1 Samuel 20:4

Verse 4 of 42. The 20th of 31 chapters in 1 Samuel, in History.

1And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?

2And 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.

3And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth 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.

4Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

5And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.

6If 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.

7If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

8Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?

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1 Samuel 20:4 in the World English Bible

Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever your soul desires, I will even do it for you.”
Read 1 Samuel 20:4 in the WEB

Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 20:4

Jonathan generously offers him his service (v. 4): Whatsoever thou desirest, he needed not insert the proviso of lawful and honest (for he knew David too well to think he would ask any thing that was otherwise), I will even do it for thee. This is true friendship. Thus Christ testifies his love to us: Ask, and it shall be done for you; and we must testify ours to him by keeping his commandments.

Read Matthew Henry on 1 Samuel 20:1–8: David Consults Jonathan. (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.