And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
Parallel translations
- WEB Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
- KJV And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
- NKJV And as for the matter which you and I have spoken of, indeed the Lord be between you and me forever.”
- NASB As for the agreement of which you and I have spoken, behold, the Lord is between you and me forever.”
- NLT And may the Lord make us keep our promises to each other, for he has witnessed them.”
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 declares that the Lord is witness between him and David forever concerning their agreement.
Overview
Jonathan seals their pact by naming the Lord as eternal witness to their covenant. God himself stands between the two friends as guarantor of their sworn loyalty. This appeal to the Lord as ever-present witness underscores that their bond is not merely human sentiment but a covenant held accountable to God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 1 Sam 20:14–15And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,
- 1 Sam 20:42And Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn in the name of the LORD, saying, ‘May the LORD be a witness between you and me, and between your descendants and mine forever.’” Then David got up and departed, and Jonathan went back into the city.
- Gen 31:50If you mistreat my daughters or take other wives, although no one is with us, remember that God is a witness between you and me.”
- Gen 16:5Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be upon you! I delivered my servant into your arms, and ever since she saw that she was pregnant, she has treated me with contempt. May the LORD judge between you and me.”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 20:23 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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