1 Samuel 20:21
in 1 Samuel 20Then I will send a boy and say, ‘Go, find the arrows!’ Now, if I expressly say to him, ‘Look, the arrows are on this side of you; bring them,’ then come, because as surely as the LORD lives, it is safe for you and there is no danger.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And, behold, I will send the lad, saying, Go, find the arrows. If I say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them, and come; for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as Jehovah liveth.
KJV
And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
I will shoot three arrows to the side of it
on 1 Samuel 20:20-23
Three arrows and a boy let Jonathan warn David without a face-to-face word, the number matching the three days David waits at the stone. Verse 23 seals the covenant of verses 12 to 17 with "the LORD is a witness between you and me forever" as its oath.
This site's exposition
the arrows are on this side of you
The safe signal is spoken aloud to the boy, so an ordinary errand carries the message. Adam Clarke notes that the archery practice was meant to keep anyone from suspecting a meeting. Jonathan swears even the safe signal by the LORD's life.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And, behold, I will send a lad,....
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהִנֵּה֙ | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֶשְׁלַ֣ח | ʾeshlach | I will send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַנַּ֔עַר | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| לֵ֖ךְ | lekh | go | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| מְצָ֣א | metza' | find | H4672 → | 455 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחִצִּ֑ים | hachitzim | the arrows | H2671 → | 53 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| אָמֹר֩ | ʾamor | certainly [if] <to say> | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֹמַ֨ר | ʾomar | I will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לַנַּ֜עַר | lanaar | to the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| הִנֵּ֥ה | hineh | there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַחִצִּ֣ים׀ | hachitzim | the arrows | H2671 → | 53 times |
| מִמְּךָ֣ | mimekha | [are] from you | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| וָהֵ֗נָּה | vahenah | and hither | H2008 → | 49 times |
| קָחֶ֧נּוּ׀ | kachenu | fetch it | H3947 → | 966 times |
| וָבֹ֛אָה | vavoah | and come ! | H935 → | 2568 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| שָׁל֥וֹם | shalom | safety | H7965 → | 236 times |
| לְךָ֛ | lekha | [belongs] to <the> you | ||
| וְאֵ֥ין | veein | and there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| דָּבָ֖ר | davar | [is] anything | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| חַי־ | chai- | [by] [the] life | H2416 → | 498 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | of Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְהִנֵּה֙and there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
אֶשְׁלַ֣חI will send
ʾeshlachH7971 →845 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַנַּ֔עַרthe lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
לֵ֖ךְgo
lekhH1980 →1546 times
מְצָ֣אfind
metza'H4672 →455 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחִצִּ֑יםthe arrows
hachitzimH2671 →53 times
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
אָמֹר֩certainly [if] <to say>
ʾamorH559 →5305 times
אֹמַ֨רI will say
ʾomarH559 →5305 times
לַנַּ֜עַרto the lad
lanaarH5288 →239 times
הִנֵּ֥הthere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
הַחִצִּ֣ים׀the arrows
hachitzimH2671 →53 times
מִמְּךָ֣[are] from you
mimekhaH4480 →1188 times
וָהֵ֗נָּהand hither
vahenahH2008 →49 times
קָחֶ֧נּוּ׀fetch it
kachenuH3947 →966 times
וָבֹ֛אָהand come !
vavoahH935 →2568 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
שָׁל֥וֹםsafety
shalomH7965 →236 times
לְךָ֛[belongs] to <the> you
lekha
וְאֵ֥יןand there not
veeinH369 →789 times
דָּבָ֖ר[is] anything
davarH1697 →1440 times
חַי־[by] [the] life
chai-H2416 →498 times
יְהוָֽה׃of Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 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
Jeremiah 12:16And if they will diligently learn the ways of My people and swear by My name, saying, ‘As surely as the LORD lives’—just as they once taught My people to swear by Baal—then they…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 4:2
and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Zephaniah 1:5
those who bow on the rooftops to worship the host of heaven, those who bow down and swear by the LORD but also swear by Milcom,
- Joshua 23:7
So you are not to associate with these nations that remain among you. You must not call on the names of their gods or swear by them, and you must not serve them or…
- Jeremiah 4:2
Through
Jeremiah 4:2and if you can swear, ‘As surely as the LORD lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness, then the nations will be blessed by Him, and in Him they will glory.”
it leads to
- Isaiah 65:16
Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles…
- Jeremiah 9:24
But let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises loving devotion, justice and righteousness on the earth—for I delight in these things,”…
- Genesis 22:18
And through your offspring all nations of the earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”
- 2 Corinthians 10:17
Rather, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
- Isaiah 65:16
Through
Amos 8:14Those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, ‘As surely as your god lives, O Dan,’ or, ‘As surely as the way of Beersheba lives’—they will fall, never to rise again.”
it leads to
- Amos 5:5
Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing.
- Amos 5:5
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).
