1 Samuel 20:12
New International Version
Then Jonathan said to David, “I swear by the LORD, the God of Israel, that I will surely sound out my father by this time the day after tomorrow! If he is favorably disposed toward you, will I not send you word and let you know?

New Living Translation
Then Jonathan told David, “I promise by the LORD, the God of Israel, that by this time tomorrow, or the next day at the latest, I will talk to my father and let you know at once how he feels about you. If he speaks favorably about you, I will let you know.

English Standard Version
And Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you?

Berean Standard Bible
and 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?

King James Bible
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;

New King James Version
Then Jonathan said to David: “The LORD God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,

New American Standard Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, is my witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow or the third day, behold, if he has a good feeling toward you, shall I not then send word to you and inform you?

NASB 1995
Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you?

NASB 1977
Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and make it known to you?

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, be witness! When I have examined my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good feeling toward David, shall I not then send to you and reveal it in your ear?

Amplified Bible
Then Jonathan said to David, “The LORD, the God of Israel, is my witness! When I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if he has a good feeling toward you, shall I not then send word to you and make it known to you?

Christian Standard Bible
“By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

Holman Christian Standard Bible
“By the LORD, the God of Israel, I will sound out my father by this time tomorrow or the next day. If I find out that he is favorable toward you, will I not send for you and tell you?

American Standard Version
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?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And Jonathan said to David: “LORD JEHOVAH, the God of Israel shall witness if I will not test my father about this time tomorrow, the third hour; if it is good for you, then I shall send to you and I shall show you

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Jonathan said to David, the Lord God of Israel knows that I will sound my father as I have an opportunity, three several times, and, behold, if good should be determined concerning David, and I do not send to thee to the field,

Contemporary English Version
Jonathan said: I swear by the LORD God of Israel, that two days from now I'll know what my father is planning. Of course I'll let you know if he's friendly toward you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jonathan said to David: O Lord God of Israel, if I shall discover my father's mind, to morrow or the day after, and there be any thing good for David, and I send not immediately to thee, and make it known to thee,

English Revised Version
And Jonathan said unto David, The LORD, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have sounded my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there be good toward David, shall I not then send unto thee, and disclose it unto thee?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
"As the LORD God of Israel [is my witness]," Jonathan continued, "I'll find out in the next two or three days how my father feels about you. If he does feel kindly toward you, then I will send someone to tell you.

Good News Translation
and Jonathan said to David, "May the LORD God of Israel be our witness! At this time tomorrow and on the following day I will question my father. If his attitude toward you is good, I will send you word.

International Standard Version
Jonathan told David, "The LORD God of Israel is my witness that I'll carefully question my father by tomorrow or the next day. And if the response is favorable for David, will I not then send word to you and let you know?

JPS Tanakh 1917
And Jonathan said unto David: 'The LORD, the God of Israel--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?

Literal Standard Version
And Jonathan says to David, “YHWH, God of Israel, [is my witness]—when I search out my father about [this] time tomorrow [or] the third [day], and behold, [there is] good toward David, and I do not then send to you, and have uncovered your ear—

Majority Standard Bible
and 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?

New American Bible
Jonathan said to David: “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, I will sound out my father about this time tomorrow. Whether he is well disposed toward David or not, I will inform you.

NET Bible
Jonathan said to David, "The LORD God of Israel is my witness. I will feel out my father about this time the day after tomorrow. If he is favorably inclined toward David, will I not then send word to you and let you know?

New Revised Standard Version
Jonathan said to David, “By the LORD, the God of Israel! When I have sounded out my father, about this time tomorrow, or on the third day, if he is well disposed toward David, shall I not then send and disclose it to you?

New Heart English Bible
Jonathan said to David, "The LORD, the God of Israel, is witness. When I have studied my father, about this time tomorrow, or the third day, look, if there is good toward David, shall I not then send to you, and disclose it to you?

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jonathan said to 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 towards David, and I then send not to thee, and show it thee;

World English Bible
Jonathan said to David, “By Yahweh, the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father about this time tomorrow, or the third day, behold, if there is good toward David, won’t I then send to you and disclose it to you?

Young's Literal Translation
And Jonathan saith unto David, 'Jehovah, God of Israel -- when I search my father, about this time to-morrow or the third day, and lo, good is towards David, and I do not then send unto thee, and have uncovered thine ear --

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jonathan and David Renew Their Covenant
11“Come,” he replied, “let us go out to the field.” So the two of them went out into the field, 12and 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? 13But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.…

Cross References
1 Samuel 20:11
"Come," he replied, "let us go out to the field." So the two of them went out into the field,

1 Samuel 20:13
But if my father intends to bring evil on you, then may the LORD punish me, and ever so severely, if I do not tell you and send you on your way in safety. May the LORD be with you, just as He has been with my father.

