Psalms 109:4–13
In return for my love they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.
- 1 Peter 3:9
Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
- Romans 12:17
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody.
- Psalms 55:12–15
For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.
- Psalms 38:20
Those who repay my good with evil attack me for pursuing the good.
- Psalms 109:4–13
Through
Jeremiah 18:20Should good be repaid with evil? Yet they have dug a pit for me. Remember how I stood before You to speak good on their behalf, to turn Your wrath from them.
it leads to
- Psalms 35:7
For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul.
- Psalms 57:6
They spread a net for my feet; my soul was despondent. They dug a pit before me, but they themselves have fallen into it! Selah
- Psalms 35:7
Through
1 Samuel 20:32“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
it leads to
- Matthew 27:23
“Why?” asked Pilate. “What evil has He done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify Him!”
- Matthew 27:23
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies4
On this verse
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonUnited monarchySaulIsrael's first king, head and shoulders above the people; began in humility, ended in rejection — sparing what God devoted, consul…
- PersonEarly monarchyJonathanSon of King Saul who climbed a cliff to rout a garrison on the conviction that nothing restrains Jehovah; cut a covenant of steadf…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Samuel; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.