Kings I 20:7

7 If he shall say thus, Well, — safe for thy servant: but if he shall answer harshly to thee, know that evil is determined by him.

Kings I 20:7 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 20:7

Then the King of Israel called all the elders of the land
His poor sneaking spirit was a little aroused with the last message, and therefore called a council of the elders of the people upon it, which was a piece of wisdom in him:

and said, mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief;
nothing less than the entire ruin of the nation:

for he sent unto me for my wives, and for my children, and for my
silver, and for my gold, and I denied him not;
in the sense he understood him, which was, that he was to be a vassal, and tributary to him, for the sake of holding these, which yet was very mean; but he wanted to have these in hand, and not them only, but the pillaging of all his subjects.

Kings I 20:7 In-Context

5 And David said to Jonathan, Behold, to-morrow the new moon, and I shall not on any account sit down to eat, but thou shalt let me go, and I will hide in the plain till the evening.

6 And if thy father do in anywise enquire for me, then shalt thou say, David earnestly asked leave of me to run to Bethleem his city, for there, a yearly sacrifice for all the family.

7 If he shall say thus, Well, — safe for thy servant: but if he shall answer harshly to thee, know that evil is determined by him.

8 And thou shalt deal mercifully with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the Lord with thyself: and if there is iniquity in thy servant, slay me thyself; but why dost thou thus bring me to thy father?

9 And Jonathan said, That be far from thee: for if I surely know that evil is determined by my father to come upon thee, although it should not be against thy cities, I will tell thee.

Footnotes

• [a] peace to thy servant.