1 Samuel 20 · Verse 32

1 Samuel 20:32

And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
1 Samuel 20:32, King James Version

1 Samuel 20:32 in other translations

BSB“Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
WEBJonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
ASVAnd Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore should he be put to death? what hath he done?
YLTAnd Jonathan answereth Saul his father, and saith unto him, ‘Why is he put to death? what hath he done?'
DARBYAnd Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why should he be put to death? what has he done?
BBEAnd Jonathan, answering his father Saul, said to him, Why is he to be put to death? What has he done?
WebsterAnd Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, Why shall he be slain? what hath he done?

What does 1 Samuel 20:32 mean?

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Samuel 20:24-34

None were more constant than David in attending holy duties; nor had he been absent, but self-preservation obliged him to withdraw. In great peril present opportunities for Divine ordinances may be waved. But it is bad for us, except in case of necessity, to omit any opportunity of statedly attending on them. Jonathan did wisely and well for himself and family, to secure an interest in David, yet for this he is…

Read the full comment on 1 Samuel 20:24-34 →

1 Samuel 20:32 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.

וַיַּ֙עַן֙vai.Ya.'anand he answeredH6030
יְה֣וֹנָתָ֔ןye.Ho.na.TanJonathanH3083
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
שָׁא֖וּלsha.'UlSaulH7586
אָבִ֑יו'a.Vivfather hisH1
וַיֹּ֧אמֶרvai.Yo.merand he saidH559
אֵלָ֛יו'e.Lavto himH413
לָ֥מָּהLa.mah<to> why?H4100
יוּמַ֖תyu.Matwill he be put to deathH4191
מֶ֥הmehwhat?H4100
עָשָֽׂה\׃'a.Sahhas he doneH6213

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

Cross references for 1 Samuel 20:32

  • Matthew 27:23

    And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.

  • 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?

  • Luke 23:22

    And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.

  • Genesis 31:36

    And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

  • 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.

  • 1 Samuel 19:10-11

    And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night. Saul also sent messengers unto David’s house, to watch him, and to slay him in the morning: and Michal David’s wife told him, saying, If thou save not thy life to night, to morrow thou shalt be slain.

  • Proverbs 22:24

    Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:

  • 1 Samuel 20:7

    If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

  • 1 Samuel 18:11

    And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.

  • Jeremiah 17:9

    The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

  • John 7:51

    Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

  • Ecclesiastes 7:9

    Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Wherefore.
19:5; Pr 24:11,12; 31:8,9; Joh 7:51
what hath.
Mt 27:23; Lu 23:22
cast.
18:11; 19:10,11; Pr 22:24; Ec 9:3; Jer 17:9
whereby.
7; Ec 7:9

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

Context

  • 1 Samuel 20:31

    For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

  • 1 Samuel 20:32

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

  • 1 Samuel 20:33

    And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.

Read all of 1 Samuel 20

1 Samuel 20:32 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Jonathán respondió á su padre Saúl, y díjole: ¿Por qué morirá? ¿qué ha hecho?
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Jonathan répondit à Saül, son père, et lui dit: Pourquoi serait-il mis à mort? Qu’a-t-il fait?
German
Elberfelder 1871
Und Jonathan antwortete seinem Vater Saul und sprach zu ihm: Warum soll er getötet werden? was hat er getan?
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Respondens autem Jonathas Sauli patri suo, ait: Quare morietur? quid fecit?