1 Samuel 20:38
in 1 Samuel 20Then Jonathan cried out, “Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!” So the boy picked up the arrow and returned to his master.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
KJV
And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan’s lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd Jonathan cried after the lad, make speed, haste, stay not,.... But bring the arrows to him directly, that he might dismiss him; for, observing that no man was passing by, he was desirous of embracing the opportunity for a few minutes to have an interview with David alone before he fled: and Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows; for though the textual reading is singular, the marginal is plural, to show, as Kimchi observes, that he cast three arrows, as he said he would, 1Sa 20:20; and came to his master; with them.
This site's exposition
In the morning Jonathan went out to the field for the appointment with David
on 1 Samuel 20:35-38
The plan reaches its appointed hour, with a small boy present who knows nothing of what the arrows mean. Jonathan shoots beyond him, the signal agreed at verse 22. Every word Jonathan speaks here is aimed past the boy at David hiding within earshot.
This site's exposition
Hurry! Make haste! Do not delay!
John Gill reads the hurry as Jonathan's wish to send the boy home quickly and gain a few minutes alone with David. Gill also notes that the written Hebrew has arrow and the margin has arrows. Kimchi counted the three arrows promised at verse 20.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
6 If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. 7 If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:98%@v6-7
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
Make speed, haste, stay not - Though these words appear to be addressed to the lad, yet they were spoken to David, indicating that his life was at stake, and only a prompt flight could save him.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּקְרָ֤א | vaiyikra' | and he called out | H7121 → | 733 times |
| יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙ | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֣י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| הַנַּ֔עַר | hanaar | the lad | H5288 → | 239 times |
| מְהֵרָ֥ה | meherah | quickly | H4120 → | |
| ח֖וּשָׁה | chushah | make haste ! | H2363 → | |
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּעֲמֹ֑ד | taamod | you delay | H5975 → | 521 times |
| וַיְלַקֵּ֞ט | vaylaket | and he picked up | H3950 → | |
| נַ֤עַר | naar | [the] lad of | H5288 → | 239 times |
| יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙ | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַ֣חִצִּ֔ים | hachetzi | the arrows | H2671 → | 53 times |
| וַיָּבֹ֖א | vaiyavo' | and he came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| אֲדֹנָֽיו׃ | ʾadonav | master<s> his | H113 → | 333 times |
וַיִּקְרָ֤אand he called out
vaiyikra'H7121 →733 times
יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙Jonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
אַחֲרֵ֣יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
הַנַּ֔עַרthe lad
hanaarH5288 →239 times
מְהֵרָ֥הquickly
meherahH4120 →
ח֖וּשָׁהmake haste !
chushahH2363 →
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּעֲמֹ֑דyou delay
taamodH5975 →521 times
וַיְלַקֵּ֞טand he picked up
vaylaketH3950 →
נַ֤עַר[the] lad of
naarH5288 →239 times
יְהֽוֹנָתָן֙Jonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַ֣חִצִּ֔יםthe arrows
hachetziH2671 →53 times
וַיָּבֹ֖אand he came
vaiyavo'H935 →2568 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
אֲדֹנָֽיו׃master<s> his
ʾadonavH113 →333 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
Where this verse is studied
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.