1 Samuel 20:12
in 1 Samuel 20and Jonathan said, “By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jonathan said unto David, Jehovah, the God of Israel, be witness: when I have sounded my father about this time to-morrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?
KJV
And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee;
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseJonathan said - O Lord God of Israel - There is, most evidently, something wanting in this verse. The Septuagint has, The Lord God of Israel doth Know. The Syriac and Arabic, The Lord God of Israel is Witness. Either of these makes a good sense.
This site's exposition
I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow
on 1 Samuel 20:12-13
Jonathan swears "By the LORD, the God of Israel" that he will sound out his father and send word either way, binding the promise with a curse on himself. His closing line, "May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father," is spoken by Saul's own heir. Clarke takes it as evidence that Jonathan already knew the kingdom had been appointed to David.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But good will also goes together with generosity, for generosity really starts from it, seeing that the habit of giving comes after the desire to give. But generosity may be distinguished from good will. For where generosity is lacking, there good may abide—the parent, as it were, of all in common, uniting and binding friendships together. It is faithful in counsel, joyful in times of prosperity, and in times of sorrow sad. So it happens that any one trusts himself to the counsels of a man of good will rather than to those of a wise one, as David did.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
): " O Lord God of Israel, thou knowest I mean sincerely, and think as I speak." The strength of his passion made the manner of his speaking concise and abrupt.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And Jonathan said unto David, O Lord God of Israel,....
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוֹנָתָ֜ן | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֗ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| יְהוָ֞ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֤י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אֶחְקֹ֣ר | ʾechkor | I will sound out | H2713 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָבִ֗י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| כָּעֵ֤ת׀ | kaet | about <the> this time | H6256 → | 296 times |
| מָחָר֙ | machar | tomorrow | H4279 → | 52 times |
| הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֔ית | hashelishit | the third | H7992 → | 107 times |
| וְהִנֵּה־ | vehineh- | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| ט֖וֹב | tov | good | H2896 → | 538 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | [is] to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֑ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וְלֹֽא־ | velo'- | and not? | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אָז֙ | ʾaz | then | H227 → | |
| אֶשְׁלַ֣ח | ʾeshlach | will I send | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֵלֶ֔יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| וְגָלִ֖יתִי | vegaliti | and I will uncover | H1540 → | 186 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ | ʾazenekha | ear your | H241 → | 187 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוֹנָתָ֜ןJonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֗דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
יְהוָ֞הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֤י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אֶחְקֹ֣רI will sound out
ʾechkorH2713 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָבִ֗יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
כָּעֵ֤ת׀about <the> this time
kaetH6256 →296 times
מָחָר֙tomorrow
macharH4279 →52 times
הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֔יתthe third
hashelishitH7992 →107 times
וְהִנֵּה־and there!
vehineh-H2009 →843 times
ט֖וֹבgood
tovH2896 →538 times
אֶל־[is] to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֑דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וְלֹֽא־and not?
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
אָז֙then
ʾazH227 →
אֶשְׁלַ֣חwill I send
ʾeshlachH7971 →845 times
אֵלֶ֔יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
וְגָלִ֖יתִיand I will uncover
vegalitiH1540 →186 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ear your
ʾazenekhaH241 →187 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 20:5The intentions of a man’s heart are deep waters, but a man of understanding draws them out.
it leads to
- 1 Corinthians 2:11
For who among men knows the thoughts of man except his own spirit within him? So too, no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
- Proverbs 18:4
The words of a man’s mouth are deep waters; the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.
- Psalms 64:6
They devise injustice and say, “We have perfected a secret plan.” For the inner man and the heart are mysterious.
- 1 Corinthians 2:11
Through
Psalms 17:3You have tried my heart; You have visited me in the night. You have tested me and found no evil; I have resolved not to sin with my mouth.
it leads to
- Job 23:10
Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
- Acts 11:23
When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts.
- Psalms 26:2
Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind.
- Psalms 39:1
I said, “I will watch my ways so that I will not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle as long as the wicked are present.”
- Malachi 3:2
But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He will be like a refiner’s fire, like a launderer’s soap.
- Job 23:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 1.32.167; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Books of Samuel and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.