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Sunday, September 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 19 / Ordinary 24
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Bible in Basic English

1 Samuel 20:16

And if it comes about that the name of Jonathan is cut off from the family of David, the Lord will make David responsible.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Alliances;   Constancy;   Covenant;   Oath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Oaths;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Covenant;   Friend, Friendship;   Requirement;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Nob;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Mercy, Merciful;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Jonathan ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - David;   Jonathan;   Smith Bible Dictionary - New Moon;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Feasts;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Family and Family Life;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, “May the Lord hold David’s enemies accountable.”
Hebrew Names Version
So Yonatan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], the LORD will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
King James Version
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies.
Lexham English Bible
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May Yahweh call the enemies of David to account."
English Standard Version
And Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord take vengeance on David's enemies."
New Century Version
So Jonathan made an agreement with David. He said, "May the Lord hold David's enemies responsible."
New English Translation
and called David's enemies to account." So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David.
Amplified Bible
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David. [He added,] "May the LORD require it at the hands of David's enemies. [that is, hold them accountable for any harm they inflict on David]."
New American Standard Bible
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD demand it from the hands of David's enemies."
Geneva Bible (1587)
So Ionathan made a bond with the house of Dauid, saying, Let the Lorde require it at the hands of Dauids enemies.
Legacy Standard Bible
So Jonathan cut a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May Yahweh require it at the hands of David's enemies."
Contemporary English Version
Jonathan and David made an agreement that even David's descendants would have to keep. Then Jonathan said, "I pray that the Lord will take revenge on your descendants if they break our promise."
Complete Jewish Bible
Thus Y'honatan made a covenant with the family of David, adding, "May Adonai seek its fulfillment even through David's enemies."
Darby Translation
And Jonathan made [a covenant] with the house of David, [saying,] Let Jehovah even require [it] at the hand of David's enemies!
Easy-to-Read Version
So Jonathan made this agreement with David and his family, and he asked the Lord to hold them responsible for keeping it.
George Lamsa Translation
So Jonathans house shall flourish with the house of David; and may the LORD take vengeance on Davids enemies.
Good News Translation
may our promise to each other still be unbroken. If it is broken, the Lord will punish you."
Literal Translation
And Jonathan covenanted with the house of David, that Jehovah should seek it from the hand of David's enemies.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
then let Dauid rote out Ionathas also with his house, and the LORDE requyre it of the hande of Dauids enemies.
American Standard Version
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And so Ionathan made a bonde with the house of Dauid, [saying:] Let the lord require it at the handes of Dauids enemies.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David: 'The LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies.'
King James Version (1611)
So Ionathan made a couenant with the house of Dauid, saying, Let the Lord euen require it at the hande of Dauids enemies.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
thou shalt not withdraw thy mercy from my house for ever: and if thou doest not, when the Lord cuts off the enemies of David each from the face of the earth, should it happen that the name of Jonathan be discovered by the house of David, then let the Lord seek out the enemies of David.
English Revised Version
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], And the LORD shall require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
Berean Standard Bible
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD hold David's enemies accountable."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Jonathas made boond of pees with the hows of Dauid, and the Lord souyte of the hond of enemyes of Dauid.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jonathan covenanteth with the house of David, and Jehovah hath sought [it] from the hand of the enemies of David;
Update Bible Version
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], And Yahweh will require it at the hand of the sons of David.
Webster's Bible Translation
So Jonathan made [a covenant] with the house of David, [saying], Let the LORD even require [it] at the hand of David's enemies.
World English Bible
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, [saying], Yahweh will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
New King James Version
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the LORD require it at the hand of David's enemies."
New Living Translation
So Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, saying, "May the Lord destroy all your enemies!"
New Life Bible
Do not let the name of Jonathan be lost from the family of David. And may the Lord punish those who hate you."
New Revised Standard
Thus Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the Lord seek out the enemies of David."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Thus Jonathan solemnised a covenant with the house of David saying , - So let Yahweh require it, at the hand of the enemies of David.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Jonathan therefore made a covenant with the house of David: and the Lord required it at the hands of David’s enemies.
Revised Standard Version
let not the name of Jonathan be cut off from the house of David. And may the LORD take vengeance on David's enemies."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "May the LORD require it at the hands of David's enemies."

Contextual Overview

9 And Jonathan said, Do not have such a thought: for if I saw that my father was designing evil against you, would I not give you word of it? 10 Then David said to Jonathan, Who will give me word if your father gives you a rough answer? 11 And Jonathan said to David, Come, let us go out into the country. And the two of them went out together into the open country. 12 And Jonathan said to David, May the Lord, the God of Israel, be witness; when I have had a chance of talking to my father, about this time tomorrow, if his feelings to David are good, will I not send and give you the news? 13 May the Lord's punishment be on Jonathan, if it is my father's pleasure to do you evil and I do not give you word of it and send you away so that you may go in peace: and may the Lord be with you, as he has been with my father. 14 And may you, while I am still living, O may you be kind to me, as the Lord is kind, and keep me from death! 15 And let not your mercy ever be cut off from my family, even when the Lord has sent destruction on all David's haters, cutting them off from the face of the earth. 16 And if it comes about that the name of Jonathan is cut off from the family of David, the Lord will make David responsible. 17 And Jonathan again took an oath to David, because of his love for him: for David was as dear to him as his very soul. 18 Then Jonathan said to him, Tomorrow is the new moon: and it will be seen that you are not present, for there will be no one in your seat.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

made: Heb. cut, 1 Samuel 18:3, Genesis 15:18

Let the Lord: 1 Samuel 25:22, 1 Samuel 31:2, 2 Samuel 4:7, 2 Samuel 4:8, 2 Samuel 21:8

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:31 - sware Joshua 22:23 - let the Lord 1 Samuel 20:8 - thou hast Jeremiah 40:9 - sware

Cross-References

Genesis 20:3
But God came to Abimelech in a dream in the night, and said to him, Truly you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken; for she is a man's wife.
Genesis 20:5
Did he not say to me himself, She is my sister? and she herself said, He is my brother: with an upright heart and clean hands have I done this.
Genesis 20:6
And God said to him in the dream, I see that you have done this with an upright heart, and I have kept you from sinning against me: for this reason I did not let you come near her.
Genesis 20:8
So Abimelech got up early in the morning and sent for all his servants and gave them word of these things, and they were full of fear.
Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech sent for Abraham, and said, What have you done to us? what wrong have I done you that you have put on me and on my kingdom so great a sin? You have done to me things which are not to be done.
Genesis 24:65
And said to the servant, Who is that man coming to us through the field? And the servant said, It is my master: then she took her veil, covering her face with it.
Genesis 26:11
And Abimelech gave orders to his people that anyone touching Isaac or his wife was to be put to death.
Proverbs 12:1
A lover of training is a lover of knowledge; but a hater of teaching is like a beast.
Proverbs 25:12
Like a nose-ring of gold and an ornament of the best gold, is a wise man who says sharp words to an ear ready to give attention.
Proverbs 27:5
Better is open protest than love kept secret.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

So Jonathan made [a covenant] with the house of David,.... Not with David himself only, which was now renewed, but with his family also:

[saying], let the Lord even require [it] at the hand of David's enemies; take vengeance on Jonathan, or on any of his posterity, should they break this covenant, by showing themselves enemies to David, and his crown; and, on the other hand, also on David, and his posterity, should they not show kindness to Jonathan and his seed, according to the tenor of this covenant.


 
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