And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.
Parallel translations
- WEB Concerning the matter which you and I have spoken of, behold, Yahweh is between you and me forever.”
- BSB And as for the matter you and I have discussed, the LORD is a witness between you and me forever.”
- 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 thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the LORD, that I die not:
- 1 Sam 20:42And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever. And he arose and departed: and Jonathan went into the city.
- Gen 31:50If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee.
- Gen 16:5And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee.
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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