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And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
1 Samuel 20:14 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB You shall not only while yet I live show me the loving kindness of Yahweh, that I not die;
  • BSB And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
  • NKJV And you shall not only show me the kindness of the Lord while I still live, that I may not die;
  • NASB And if I am still alive, will you not show me the faithfulness of the Lord, so that I do not die?
  • NLT And may you treat me with the faithful love of the Lord as long as I live. But if I die,

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jonathan asks David to show him the Lord's loving kindness while he lives, that he not die.

Overview

Jonathan secures David's covenant loyalty for his own lifetime, appealing to the covenant love (hesed) of the Lord. He foresees David's rise and seeks mercy for himself when that day comes. This loyal love, modeled on God's own steadfast kindness, binds the two friends across the coming transition of power.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 2

  • 2 Sam 9:3And the king said, Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may shew the kindness of God unto him? And Ziba said unto the king, Jonathan hath yet a son, which is lame on his feet.
  • Eph 5:1–2Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 1 Samuel videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 1 Samuel 20:14YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 1 SamuelMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.

How 1 Samuel 20:14 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.