1 Samuel 20:15

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.)

1 Samuel 20:15 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 20:15

But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house
for ever
His family should partake of it as well as himself:

no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David, everyone
from the face of the earth;
Saul and his sons, and everyone that should oppose his settlement in the kingdom: Jonathan's meaning is, that the covenant between them should not be only between them personally, but include their posterity, as follows.

1 Samuel 20:15 In-Context

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.)
16 Therefore Jonathan made [a] bond of peace with the house of David, and the Lord sought (it) of the hand of [the] enemies of David. (And so Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord seek justice for me at the hands of David's enemies.)
17 And Jonathan added to swear steadfastly to David, for he loved him; for he loved so David, as his own soul. (And Jonathan added to steadfastly swear to David, for he loved him; yea, he loved David as much as his own life.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.