1 Samuel 20:3
Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And he swore again to David. And David said: Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, and he will say: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, there is but one step (as I may say) between me and death.

sware

Deuteronomy 6:13 Take heed diligently lest thou forget the Lord, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve him only, and thou shalt swear by his name.

Jeremiah 4:2 And thou shalt swear: As the Lord liveth, in truth, and in judgment, and in justice: and the Gentiles shall bless him, and shall praise him.

Hebrews 6:16 For men swear by one greater than themselves: and an oath for confirmation is the end of all their controversy.

but truly

1 Samuel 25:26 Now therefore, my lord, the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, who hath withholden thee from coming to blood, and hath saved thy hand to thee: and now let thy enemies be as Nabal, and all they that seek evil to my lord.

1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart: I shall one day or other fall into the hands of Saul: is it not better for me to flee, and to be saved in the land of the Philistines, that Saul may despair of me, and cease to seek me in all the coasts of Israel? I will flee then out of his hands.

2 Samuel 15:21 And Ethai answered the king, saying: As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth: in what place soever thou shalt be, my lord, O king, either in death, or in life, there will thy servant be.

2 Kings 2:2,4,6 And Elias said to Eliseus: Stay thou here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as Bethel. And Eliseus said to him: As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And when they were come down to Bethel, . . .

as thy soul

1 Samuel 1:26 And Anna said: I beseech thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord: I am that woman, who stood before thee here praying to the Lord.

1 Samuel 17:55 Now at the time that Saul saw David going out against the Philistines, he said to Abner, the captain of the army: Of what family is this young man descended, Abner? And Abner said: As thy soul liveth, O king, I know not.

Jeremiah 38:16 Then king Sedecias swore to Jeremiah, in private, saying: As the Lord liveth, that, made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, nor will I deliver thee into the hands of these men that seek thy life.

but a step

1 Samuel 27:1 And David said in his heart: I shall one day or other fall into the hands of Saul: is it not better for me to flee, and to be saved in the land of the Philistines, that Saul may despair of me, and cease to seek me in all the coasts of Israel? I will flee then out of his hands.

Deuteronomy 28:66 And thy life shall be as it were hanging before thee. Thou shalt fear night and day, neither shalt thou trust thy life.

Psalm 116:3 The sorrows of death have compassed me: and the perils of hell have found me. I met with trouble and sorrow:

1 Corinthians 15:30,31 Why also are we in danger every hour? . . .

2 Corinthians 1:9,10 But we had in ourselves the answer of death, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead. . . .

Context
Jonathan Helps David
2And he said to him: (God forbid, thou shalt not die: for my father will do nothing, great or little, without first telling me: hath then my father hid this word only from me? no, this shall not be. 3And he swore again to David. And David said: Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, and he will say: Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved. But truly as the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, there is but one step (as I may say) between me and death.4And Jonathan said to David: Whatsoever thy soul shall say to me, I will do for thee.…
Cross References
Deuteronomy 6:13
Take heed diligently lest thou forget the Lord, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and shalt serve him only, and thou shalt swear by his name.

1 Samuel 20:2
And he said to him: (God forbid, thou shalt not die: for my father will do nothing, great or little, without first telling me: hath then my father hid this word only from me? no, this shall not be.

1 Samuel 20:4
And Jonathan said to David: Whatsoever thy soul shall say to me, I will do for thee.

1 Samuel 25:26
Now therefore, my lord, the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, who hath withholden thee from coming to blood, and hath saved thy hand to thee: and now let thy enemies be as Nabal, and all they that seek evil to my lord.

2 Kings 2:6
And Elias said to him: Stay here, because the Lord hath sent me as far as the Jordan. And he said: as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on together.

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

again
ע֜וֹד (‘ō·wḏ)
Adverb
Strong's Hebrew 5750: Iteration, continuance, again, repeatedly, still, more

vowed,
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע (way·yiš·šā·ḇa‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 7650: To seven oneself, swear

“Your father
אָבִ֗יךָ (’ā·ḇî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 1: Father

knows very well
יָדֹ֨עַ (yā·ḏō·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's Hebrew 3045: To know

that
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 3588: A relative conjunction

I have found
מָצָ֤אתִי (mā·ṣā·ṯî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present

favor
חֵן֙ (ḥên)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2580: Graciousness, subjective, objective

in your eyes,
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ (bə·‘ê·ne·ḵā)
Preposition-b | Noun - cdc | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5869: An eye, a fountain

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

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

must not
אַל־ (’al-)
Adverb
Strong's Hebrew 408: Not

know
יֵֽדַע־ (yê·ḏa‘-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3045: To know

of this,
זֹ֥את (zōṯ)
Pronoun - feminine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2063: Hereby in it, likewise, the one other, same, she, so much, such deed, that,

or
פֶּן־ (pen-)
Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 6435: Removal, lest

he will be grieved.’
יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב (yê·‘ā·ṣêḇ)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6087: To carve, fabricate, fashion, to worry, pain, anger

As surely as
וְאוּלָ֗ם (wə·’ū·lām)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's Hebrew 199: However, on the contrary

the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

lives
חַי־ (ḥay-)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

and as you
נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ (nap̄·še·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion

yourself live,
וְחֵ֣י (wə·ḥê)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's Hebrew 2416: Alive, raw, fresh, strong, life

there is but a step
כְפֶ֔שַׂע (ḵə·p̄e·śa‘)
Preposition-k | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 6587: A stride

between me
בֵּינִ֖י (bê·nî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew 996: An interval, space between

and
וּבֵ֥ין (ū·ḇên)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition
Strong's Hebrew 996: An interval, space between

death.”
הַמָּֽוֶת׃ (ham·mā·weṯ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew 4194: Death, the dead, their place, state, pestilence, ruin


Additional Translations
But David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”And David swore moreover, and said, Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes; and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.

And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found favor in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

And David answered Jonathan, and said, Thy father knows surely that I have found grace in thy sight, and he said, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he refuse his consent: but as the Lord lives and thy soul lives, as I said, the space is filled up between me and death.

And David swore again and again, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found favour in thy sight: and he has thought, Jonathan shall not know this, lest he be grieved; but truly [as] Jehovah liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

And David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he should be grieved: But truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

David swore moreover, and said, "Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, 'Don't let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved:' but truly as Yahweh lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death."

And David sweareth again, and saith, 'Thy father hath certainly known that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; and yet, Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, but -- as a step between me and death.'
Jump to Previous
David Death Eyes Jonathan Moreover Soul Step Sware Swore
Jump to Next
David Death Eyes Jonathan Moreover Soul Step Sware Swore
Links
1 Samuel 20:3 NIV
1 Samuel 20:3 NLT
1 Samuel 20:3 ESV
1 Samuel 20:3 NASB
1 Samuel 20:3 KJV

1 Samuel 20:3 Bible Apps
1 Samuel 20:3 Biblia Paralela
1 Samuel 20:3 Chinese Bible
1 Samuel 20:3 French Bible
1 Samuel 20:3 German Bible

Alphabetical: a again an and as be between But David death Do eyes father favor found grieved hardly has have he himself I in is Jonathan know knows let live lives LORD me must not oath only or said saying sight soul step surely that the there this to took truly very vowed well will Yet you Your

OT History: 1 Samuel 20:3 David swore moreover and said Your father (1Sa iSam 1 Sam i sa) Bible Study Resources, Dictionary, Concordance and Search Tools

1 Samuel 20:2
Top of Page
Top of Page