8 Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you: but if there be in me iniquity, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?
Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
They two made a covenant before Yahweh: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.
Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent to you, saying, Come here, that I may send you to the king, to say, Why am I come from Geshur? it were better for me to be there still. Now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be iniquity in me, let him kill me.
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], Yahweh will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. If not, tell me. That I may turn to the right hand, or to the left."
The men said to her, Our life for yours, if you don't utter this our business; and it shall be, when Yahweh gives us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with you.
The Mighty One, God, Yahweh, the Mighty One, God, Yahweh, he knows; and Israel he shall know: if it be in rebellion, or if in trespass against Yahweh (don't save us this day),
David went out to meet them, and answered them, If you be come peaceably to me to help me, my heart shall be knit to you; but if [you be come] to betray me to my adversaries, seeing there is no wrong in my hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
If I have rewarded evil to him who was at peace with me (Yes, I have delivered him who without cause was my adversary), Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it; Yes, let him tread my life down to the earth, And lay my glory in the dust. Selah.
Don't let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Samuel 20
Commentary on 1 Samuel 20 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 20
David, having several times narrowly escaped Saul's fury, begins to consider at last whether it may not be necessary for him to retire into the country and to take up arms in his own defence. But he will not do so daring a thing without consulting his faithful friend Jonathan; how he did this, and what passed between them, we have an account in this chapter, where we have as surprising instances of supernatural love as we had in the chapter before of unnatural hatred.
1Sa 20:1-8
Here,
1Sa 20:9-23
Here,
1Sa 20:24-34
Jonathan is here effectually convinced of that which he was so loth to believe, that his father had an implacable enmity to David, and would certainly be the death of him if it were in his power; and he had like to have paid very dearly himself for the conviction.
1Sa 20:35-42
Here is,