1 Samuel 20:13

13 God do these things to Jonathan, and add these (other) things. And if the malice of my father continue against thee, I shall show it to thine ear (I shall tell it to thee), and I shall deliver thee, (so) that thou go in peace; and the Lord be with thee, as he was with my father.

1 Samuel 20:13 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:13

The Lord do so and much more to Jonathan
Recompense evil more than can be thought of and expressed, should he neglect to inform David of the good disposition of Saul unto him:

but if it please my father [to do] thee evil;
if he seems determined upon it to take away thy life:

then I will show it thee;
not by a messenger, by whom it would not be safe to communicate it, lest by that means Saul would know where he was, and come and slay him; but Jonathan would come himself, and acquaint him with it:

and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace;
give him leave, and advise him to depart, and provide for his own safety, adding his blessing on him, and prayer for him:

and the Lord be with thee, as he hath been with my father;
in the beginning of his reign, giving him counsel and advice in all things, and victory over his enemies, succeeding and prospering him in whatsoever he engaged in; the Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord be for thy help''

Jonathan seemed to be fully apprized that David was to succeed in the kingdom.

1 Samuel 20:13 In-Context

11 And Jonathan said to David, Come thou, and go we forth into the field. And when they both had gone into the field,
12 Jonathan said (out loud) to David, Thou Lord God of Israel, if I inquire the sentence of my father tomorrow, either in the next day after (O Lord God of Israel, if I inquire about my father's thoughts tomorrow, or the next day), and any good thing be said of thee, (David,) and I send not at once to thee, and make it known to thee,
13 God do these things to Jonathan, and add these (other) things. And if the malice of my father continue against thee, I shall show it to thine ear (I shall tell it to thee), and I shall deliver thee, (so) that thou go in peace; and the Lord be with thee, as he was with my father.
14 And if I live, do thou the mercies of the Lord to me; forsooth if I am dead, (And while I live, do thou the Lord's mercies to me; but if I should die,)
15 take thou not away thy mercy from mine house unto without end; and if I do it not, when the Lord shall draw out by the root the enemies of David, each man from the land, take he away Jonathan from his house, and seek the Lord of the hand of the enemies of David. (take thou not away thy mercy from my family forevermore; and even when the Lord shall draw out David's enemies by the root, yea, each man from the land, let the Lord call David to account, if he and his household, or his family, no longer be my friends.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.