And if I am still alive, will you not show me the faithfulness of the Lord, so that I do not die?
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall not only while yet I live show me the loving kindness of Yahweh, that I not die;
- KJV And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
- 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;
- 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
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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
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