Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has he done?”
Parallel translations
- KJV And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
- BSB “Why must he be put to death?” Jonathan replied. “What has he done?”
- NKJV And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be killed? What has he done?”
- NASB But Jonathan replied to his father Saul and said to him, “Why must he be put to death? What has he done?”
- NLT “But why should he be put to death?” Jonathan asked his father. “What has he done?”
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 boldly asks his father why David should be put to death, and what he has done.
Overview
Jonathan rises to defend his innocent friend, challenging the justice of Saul's verdict. His question echoes the refrain that David has done nothing deserving death. Standing for the innocent against a powerful and angry king, Jonathan again models faithful advocacy and courage rooted in love.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Matt 27:23But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
- 1 Sam 19:5for he put his life in his hand, and struck the Philistine, and Yahweh worked a great victory for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood, to kill David without a cause?”
- Luke 23:22He said to them the third time, “Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him.”
- Gen 31:36Jacob was angry, and argued with Laban. Jacob answered Laban, “What is my trespass? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me?
- Prov 24:11–12Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter!
- 1 Sam 20:7If he says, ‘It is well;’ your servant shall have peace: but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
- Prov 31:8–9Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate.
- Eccl 7:9Don’t be hasty in your spirit to be angry, for anger rests in the bosom of fools.
- 1 Sam 18:11and Saul threw the spear, for he said, “I will pin David even to the wall!” David escaped from his presence twice.
- Eccl 9:3This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one event to all: yes also, the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.
- John 7:51“Does our law judge a man, unless it first hears from him personally and knows what he does?”
- Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt. Who can know it?
- 1 Sam 19:10–11Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear; but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he stuck the spear into the wall. David fled, and escaped that night.
- Prov 22:24Don’t befriend a hot-tempered man, and don’t associate with one who harbors anger:
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 20:32 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.