1 Samuel 20:6
in 1 Samuel 20If your father misses me at all, tell him, ‘David urgently requested my permission to hurry to Bethlehem, his hometown, because there is an annual sacrifice for his whole clan.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
If thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
KJV
If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth–lehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 20
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThey kept a day of thanksgiving in their family for the comforts they enjoyed, and of prayer for the continuance of them. By this it appears that the family David was of was a very religious family, a house that had a church in it.
This site's exposition
Whatever you desire, I will do for you
on 1 Samuel 20:4-6
Jonathan's open promise, "Whatever you desire, I will do for you," becomes the shape of David's test: the New Moon meal the king kept publicly will show whether Saul still means to kill him. David's excuse, if missed, is "an annual sacrifice for his whole clan" at Bethlehem. An absence that draws anger rather than disappointment will answer David's question without a word spoken to Saul.
This site's exposition
an annual sacrifice for his whole clan
Matthew Henry takes the excuse as a picture of Jesse's household. The clan kept a yearly day of thanksgiving and prayer, and Henry calls it a house with a church in it. The excuse holds up as a gathering Saul would know and respect.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
If thy father at all miss me,....
Jonathan faithfully promises to get and give him intelligence how his father stood affected to him, and renews the covenant of friendship with him,
The words behind it
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אִם־ | ʾim- | <if> | H518 → | 1069 times |
| פָּקֹ֥ד | pakod | certainly [if] <to miss> | H6485 → | 303 times |
| יִפְקְדֵ֖נִי | yifkedeni | he will miss me | H6485 → | 303 times |
| אָבִ֑יךָ | ʾavikha | father your | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְאָמַרְתָּ֗ | veamarta | and you will say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| נִשְׁאֹל֩ | nishol | certainly <to ask> | H7592 → | 171 times |
| נִשְׁאַ֨ל | nishal | he asked for himself | H7592 → | 171 times |
| מִמֶּ֤נִּי | mimeni | from me | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| דָוִד֙ | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לָרוּץ֙ | larutz | to run | H7323 → | 103 times |
| בֵּֽית־ | beit- | Beth- | H1035 → | 82 times |
| לֶ֣חֶם | lechem | -lehem | H1035 → | 82 times |
| עִיר֔וֹ | iro | city his | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| זֶ֧בַח | zevach | [the] sacrifice of | H2077 → | 162 times |
| הַיָּמִ֛ים | haiyamim | the days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| שָׁ֖ם | sham | [is] there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | for all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַמִּשְׁפָּחָֽה׃ | hamishpachah | the clan | H4940 → | 303 times |
אִם־<if>
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
פָּקֹ֥דcertainly [if] <to miss>
pakodH6485 →303 times
יִפְקְדֵ֖נִיhe will miss me
yifkedeniH6485 →303 times
אָבִ֑יךָfather your
ʾavikhaH1 →1212 times
וְאָמַרְתָּ֗and you will say
veamartaH559 →5305 times
נִשְׁאֹל֩certainly <to ask>
nisholH7592 →171 times
נִשְׁאַ֨לhe asked for himself
nishalH7592 →171 times
מִמֶּ֤נִּיfrom me
mimeniH4480 →1188 times
דָוִד֙David
davidH1732 →999 times
לָרוּץ֙to run
larutzH7323 →103 times
בֵּֽית־Beth-
beit-H1035 →82 times
לֶ֣חֶם-lehem
lechemH1035 →82 times
עִיר֔וֹcity his
iroH5892 →1090 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
זֶ֧בַח[the] sacrifice of
zevachH2077 →162 times
הַיָּמִ֛יםthe days
haiyamimH3117 →2304 times
שָׁ֖ם[is] there
shamH8033 →834 times
לְכָל־for all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הַמִּשְׁפָּחָֽה׃the clan
hamishpachahH4940 →303 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 7:42Doesn’t the Scripture say that the Christ will come from the line of David and from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”
it leads to
- Micah 5:2
But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come forth for Me One to be ruler over Israel—One whose origins are of old, from the days…
- Matthew 2:5
“In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:
- Luke 2:4
So Joseph also went up from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, since he was from the house and line of David.
- Jeremiah 23:5
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and He will reign wisely as King and will administer justice and righteousness in the land.
- Micah 5:2
Through
Deuteronomy 12:5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:11
then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all…
- Deuteronomy 26:2
you are to take some of the firstfruits of all your produce from the soil of the land that the LORD your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go…
- 2 Chronicles 7:12
the LORD appeared to him at night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
- Deuteronomy 16:2
You are to offer to the LORD your God the Passover sacrifice from the herd or flock in the place the LORD will choose as a dwelling for His Name.
- Deuteronomy 12:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.