1 Samuel 20:14

14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die;

1 Samuel 20:14 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:14

And thou shalt not only, while yet I live, show me the
kindness of the Lord
Such kindness as is well pleasing in the sight of God, and imitate what he shows to men, and which was covenanted, promised, and agreed to in the presence of the Lord, when David and Jonathan entered into covenant with each other; this Jonathan did not doubt of, and therefore did not make this a request:

that I die not;
he had no fear nor dread on his mind, should David come to the throne while he was alive, that he would take away his life; which was usually done by tyrants and usurpers, when there were any that had a fairer title, and better claim to the throne than they.

1 Samuel 20:14 In-Context

12 Then Jonathan said to David: "The Lord God of Israel is witness! When I have sounded out my father sometime tomorrow, or the third day, and indeed there is good toward David, and I do not send to you and tell you,

13 may the Lord do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it pleases my father to do you evil, then I will report it to you and send you away, that you may go in safety. And the Lord be with you as He has been with my father.

14 And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die;

15 but you shall not cut off your kindness from my house forever, no, not when the Lord has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the face of the earth."

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