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Read›1 Samuel›Chapter 20

Jonathan Helps David

1 Samuel 20:2

In 11 translations

BSB
“Far from it!” Jonathan replied. “You will not die. Indeed, my father does nothing, great or small, without telling me. So why would he hide this matter from me? This cannot be true!”
KJV
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.shew…: Heb. uncover mine ear
WEB
He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
ASV
And he said unto him, Far from it; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.
LSV
And he says to him, “Far be it! You do not die; behold, my father does not do anything great or small and does not uncover my ear; and why does my father hide this thing from me? This [thing] is not.”
YLT
And he saith to him, 'Far be it! thou dost not die; lo, my father doth not do anything great or small and doth not uncover mine ear; and wherefore doth my father hide from me this thing? this [thing] is not.'
DBY
And he said to him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, and not apprise me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.Elohim
DRC
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.
GNV
And he sayde vnto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die: beholde, my father will do nothing great nor small, but he will shewe it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? he will not doe it.
JPS
And he said unto him: 'Far from it; thou shalt not die; behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.'
LXXE
And Jonathan said to him, Far be it from thee: thou shalt not die: behold, my father will not do any thing great or small without discovering it to me; and why should my father hide this matter from me? this thing is not so.Gr. and will not uncover my ear.

Word by word Hebrew · tap a word

Words in brackets are English the glossers added; the Hebrew has no word for them, and they can carry a choice of tense or meaning.

Where the editions differ

Editions are published forms of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Meet the editions and sources →

  • Written (Ketiv): לוֹ־ (“to him”). Read aloud (Qere): לֹֽא־ (“not”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.
  • Written (Ketiv): עָשָׂה (“he has done”). Read aloud (Qere): יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה (“he does”) — the form shown in the word-by-word reader.
Spelling, punctuation and minor wording (2)
  • Leningrad Codex reads לֽוֹ־; read aloud (Qere) reads לֹֽא־ (“not”).
  • Leningrad Codex reads ַעֲשֶׂ֨ה; read aloud (Qere) reads יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה (“he does”).

Edition differences: STEP Bible, based on work at Tyndale House Cambridge (CC BY 4.0). Names and codes expanded; consecutive words grouped. Comparisons follow the editions used by the source; see version details.

Original-language editions

WLC
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֣וֹ חָלִילָה֮ לֹ֣א תָמוּת֒ הִנֵּ֡ה לו־עשה אָבִ֜י דָּבָ֣ר גָּד֗וֹל א֚וֹ דָּבָ֣ר קָטֹ֔ן וְלֹ֥א יִגְלֶ֖ה אֶת־אָזְנִ֑י וּמַדּוּעַ֩ יַסְתִּ֨יר אָבִ֥י מִמֶּ֛נִּי אֶת־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֵ֥ין זֹֽאת׃Read aloud as (qere): לֹֽא יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה
LXX-Br
Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Ἰωνάθαν, μηδαμῶς σοι, οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃς· ἰδοὺ οὐ μὴ ποιήσῃ ὁ πατήρ μου ῥῆμα μέγα ἢ μικρὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἀποκαλύψει τὸ ὠτίον μου· καὶ τί ὅτι κρύψει ὁ πατήρ μου ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο; οὐκ ἔστι τοῦτο.

Who and where

👤 God◆ Reign of Saul

People, places and events the Theographic dataset links to this verse.

In the reference works topics that cite this verse

From public-domain Bible dictionaries and topical indexes (1884–1915).

Cross-references most cited first

  • John 17:8For I have given them the words You gave Me, and they have received them. They knew with certainty that I came from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
  • 1 Samuel 9:15Now on the day before Saul’s arrival, the LORD had revealed to Samuel,
  • Genesis 44:7“Why does my lord say these things?” they asked. “Your servants could not possibly do such a thing.
  • Joshua 24:16The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods!
  • 1 Samuel 14:45But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die—he who accomplished such a great deliverance for Israel? Never! As surely as the LORD lives, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground, for with God’s help he has…
  • Joshua 22:29Far be it from us to rebel against the LORD and turn away from Him today by building an altar for burnt offerings, grain offerings, or sacrifices, other than the altar of the LORD our God, which stands before His…
  • Isaiah 50:5The Lord GOD has opened My ears, and I have not been rebellious, nor have I turned back.
  • 1 Samuel 20:12and 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?
  • Psalms 40:6Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but my ears You have opened. Burnt offerings and sin offerings You did not require.
  • Luke 20:16He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.” And when the people heard this, they said, “May such a thing never happen!”
  • John 15:15No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not understand what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because everything I have learned from My Father I have made known to you.

From the OpenBible.info cross-reference set (votes from readers; not every link is a quotation or allusion).

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