1 Samuel 20:2
in 1 Samuel 20“Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And he said unto him, Far from it; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
KJV
And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
10 notes on this verseMy father will do nothing - Jonathan thought that his father could have no evil design against David, because of the oath which he had sworn to himself 1Sa 19:6; and at any rate, that he would do nothing against David without informing him.
This site's exposition
Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah
on 1 Samuel 20:1-3
David flees from Naioth in Ramah and goes straight to Jonathan rather than into hiding. His three questions ask for a specific charge, and Jonathan cannot believe that his father's oath at 19:6 is already broken. David vows that "there is but a step between me and death," and the covenant of 18:3 is about to be tested and renewed.
This site's exposition
my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me
Jonathan's confidence has a basis. At 19:1 Saul gave the order to kill David to Jonathan himself, and Adam Clarke notes that Jonathan expected any new plan to reach him the same way, trusting the oath of 19:6.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening5 voices
Jonathan promises to give him intelligence, and confirms his friendship, ver. 9-23. He finds his father implacable, ver. 24-34. He gives David notice of it, in the manner they had agreed on, ver.
quarantine:anchor (2026-07-29) — cites-ver-9/24-anchored-1-5
He was troubled for his father, that he should be such a brute, troubled for his friend, whom he knew to be a friend of God, that he should be so basely abused; he was grieved for David (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
And he said unto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die,....
Jonathan faithfully promises to get and give him intelligence how his father stood affected to him, and renews the covenant of friendship with him,
David therefore gives him the assurance of an oath concerning his own danger, swears the peace upon Saul, that he was in fear of his life by him: " As the Lord liveth, than which nothing more sure in itself, and as thy soul liveth, than which nothing more certain to thee, whatever thou thinkest, there is but a step between me and death, "
2 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
But he was evidently prompted to go thither by the most generous feelings--to inform his friend of what had recently occurred, and to obtain that friend's sanction to the course he was compelled to adopt. Jonathan could not be persuaded there was any real danger after the oath his father had taken; at all events, he felt assured his father would do nothing without telling him.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It is not so - Jonathan’s unwillingness to believe evil of his father is one of the many admirable traits in his character.
The words behind it
27 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 |
| ל֣וֹ | lo | to <the> him | ||
| חָלִילָה֮ | chalilah | far be it | H2486 → | 21 times |
| לֹ֣א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תָמוּת֒ | tamut | you will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| הִנֵּ֡ה | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה | ya'asah | he does | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| אָבִ֜י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| דָּבָ֣ר | davar | anything | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| גָּד֗וֹל | gadol | great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| א֚וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| דָּבָ֣ר | davar | anything | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| קָטֹ֔ן | katon | small | H6996 → | 101 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִגְלֶ֖ה | yigleh | he uncovers | H1540 → | 186 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אָזְנִ֑י | ʾazeni | ear my | H241 → | 187 times |
| וּמַדּוּעַ֩ | umadua' | and why? | H4069 → | 72 times |
| יַסְתִּ֨יר | yastir | will he hide | H5641 → | 80 times |
| אָבִ֥י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| מִמֶּ֛נִּי | mimeni | from me | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַדָּבָ֥ר | hadavar | the thing | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| הַזֶּ֖ה | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| אֵ֥ין | ʾein | there not | H369 → | 789 times |
| זֹֽאת׃ | zot | [is] this | H2063 → | 603 times |
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
ל֣וֹto <the> him
lo
חָלִילָה֮far be it
chalilahH2486 →21 times
לֹ֣אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תָמוּת֒you will die
tamutH4191 →839 times
הִנֵּ֡הhere!
hinehH2009 →843 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יַעֲשֶׂ֨הhe does
ya'asahH6213 →2628 times
אָבִ֜יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
דָּבָ֣רanything
davarH1697 →1440 times
גָּד֗וֹלgreat
gadolH1419 →526 times
א֚וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
דָּבָ֣רanything
davarH1697 →1440 times
קָטֹ֔ןsmall
katonH6996 →101 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִגְלֶ֖הhe uncovers
yiglehH1540 →186 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אָזְנִ֑יear my
ʾazeniH241 →187 times
וּמַדּוּעַ֩and why?
umadua'H4069 →72 times
יַסְתִּ֨ירwill he hide
yastirH5641 →80 times
אָבִ֥יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
מִמֶּ֛נִּיfrom me
mimeniH4480 →1188 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַדָּבָ֥רthe thing
hadavarH1697 →1440 times
הַזֶּ֖ה<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
אֵ֥יןthere not
ʾeinH369 →789 times
זֹֽאת׃[is] this
zotH2063 →603 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
John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…
it leads to
- Psalms 25:14
The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
- 1 Corinthians 2:9–12
Rather, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart has imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
- Matthew 13:11
He replied, “The knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
- James 2:23
And the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called a friend of God.
- Colossians 1:26
the mystery that was hidden for ages and generations but is now revealed to His saints.
- Psalms 25:14
Through
John 17:8For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
it leads to
- John 17:14
I have given them Your word and the world has hated them; for they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
- John 15:15
No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have…
- John 16:30
Now we understand that You know all things and that You have no need for anyone to question You. Because of this, we believe that You came from God.”
- John 17:14
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; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.