1 Samuel 20:3 Meaning and Explanation
“And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →David swears that Saul has hidden his murderous intent from Jonathan precisely because of their friendship, and that death is one step away.
What Does 1 Samuel 20:3 Mean?
David presses past Jonathan's comfort with an oath. He explains why Jonathan has been kept in the dark: Saul knows the depth of their friendship and shields his son from grief. The very love that makes Jonathan trusting is what Saul exploits to conceal his plot.
Then comes one of Scripture's starkest images of mortal danger: there is but a step between me and death. David lives on the thin edge of survival, yet he frames it by the living LORD. Even at the brink, the believer measures his peril against the God who lives, and finds that the same nearness to death is a nearness to the One who holds his breath.
1 Samuel 20:3 in the Original Language
hesed (חֶסֶד), 'grace' -- the loyal, covenant kindness that binds friend to friend.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 20:3
What does 1 Samuel 20:3 mean?
David swears that Saul has hidden his murderous intent from Jonathan precisely because of their friendship, and that death is one step away.