1 Samuel 19 · Verse 4

1 Samuel 19:4

And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
1 Samuel 19:4, King James Version

1 Samuel 19:4 in other translations

BSBThen Jonathan spoke well of David to his father Saul and said to him, “The king should not sin against his servant David; he has not sinned against you. In fact, his actions have been highly beneficial to you.
WEBJonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, “Don’t let the king sin against his servant, against David; because he has not sinned against you, and because his works have been very good toward you;
ASVAnd Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:
YLTAnd Jonathan speaketh good of David unto Saul his father, and saith unto him, ‘Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works for thee are very good;
DARBYAnd Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he has not sinned against thee; for also what he did was very advantageous to thee;
BBEAnd Jonathan gave his father Saul a good account of David, and said to him, Let not the king do wrong against his servant, against David; because he has done you no wrong, and all his acts have had a good outcome for you:
WebsterAnd Jonathan spoke good of David to Saul his father, and said to him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been toward thee very good:

What does 1 Samuel 19:4 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 19:4-7
4-7. Jonathan spake good of David--He told his father he was committing a great sin to plot against the life of a man who had rendered the most invaluable services to his country and whose loyalty had been uniformly steady and devoted. The strong remonstrances of Jonathan produced an effect on the impulsive mind of his father. As he was still susceptible of good and honest impressions, he bound himself by an oath to relinquish his hostile purpose; and thus, through the intervention of the noble-minded prince, a temporary reconciliation was effected, in consequence of which David was again employed in the public service. 1Sa 19:8-17. Saul's Malicious Rage Breaks Out against David.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 4 Jonathan spake good of David - It is evident that Jonathan was satisfied that David was an innocent man; and that his father was most unjustly incensed against him.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 19:1-10

How forcible are right words! Saul was, for a time, convinced of the unreasonableness of his enmity to David; but he continued his malice against David. So incurable is the hatred of the seed of the serpent against that of the woman; so deceitful and desperately wicked is the heart of man without the grace of God, Jer 17:9.

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 19:1-10 →

1 Samuel 19:4 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְדַבֵּ֨רvay.da.Berand he spokeH1696
יְהוֹנָתָ֤ןye.ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
בְּדָוִד֙be.da.Vidin DavidH1732
ט֔וֹבTovgoodH2896
אֶל\־'el-toH413
שָׁא֖וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
אָבִ֑יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וַיֹּ֣אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֵ֠לָיו'E.lavto himH413
אַל\־'al-may notH408
יֶחֱטָ֨אye.che.Ta'he sinH2398
הַמֶּ֜לֶךְha.Me.lekhthe kingH4428
בְּעַבְדּ֣וֹbe.'av.Doagainst servant hisH5650
בְדָוִ֗דve.da.Vidagainst DavidH1732
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
ל֤וֹאLo'notH3808
חָטָא֙cha.Ta'he has sinnedH2398
לָ֔ךְLakhto <the> you
וְכִ֥יve.Khiand forH3588
מַעֲשָׂ֖יוma.'a.Savdeeds hisH4639
טוֹב\־tov-[are] goodH2896
לְךָ֥le.Khafor <the> you
מְאֹֽד\׃me.'OdexceedinglyH3966

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 1 Samuel 19:4

  • Jeremiah 18:20

    Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.

  • Proverbs 31:8-9

    Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

  • Genesis 42:22

    And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.

  • 1 Samuel 20:32

    And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?

  • Proverbs 17:13

    Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

  • 1 Samuel 22:14

    Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?

  • Psalms 109:4-5

    For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

  • Psalms 35:12

    They rewarded me evil for good to the spoiling of my soul.

  • Genesis 9:6

    Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

  • 2 Chronicles 6:22

    If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

  • 1 Corinthians 8:12

    But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

  • 1 Samuel 2:25

    If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
spake good.
20:32; 22:14; Pr 24:11,12; 31:8,9; Jer 18:20
sin against.
2:25; Ge 9:6; 42:22; 2Ch 6:22; 1Co 8:12; 1Jo 3:15
because his works.
Ps 35:12; 109:4,5; Pr 17:13; Jer 18:20

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 1 Samuel 19:3

    And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

  • 1 Samuel 19:4

    And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have been to thee-ward very good:

  • 1 Samuel 19:5

    For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the Lord wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

Read all of 1 Samuel 19

1 Samuel 19:4 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Jonathán habló bien de David á Saúl su padre, y díjole: No peque el rey contra su siervo David, pues que ninguna cosa ha cometido contra ti: antes sus obras te han sido muy buenas;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Jonathan parla en bien de David à Saül, son père, et lui dit: Que le roi ne pèche point contre son serviteur, contre David, car il n’a point péché contre toi; et même ce qu’il a fait est très avantageux pour toi.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Jonathan redete zu seinem Vater Saul Gutes von David und sprach zu ihm: Der König versündige sich nicht an seinem Knechte, an David; denn er hat nicht gegen dich gesündigt, und seine Taten sind dir sehr nützlich.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Locutus est ergo Jonathas de David bona ad Saul patrem suum: dixitque ad eum: Ne pecces rex in servum tuum David, quia non peccavit tibi, et opera ejus bona sunt tibi valde.