1 Samuel 23:16

16 So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David [at] Horesh, and {encouraged him} through God.

1 Samuel 23:16 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 23:16

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose
And came from Gibeah, which, according to Bunting ^F15, was twenty two miles from the place where David was:

and went to David into the wood:
having had intelligence where he was, this being a proper place to have an interview with him privately:

and strengthened his hand in God;
and his heart too, his hand of faith to lay hold on God, as his covenant God and lean and rely upon him; he strengthened him in his power and in his providence, and in his promises to him; the Targum is,

``he strengthened him in the Word of the Lord;''

not only in his word and promise, but in Christ the essential Word of God, who should spring from him according to the flesh.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 Travels p. 334. (text not clear could be 834 or some other number)

1 Samuel 23:16 In-Context

14 David remained in the wilderness, in the strongholds, and in the hill country in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him {continually}, but God did not give him into his hand

15 When David realized that Saul had gone out to seek his life, David was in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh.

16 So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David [at] Horesh, and {encouraged him} through God.

17 He said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and {I will be second to you}. My father Saul knows [this] also."

18 Then the two of them {made} a covenant before Yahweh. David remained at Horesh, and Jonathan went to his house.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "he strengthened his hand"