1 Samuel 20:17

Verse 17 of 42. The 20th of 31 chapters in 1 Samuel, in History.

13The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father.

14And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not:

15But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

16So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

18Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.

19And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

20And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

21And, behold, I will send a lad, saying, Go, find out the arrows. If I expressly say unto the lad, Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee, take them; then come thou: for there is peace to thee, and no hurt; as the Lord liveth.

Read 1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:17 in the World English Bible

Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had for him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
Read 1 Samuel 20:17 in the WEB

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 20:17

He feared lest David, or some of his, should hereafter be tempted, for the clearing and confirming of their title to the throne, to do by his seed as Abimelech had done by the sons of Gideon (Judg. ix. 5), and this he would effectually prevent; but the reason given (v. 17) why Jonathan was so earnest to have the friendship entailed is purely generous, and has nothing of self in it; it was because he loved him as he…

Read Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 20:9–23: Jonathan's Covenant with David. (b. c. 1058.)

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King James Version. Public domain. Set as prose throughout, including the poetry, because the text is published to us without its lines.