And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?
Parallel translations
- WEB Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said to him, “Why should he be put to death? What has 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 27:23And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified.
- 1 Sam 19:5For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?
- Luke 23:22And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath he done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him, and let him go.
- Gen 31:36And Jacob was wroth, and chode with Laban: and Jacob answered and said to Laban, What is my trespass? what is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?
- Prov 24:11–12If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain;
- 1 Sam 20:7If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
- Prov 31:8–9Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
- Eccl 7:9Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
- 1 Sam 18:11And Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it. And David avoided out of his presence twice.
- Eccl 9:3This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, 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 7:51Doth our law judge any man, before it hear him, and know what he doeth?
- Jer 17:9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
- 1 Sam 19:10–11And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin, but he slipped away out of Saul’s presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall: and David fled, and escaped that night.
- Prov 22:24Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go:
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 20:32 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.