1 Samuel 20:42

42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘The LORD is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.^[a]

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1 Samuel 20:42 in Other Translations

KJV

42 And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.

ESV

42 Then Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.'" And he rose and departed, and Jonathan went into the city.

NLT

42 At last Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn loyalty to each other in the LORD ’s name. The LORD is the witness of a bond between us and our children forever.” Then David left, and Jonathan returned to the town.

MSG

42 Jonathan said, "Go in peace! The two of us have vowed friendship in God's name, saying, 'God will be the bond between me and you, and between my children and your children forever!'"

CSB

42 Jonathan then said to David, "Go in the assurance the two of us pledged in the name of the Lord when we said: The Lord will be [a witness] between you and me and between my offspring and your offspring forever." Then David left, and Jonathan went into the city.

1 Samuel 20:42 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:42

And Jonathan said to David, go in peace
In peace of mind, committing himself, his family, and affairs, to the providence of God, who would take care of him, and keep him in safety from the evil designs of Saul; and particularly he would have him be easy with respect to what had passed between them two, not doubting but it would be faithfully observed on both sides:

forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord:
had made a covenant with each other by an oath, in the name and presence of God as a witness to it:

saying, the Lord be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy
seed for ever;
as a witness of the agreement between them, including them and their offspring, and as a revenger of such that should break it. The Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord be between thee and me''

and he arose and departed;
that is, David arose from the ground, and took his leave of Jonathan, and departed into the country for the safety of his person and life:

and Jonathan went into the city;
into the city of Gibeah, where Saul dwelt and had his court.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

1 Samuel 20:42 In-Context

40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”

41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.

Cross References 5

1. ver 22; S 1 Samuel 1:17; S Acts 15:33
2. S Genesis 40:14; 2 Samuel 1:26; Proverbs 18:24
3. Isaiah 48:1
4. S Genesis 31:50; S 1 Samuel 18:3
5. 2 Samuel 9:1

Footnotes 1

[a]. In Hebrew texts this sentence (20:42b) is numbered 21:1.