1 Samuel 20:33
in 1 Samuel 20Then Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him; so Jonathan knew that his father was determined to kill David.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Saul cast his spear at him to smite him; whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to put David to death.
KJV
And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
What has he done
on 1 Samuel 20:32-34
Jonathan asks what David has done and gets no answer in words. Saul hurls his spear at his own son, the weapon already thrown at David at 18:11 and 19:10, so the spear meant for one target reaches the other. Jonathan leaves the table "in fierce anger," and the text says he was "grieved by his father’s shameful treatment of David," not by the blow he avoided.
This site's exposition
Saul hurled his spear at Jonathan to kill him
The test David set at verse 7 is answered here. Saul's fury was to be the sign that his intent was fixed, and the spear removes any doubt Jonathan still held. Matthew Henry writes that Jonathan was now fully satisfied of the danger to David.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
Who would not have loved him [David], when they saw how dear he was to his friends? For as he truly loved his friends, so he thought that he was loved as much in return by his own friends. No, parents put him even before their own children, and children loved him more than their parents. Therefore Saul was very angry and strove to strike Jonathan his son with a spear because he thought that David's friendship held a higher place in his esteem than either filial piety or a father's authority.
For love "doth nothing unseemly," but as it were with certain golden wings covereth up all the offences of the beloved. Jonathan loved David; and hearing his father say, "Thou son of damsels that have run away from their homes, thou womanly bred," he was not ashamed, though the words be full of great reproach. For what he means is this: "Thou son of mean harlots who are mad after men, who run after the passers-by, thou unnerved and effeminate wretch, who hast nothing of a man, but livest to the shame of thyself and the mother who bare thee." What then? Did he grieve at these things, and hide his face, and turn away from his beloved? Nay, quite the contrary; he displayed his fondness as an ornament. And yet the one was at that time a king, and a king's son, even Jonathan; the other a fugitive and a wanderer, I mean, David. But not even thus was he ashamed of his friendship. "For love doth not behave itself unseemly." Yea, this is its wonderful quality that not only it suffers not the injured to grieve and feel galled, but even disposes him to rejoice. Accordingly, he too, of whom we are speaking, after all these things, just as though he had a crown put on him, went away and fell on David's neck. For love knows not what sort of thing shame may be. Therefore it glories in those things for which another hides his face. Since the shame is, not to know how to love; not, when thou lovest, to incur danger and endure all for the beloved.
For that commendable friendship which maintains virtue is to be preferred most certainly to wealth or honors or power. It is not apt to be preferred to virtue indeed, but to follow after it. So it was with Jonathan, who for his affection's sake avoided neither his father's displeasure nor the danger to his own safety.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him,.... So provoked to wrath was he by what he said.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֨טֶל | vaiyatel | and he threw | H2904 → | |
| שָׁא֧וּל | shaul | Saul | H7586 → | 402 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַחֲנִ֛ית | hachanit | the spear | H2595 → | 47 times |
| עָלָ֖יו | ʾalav | on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לְהַכֹּת֑וֹ | lehakoto | to strike him | H5221 → | 499 times |
| וַיֵּ֙דַע֙ | vaiyeda' | and he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ן | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| כָ֥לָה | khalah | it had been determined | H3615 → | 208 times |
| הִ֛יא | hi' | it | H1931 → | 1879 times |
| מֵעִ֥ם | meim | from with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| אָבִ֖יו | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| לְהָמִ֥ית | lehamit | to kill | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| דָּוִֽד׃ ס | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
וַיָּ֨טֶלand he threw
vaiyatelH2904 →
שָׁא֧וּלSaul
shaulH7586 →402 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַחֲנִ֛יתthe spear
hachanitH2595 →47 times
עָלָ֖יוon him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
לְהַכֹּת֑וֹto strike him
lehakotoH5221 →499 times
וַיֵּ֙דַע֙and he knew
vaiyeda'H3045 →945 times
יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ןJonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
כָ֥לָהit had been determined
khalahH3615 →208 times
הִ֛יאit
hi'H1931 →1879 times
מֵעִ֥םfrom with
meimH5973 →1050 times
אָבִ֖יוfather his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
לְהָמִ֥יתto kill
lehamitH4191 →839 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
דָּוִֽד׃ סDavid
davidH1732 →999 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
1 Samuel 18:11and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
it leads to
- Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the…
- Luke 4:30
But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.
- John 10:39
At this, they tried again to seize Him, but He escaped their grasp.
- Psalms 37:32–33
Though the wicked lie in wait for the righteous, and seek to slay them,
- Isaiah 54:17
Through
1 Samuel 19:10Saul tried to pin him to the wall with his spear. But the spear struck the wall and David eluded him, ran away, and escaped that night.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 18:11
and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice.
- Proverbs 21:30
There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel that can prevail against the LORD.
- 1 Samuel 18:11
Through
1 Samuel 20:7If he says, ‘Good,’ then your servant is safe, but if he is enraged, you will know he has evil intentions.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 25:17
Now consider carefully what you must do, because disaster looms over our master and all his household. For he is such a scoundrel that nobody can speak to him!”
- Esther 7:7
In his fury, the king arose from drinking his wine and went to the palace garden, while Haman stayed behind to beg Queen Esther for his life, for he realized that the king was…
- 1 Samuel 25:17
Where this verse is studied
On this page
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; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 2.7.36; Ambrose of Milan, On the Duties of the Clergy 3.21.124; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON 1 CORINTHIANS 33.2; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.