1 Samuel 20 · Verse 3

1 Samuel 20:3

And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
1 Samuel 20:3, King James Version

1 Samuel 20:3 in other translations

BSBBut David again vowed, “Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he has said, ‘Jonathan must not know of this, or he will be grieved.’ As surely as the LORD lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.”
WEBDavid swore moreover, and said, “Your father knows well that I have found favor in your eyes; and he says, ‘Don’t let Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved;’ but truly as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death.”
ASVAnd David sware moreover, and said, Thy father knoweth well that I have found favor in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
YLTAnd David sweareth again, and saith, ‘Thy father hath certainly known that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; and yet, Jehovah liveth, and thy soul liveth, but--as a step between me and death.'
DARBYAnd David swore again and again, and said, Thy father certainly knows that I have found favour in thy sight: and he has thought, Jonathan shall not know this, lest he be grieved; but truly as Jehovah liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
BBEBut David took his oath again and said, Your father sees that I am dear to you; so he says to himself, Let Jonathan have no idea of this, for it will be a grief to him; but as the Lord is living, and as your soul is living, there is only a step between me and death.
WebsterAnd David swore moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thy eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he should be grieved: But truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

What does 1 Samuel 20:3 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 1 Samuel 20:1-3

1Sa 20:1-10. David Consults with Jonathan for His Safety. 1-3. David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan--He could not remain in Naioth, for he had strong reason to fear that when the religious fit, if we may so call it, was over, Saul would relapse into his usual fell and sanguinary temper. It may be thought that David acted imprudently in directing his flight to Gibeah. But he was…

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Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 3 There is but a step between me and death - My life is in the most imminent danger. Your father has, most assuredly, determined to destroy me. The same figure used here, there is but a step between me and death, may be found in Juvenal, who, satirizing those who risk their lives for the sake of gain in perilous voyages, speaks thus: - I nune et ventis animam committe, dolato Confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus Quatuor aut septem, si sit latissima teda. Sat. xii., ver. 57. "Go now, and commit thy life to the winds, trusting to a hewn plank, four or seven fingers thick, if the beam out of which it has been cut have been large enough."

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 20:1-10

The trials David met with, prepared him for future advancement. Thus the Lord deals with those whom he prepares unto glory. He does not put them into immediate possession of the kingdom, but leads them to it through much tribulation, which he makes the means of fitting them for it. Let them not murmur at his gracious appointment, nor distrust his care; but let them look forward with joyful expectation to the crown…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 20:1-10 →

1 Samuel 20:3 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.

וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨עvai.yi.sha.Va'and he swore an oathH7650
ע֜וֹדodagainH5750
דָּוִ֗דda.VidDavidH1732
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.merand he saidH559
יָדֹ֨עַya.Do.a'certainly <to know>H3045
יָדַ֜עya.Da'he knowsH3045
אָבִ֗יךָ'a.Vi.khafather yourH1
כִּֽי\־ki-thatH3588
מָצָ֤אתִיma.Tza.tiI have foundH4672
חֵן֙chenfavorH2580
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָbe.'ei.Nei.khain view yourH5869
וַיֹּ֛אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he has saidH559
אַל\־'al-may notH408
יֵֽדַע\־ye.da'-he knowH3045
זֹ֥אתzotthisH2063
יְהוֹנָתָ֖ןye.ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
פֶּן\־pen-lestH6435
יֵֽעָצֵ֑בye.'a.Tzevhe should be grievedH6087
וְאוּלָ֗םve.'u.Lamand butH199
חַי\־chai-[by] [the] lifeH2416
יְהוָה֙Yah.wehof YahwehH3068
וְחֵ֣יve.Cheiand [by] [the] life ofH2416
נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָnaf.She.khaself yourH5315
כִּ֣יkiforH3588
כְפֶ֔שַׂעkhe.Fe.sa'about a stepH6587
בֵּינִ֖יbei.Nibetween meH996
וּבֵ֥יןu.Veinand betweenH996
הַמָּֽוֶת\׃ha.Ma.vet<the> deathH4194

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 20:3

  • Deuteronomy 6:13

    Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.

  • 1 Samuel 27:1

    And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

  • 1 Samuel 25:26

    Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, seeing the Lord hath withholden thee from coming to shed blood, and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies, and they that seek evil to my lord, be as Nabal.

  • 2 Kings 2:6

    And Elijah said unto him, Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. And they two went on.

  • 1 Samuel 1:26

    And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.

  • 2 Kings 2:2

    And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Beth–el. And Elisha said unto him, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Beth–el.

  • 2 Kings 2:4

    And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the Lord hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho.

  • 1 Samuel 17:55

    And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, Abner, whose son is this youth? And Abner said, As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell.

  • Hebrews 6:16

    For men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.

  • Psalms 116:3

    The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.

  • Jeremiah 38:16

    So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life.

  • 2 Samuel 15:21

    And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the Lord liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
sware.
De 6:13; Jer 4:2; Heb 6:16
but truly.
25:26; 27:1; 2Sa 15:21; 2Ki 2:2,4,6
as thy soul.
1:26; 17:55; Jer 38:16
but a step.
27:1; De 28:66; Ps 116:3; 1Co 15:30,31; 2Co 1:9,10

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 20:2

    And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

  • 1 Samuel 20:3

    And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.

  • 1 Samuel 20:4

    Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.

Read all of 1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:3 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y David volvió á jurar, diciendo: Tu padre sabe claramente que yo he hallado gracia delante de tus ojos, y dirá: No sepa esto Jonathán, porque no tenga pesar: y ciertamente, vive Jehová y vive tu alma, que apenas hay un paso entre mí y la muerte.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et David jura encore et dit: Ton père sait très bien que j’ai trouvé grâce à tes yeux, et il aura dit: Que Jonathan ne sache point cela, de peur qu’il n’en soit attristé. Mais l’ Éternel est vivant, et ton âme est vivante, qu’il n’y a qu’un pas entre moi et la mort!
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und David fuhr fort und schwur und sprach: Dein Vater weiß wohl, daß ich Gnade gefunden habe in deinen Augen, und er hat gedacht: Jonathan soll dieses nicht wissen, damit er sich nicht betrübe. Aber doch, so wahr Jehova lebt und deine Seele lebt, nur ein Schritt ist zwischen mir und dem Tode!
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Et juravit rursum Davidi. Et ille ait: Scit profecto pater tuus quia inveni gratiam in oculis tuis, et dicet: Nesciat hoc Jonathas, ne forte tristetur. Quinimmo vivit Dominus, et vivit anima tua, quia uno tantum (ut ita dicam) gradu ego morsque dividimur.