Lectionary Calendar
Thursday, August 14th, 2025
the Week of Proper 14 / Ordinary 19
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

Good News Translation

1 Samuel 23:16

Jonathan went to him there and encouraged him with assurances of God's protection,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Communion;   David;   Friendship;   Jonathan;   Malice;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Communion of Saints;   Forests;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Prayer;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jonathan;   Ziph (1);   Holman Bible Dictionary - Hand;   Horesh;   Jonathan;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Horesh;   Saul;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Forest;   Jonathan ;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Rock;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Jonathan;   Ziph;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Jon'athan,;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Hand;   Jonathan (2);  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God,
Hebrew Names Version
Yonatan, Sha'ul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
King James Version
And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
Lexham English Bible
So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him through God.
English Standard Version
And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.
New Century Version
But Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and strengthened his faith in God.
New English Translation
Then Jonathan son of Saul left and went to David at Horesh. He encouraged him through God.
Amplified Bible
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went [into the woods] to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.
New American Standard Bible
And Jonathan, Saul's son, set out and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And Ionathan Sauls sonne arose and went to Dauid into the wood, and comforted him in God,
Legacy Standard Bible
So Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh and strengthened his hand in God.
Contemporary English Version
But Jonathan went to see David, and God helped him encourage David.
Complete Jewish Bible
Y'honatan Sha'ul's son set out and went to David at Horesh to encourage him in God.
Darby Translation
And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
Easy-to-Read Version
But Saul's son Jonathan went to see David at Horesh and encouraged him to have a stronger faith in God.
George Lamsa Translation
And Jonathan, Sauls son, arose and went to David in the forest, and strengthened his hands in God.
Literal Translation
And Jonathan the son of Saul rose up and went out to David, to the forest. And he made his hand strong in God,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then Ionathas the sonne of Saul gat him vp, and wete vnto Dauid in to the wod, and strengthed his hande in God,
American Standard Version
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
Bible in Basic English
And Saul's son Jonathan went to David in Horesh, and made his hands strong in God;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ionathan Sauls sonne arose and went to Dauid into the wood, and comforted his hande in God,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
King James Version (1611)
And Ionathan Sauls sonne arose, & went to Dauid into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jonathan son of Saul rose, and went to David to Caene, and strengthened his hands in the Lord.
English Revised Version
And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
Berean Standard Bible
And Saul's son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and strengthened his hand in God,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Jonathas, the sone of Saul, roos, and yede to Dauid in to the wode, and coumfortide hise hondis in God.
Young's Literal Translation
And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,
Update Bible Version
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the forest, and strengthened his hand in God.
Webster's Bible Translation
And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
World English Bible
Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.
New King James Version
Then Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in God.
New Living Translation
Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.
New Life Bible
Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and gave him strength in God.
New Revised Standard
Saul's son Jonathan set out and came to David at Horesh; there he strengthened his hand through the Lord .
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went unto David in the thicket, - and strengthened his hand in God;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And Jonathan, the son of Saul, arose, and went to David, into the wood, and strengthened his hands in God: and he said to him:
Revised Standard Version
And Jonathan, Saul's son, rose, and went to David at Horesh, and strengthened his hand in God.
THE MESSAGE
Jonathan, Saul's son, visited David at Horesh and encouraged him in God. He said, "Don't despair. My father, Saul, can't lay a hand on you. You will be Israel's king and I'll be right at your side to help. And my father knows it." Then the two of them made a covenant before God . David stayed at Horesh and Jonathan went home.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God.

Contextual Overview

14 David stayed in hiding in the hill country, in the wilderness near Ziph. Saul was always trying to find him, but God did not turn David over to him. 15 David saw that Saul was out to kill him. David was at Horesh, in the wilderness near Ziph. 16 Jonathan went to him there and encouraged him with assurances of God's protection, 17 saying to him, "Don't be afraid. My father Saul won't be able to harm you. He knows very well that you are the one who will be the king of Israel and that I will be next in rank to you." 18 The two of them made a sacred promise of friendship to each other. David stayed at Horesh, and Jonathan went home.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

strengthened: Deuteronomy 3:28, Nehemiah 2:18, Job 4:3, Job 4:4, Job 16:5, Proverbs 27:9, Proverbs 27:17, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:4, Ezekiel 13:22, Luke 22:32, Luke 22:43, Ephesians 6:10, 2 Timothy 2:1, Hebrews 12:12, Hebrews 12:13

Reciprocal: Genesis 48:2 - strengthened Judges 7:11 - thine hands 1 Samuel 22:8 - that my son 2 Samuel 1:26 - thy love 2 Samuel 9:1 - show him 2 Chronicles 17:1 - and strengthened Psalms 119:150 - draw nigh Proverbs 17:17 - General Ecclesiastes 4:10 - if Malachi 3:16 - spake

Cross-References

Genesis 23:15
"Sir, land worth only four hundred pieces of silver—what is that between us? Bury your wife in it."
Genesis 43:21
When we set up camp on the way home, we opened our sacks, and each man found his money in the top of his sack—every bit of it. We have brought it back to you.
Exodus 30:13
Everyone included in the census must pay the required amount of money, weighed according to the official standard. Everyone must pay this as an offering to me.
Job 28:15
It cannot be bought with silver or gold.
Jeremiah 32:9
I bought the field from Hanamel and weighed out the money to him; the price came to seventeen pieces of silver.
Ezekiel 45:12
"Your weights are to be as follows: 20 gerahs = 1 shekel 60 shekels = 1 mina
Zechariah 11:12
I said to them, "If you are willing, give me my wages. But if not, keep them." So they paid me thirty pieces of silver as my wages.
Matthew 7:12
"Do for others what you want them to do for you: this is the meaning of the Law of Moses and of the teachings of the prophets.
Romans 13:8
Be under obligation to no one—the only obligation you have is to love one another. Whoever does this has obeyed the Law.
Philippians 4:8
In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose,.... And came from Gibeah, which, according to Bunting o, was twenty two miles from the place where David was:

and went to David into the wood: having had intelligence where he was, this being a proper place to have an interview with him privately:

and strengthened his hand in God; and his heart too, his hand of faith to lay hold on God, as his covenant God and lean and rely upon him; he strengthened him in his power and in his providence, and in his promises to him; the Targum is,

"he strengthened him in the Word of the Lord;''

not only in his word and promise, but in Christ the essential Word of God, who should spring from him according to the flesh.

o Travels, &c. p. 334. (text not clear could be 834 or some other number)

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A touching example of mutual fidelity between friends. The humility and unselfish love of Jonathan is apparent in 1 Samuel 23:17.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 23:16. And Jonathan - strengthened his hand in God. — It is probable that there was always a secret intercourse between David and Jonathan, and that by this most trusty friend he was apprised of the various designs of Saul to take away his life. As Jonathan well knew that God had appointed David to the kingdom, he came now to encourage him to trust in the Most High, and to assure him that the hand of Saul should not prevail against him; and at this interview they renewed their covenant of friendship. Now all this Jonathan could do, consistently with his duty to his father and his king. He knew that David had delivered the kingdom; he saw that his father was ruling unconstitutionally; and he knew that God had appointed David to succeed Saul. This he knew would come about in the order of Providence; and neither he nor David took one step to hasten the time. Jonathan, by his several interferences, prevented his father from imbruing his hands in innocent blood: a more filial and a more loyal part he could not have acted; and therefore, in his attachment to David, he is wholly free of blame.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile