1 Samuel 19:1-7

1 Soothly Saul spake to Jonathan, his son, and to all his servants, that they should slay David;

2 certainly Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David greatly. And Jonathan showed to David, and said, Saul, my father, seeketh to slay thee; wherefore, I beseech, keep thyself tomorrow early; and thou shalt dwell privily, and thou shalt be hid. (but Jonathan, Saul's son, greatly loved David. And Jonathan told David, My father Saul seeketh to kill thee; and so, I beseech thee, be careful tomorrow morning; remain thou in secret, and be thou hid.)

3 And I shall go out, and stand beside my father in the field, wherever he shall be; and I shall speak of thee to my father, and whatever thing I shall see/and whatever thing I shall understand of him, I shall tell thee (and whatever I shall learn from him, I shall tell thee).

4 Then Jonathan spake good things of David to Saul, his father, and said to him, King, do thou not sin against thy servant David, for he hath not sinned to thee, and his works be full good to thee; (Then Jonathan spoke good things about David to his father Saul, and said to him, O king, do not thou sin against thy servant David, for he hath not sinned against thee, and his works be very good towards thee;)

5 and he putted his life in his hand, and he killed the Philistine. And the Lord made great help to all Israel; thou sawest, and were glad; why therefore sinnest thou in guiltless blood, and wilt slay David, that is without guilt? (and he put his life in his hands, and he killed the Philistine. And the Lord won a great victory for all Israel; thou sawest this, and wast glad; and so why sinnest thou against innocent blood, and wilt kill David, who is without guilt?)

6 And when Saul had heard this, he was pleased with the speaking of Jonathan, and he swore, (As) The Lord liveth, for David shall not be slain.

7 And so Jonathan called David, and showed to him all these words (and told him all these things). And Jonathan brought in David to Saul, and he was before him as [he was] yesterday and the third day ago.

1 Samuel 19:1-7 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO FIRST SAMUEL 19

This chapter relates the dangers David was exposed unto through Saul's enmity at him, and his deliverance from them, as by the notice Jonathan gave him of his father's designs against him, and by his kind interposition on his behalf, 1Sa 19:1-7; by David's slipping out of Saul's presence, when he was about to cast a javelin at him, 1Sa 19:8-10; by Michal's letting him down through a window, when Saul sent messengers to kill him, and by deceiving them with an image laid in his bed in the room of him, 1Sa 19:11-17, and again by Samuel's protection of him at Naioth, whither David fled, and where Saul sent messengers after him, and at length came himself; and instead of laying hands on David, both he and the messengers were set a prophesying, 1Sa 19:18-24.