1 Samuel 20 · Verse 16

1 Samuel 20:16

So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
1 Samuel 20:16, King James Version

1 Samuel 20:16 in other translations

BSBSo Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the LORD hold David’s enemies accountable.”
WEBSo Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “The LORD will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
ASVSo Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
YLTAnd Jonathan covenanteth with the house of David, and Jehovah hath sought it from the hand of the enemies of David;
DARBYAnd Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let Jehovah even require it at the hand of David's enemies!
BBEAnd if it comes about that the name of Jonathan is cut off from the family of David, the Lord will make David responsible.
WebsterSo Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.

What does 1 Samuel 20:16 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 20:11-23

Jonathan faithfully promises that he would let David know how he found his father affected towards him. It will be kindness to ourselves and to ours, to secure an interest in those whom God favours, and to make his friends ours. True friendship rests on a firm basis, and is able to silence ambition, self-love, and undue regard for others. But who can fully understand the love of Jesus, who gave himself as a…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 20:11-23 →

1 Samuel 20:16 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.

וַיִּכְרֹ֥תvai.yikh.Rotand he madeH3772
יְהוֹנָתָ֖ןye.ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
עִם\־'im-withH5973
בֵּ֣יתbeit[the] house ofH1004
דָּוִ֑דda.VidDavidH1732
וּבִקֵּ֣שׁu.vi.Keshand he will requireH1245
יְהוָ֔הYah.wehYahwehH3068
מִיַּ֖דmi.Yadfrom [the] hand ofH3027
אֹיְבֵ֥י'o.ye.Vei[the] enemies ofH341
דָוִֽד\׃da.VidDavidH1732

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 20:16

  • 1 Samuel 25:22

    So and more also do God unto the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall.

  • 1 Samuel 18:3

    Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

  • 2 Samuel 4:7-8

    For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. And they brought the head of Ish–bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish–bosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the Lord hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed.

  • 2 Samuel 21:8

    But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bare unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth; and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite:

  • Genesis 15:18

    In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

  • 1 Samuel 31:2

    And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchi–shua, Saul’s sons.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
made. Heb. cut.
18:3; Ge 15:18
Let the Lord.
25:22; 31:2; 2Sa 4:7,8; 21:8

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 20:15

    But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the Lord hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

  • 1 Samuel 20:16

    So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.

  • 1 Samuel 20:17

    And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

Read all of 1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Así hizo Jonathán alianza con la casa de David, diciendo: Requiéralo Jehová de la mano de los enemigos de David.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Jonathan fit alliance avec la maison de David: Que l’ Éternel le redemande de la main des ennemis de David!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jonathan machte einen Bund mit dem Hause Davids und sprach: So fordere es Jehova von der Hand der Feinde Davids!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Pepigit ergo Jonathas fœdus cum domo David: et requisivit Dominus de manu inimicorum David.