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 20:16KJV
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1 Samuel 20:16 (KJV)

What does 1 Samuel 20:16 mean?

1 Samuel 20:16 describes Jonathan making a solemn agreement, or covenant, with David’s family, calling on the LORD to hold David’s enemies accountable if the covenant is broken. The verse shows Jonathan’s deep loyalty to David, even to the point of involving God as a witness and judge over their agreement.

Jonathan is speaking to David during a tense time when Saul, David’s enemy and Jonathan’s own father, is seeking David’s life. By making this covenant, Jonathan is promising lasting support and protection for David and his descendants, and he asks God to punish any who would harm David. This act highlights the seriousness of their friendship and the trust between them.

The Hebrew behind 1 Samuel 20:16

  • "Made" (כָּרַת, karath): This word literally means "to cut," and is often used for making covenants, suggesting a binding, often sacrificial, agreement. It emphasizes the seriousness and permanence of Jonathan’s promise.
  • "House" (בַּיִת, bayith): Refers to David’s family or descendants, showing that Jonathan’s covenant is not just with David personally but extends to his whole lineage.
  • "Require" (בָּקַשׁ, baqash): This word means "to seek" or "to demand," and here it carries the sense of God actively holding someone accountable if the covenant is broken.
  • "Enemies" (אֹיֵב, oyev): Specifically refers to those who are hostile to David, underlining that the covenant includes a call for God’s justice against anyone who would oppose or harm David.

Why 1 Samuel 20:16 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Jonathan’s loyalty to David is not just personal friendship but a formal, God-invoked commitment that includes David’s entire family.
  • It shows the depth of trust between Jonathan and David, even in the face of family conflict and danger, and sets the stage for later events where David honors this covenant.
  • The verse highlights the seriousness of making promises before God in the ancient world, where breaking such a covenant was seen as inviting divine judgment.

Where else these words appear

“Jonathan” Hebrew H3083 · used in 73 verses

  • Judges 18:30 And the children of Dan set up the graven image: and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.
  • 1 Samuel 20:30 Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?
  • 2 Samuel 9:6 Now when Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come unto David, he fell on his face, and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, Behold thy servant!