1 Samuel 23:18
So the two of them made a covenant before the LORD. And David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

2 Samuel 21:7
Now the king spared Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the oath before the LORD between David and Jonathan son of Saul.


Treasury of Scripture

And Jonathan said to 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 to you, and show it you;

Joshua 22:22
The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, he knoweth, and Israel he shall know; if it be in rebellion, or if in transgression against the LORD, (save us not this day,)

Job 31:4
Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?

Psalm 17:3
Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

sounded [heb] searched

Proverbs 20:5
Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

Proverbs 25:2,3
It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter…

shew it thee [heb] uncover thine ear

1 Samuel 20:2
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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David Disclose Disposed Israel Jonathan Morrow Show Sounded Third Time Tomorrow To-Morrow Towards Witness
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David Disclose Disposed Israel Jonathan Morrow Show Sounded Third Time Tomorrow To-Morrow Towards Witness
1 Samuel 20
1. David consults with Jonathan for his safety
11. Jonathan and David renew their covenant by oath
18. Jonathan's token to David
23. Saul, missing David, seeks to kill Jonathan
35. Jonathan affectionately takes his leave of David














(12) O Lord God of Israel.--Now that the two friends have come to a remote solitary spot, Jonathan prefaces his reply to David's piteous request by a very solemn invocation of that God they both loved so well. The vocative, however, "O Lord God," &c., of the English Version has been generally looked upon as an impossible rendering--"there being no analogy for such a mode of address"--Lange.

The versions avoid it by supplying different words. So the Syriac and Arabic render "The Lord of Israel is my witness"; the LXX., "The Lord God of Israel knows." Others have supplied a word which they find in two Hebrew MSS., "As the Lord God of Israel liveth." The meaning, however, is perfectly clear.

Or the third day.--This statement of time on the part of Jonathan evidently assumes that the festival was continued the day after the "new moon" by a royal banquet. The time is thus reckoned: the present day; the morrow, which was the new moon festival; and the day after, which would reckon as the third day.

Behold, if there be good toward David.--In the event of the news being good--that is, if Saul, contrary to David's expectation, spoke kindly of him--then Jonathan would send to him a special messenger; if, on the other hand, the king displayed enmity, in that case Jonathan would come himself and see David (for the last time). This sad message should be brought by no messenger.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and Jonathan
יְהוֹנָתָ֜ן (yə·hō·w·nā·ṯān)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3083: Jonathan -- 'the LORD has given', the name of a number of Israelites

said,
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“By the LORD,
יְהוָ֞ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

the God
אֱלֹהֵ֤י (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of Israel,
יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ (yiś·rā·’êl)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3478: Israel -- 'God strives', another name of Jacob and his desc

I will sound out
אֶחְקֹ֣ר (’eḥ·qōr)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2713: To penetrate, to examine intimately

my father
אָבִ֗י (’ā·ḇî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 1: Father

by this time
כָּעֵ֤ת ׀ (kā·‘êṯ)
Preposition-k, Article | Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 6256: Time, now, when

tomorrow
מָחָר֙ (mā·ḥār)
Adverb
Strong's 4279: Deferred, the morrow, tomorrow, hereafter

or the next day.
הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֔ית (haš·šə·li·šîṯ)
Article | Number - ordinal feminine singular
Strong's 7992: Third, feminine a, third, a third, a third-story cell)

If
וְהִנֵּה־ (wə·hin·nêh-)
Conjunctive waw | Interjection
Strong's 2009: Lo! behold!

he is favorable
ט֖וֹב (ṭō·wḇ)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 2896: Pleasant, agreeable, good

toward
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

you,
דָּוִ֗ד (dā·wiḏ)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1732: David -- perhaps 'beloved one', a son of Jesse

will I not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

send
אֶשְׁלַ֣ח (’eš·laḥ)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 7971: To send away, for, out

for you
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

and tell
וְגָלִ֖יתִי (wə·ḡā·lî·ṯî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1540: To denude, to exile, to reveal

you?
אָזְנֶֽךָ׃ (’ā·zə·ne·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 241: Broadness, the ear


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OT History: 1 Samuel 20:12 Jonathan said to David Yahweh the God (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa)
1 Samuel 20:11
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