Bible/1 Samuel/20

1 Samuel 20:39

20:38 And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.
But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

KJV

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But the boy didn’t know anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

20:40 And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city. artillery: Heb. instruments his lad: Heb. the lad that was his

What does 1 Samuel 20:39 mean?

1 Samuel 20:39 is a verse in the book of 1 Samuel, in the Old Testament. In the original Hebrew, key words include נַעַר (naʻar), יָדַע (yâdaʻ), מְאוּמָה (mᵉʼûwmâh). It connects to 29 cross-referenced passages elsewhere in Scripture.

Hebrew interlinear

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But
the
ladנַעַרnaʻar/nah'-ar/H5288(concretely) a boy (as active), from the age of infancy to adolescence; by implication, a servant; also (by interch. of sex), a girl (of similar latitude in age)
knewיָדַעyâdaʻ/yaw-dah'/H3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
not
any
thing:מְאוּמָהmᵉʼûwmâh/meh-oo'-maw/H3972properly, a speck or point, i.e. (by implication) something; with negative, nothing
only
JonathanיְהוֹנָתָןYᵉhôwnâthân/yeh-ho-naw-thawn'/H3083Jehonathan, the name of four Israelites
and
DavidדָּוִדDâvid/daw-veed'/H1732David, the youngest son of Jesse
knewיָדַעyâdaʻ/yaw-dah'/H3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
the
matter.דָּבָרdâbâr/daw-baw'/H1697a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

Commentary on 1 Samuel 20:39

HENRY_FULL · 1 Samuel 20:36–39
caps">b. c. 1065.) 32 Then said Samuel, Bring ye hither to me Agag the king of the Amalekites. And Agag came unto him delicately. And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past. 33 And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repented that he had made Saul king over Israel. Samuel, as a prophet, is here set over kings, Jer. i. 10 . I. He destroys king Agag, doubtless by such special direction from heaven as none now can pretend to. He hewed Agag in pieces. Some think he only ordered it to be done; or perhaps he did it with his own hands, as a sacrifice to God's injured justice ( v. 33 ), and sacrifices used to be cut in pieces. Now observe in this, 1. How Agag's present vain hopes were frustrated: He came delicately, in a stately manner, to show that he was a king, and therefore to be treated with respect, or in a soft effeminate manner, as one never used to hardship, that could not set the sole of his foot to the ground for tenderness and delicacy ( Deut. xxviii. 56 ), to move compassion: and he said, "Surely, now that the heat of the battle is over, the bitterness of death is past, v. 32 . Having escaped the sword of Saul," that man of war, he thought he was in no danger from Samuel, and old prophet, a man of peace. Note, (1.) There is bitterness in death, it is terrible to nature. Surely death is bitter, so divers versions read those words of Agag; as the LXX. read the former clause, He came trembling. Death will dismay the stoutest heart. (2.) Many think the bitterness of death is past when it is not so; they put that evil day far from them which is very near. True believers may, through grace, say this, upon good grounds, though death be not past, the bitterness of it is. O death! where is thy sting? 2. How his former wicked practices were now punished. Samuel calls him to account, not only for the sins of his ancestors, but his own sins: Thy sword has made women childless, v. 33 . He trod in the steps of his ancestors' cruelty, and those under him, it is likely, did the same; justly therefore is all the righteous blood shed by Amalek required of this generation, Matt. xxiii. 36 . Agag, that was delicate and luxurious himself, was cruel and barbarous to others. It is commonly so: those who are indulgent in their appetites are not less indulgent of their passions. But blood will be reckoned for; even kings must account to the King of kings for the guiltless blood they shed or cause to be shed. It was that crime of king Manasseh which the Lord would not pardon, 2 Kings xxiv. 4 . See Rev. xiii. 10 . II. He deserts king Saul, takes leave of him ( v. 34 ), and never came any more to see him ( v. 35 ), to advise or assist him in any of his affairs, because Saul did not desire his company nor would he be advised by him. He looked upon him as rejected of God, and therefore he forsook him. Though he might sometimes see him accidentally (as ch. xix. 24 ), yet he never came to see him out of kindness or respect. Yet he mourned for Saul, thinking it a very lamentable thing that a man who stood so fair for great things should ruin himself so foolishly. He mourned for the bad state of the country, to which Saul was likely to have been so great a blessing, but now would prove a curse and a plague. He mourned for his everlasting state, having no hopes of bringing him to repentance. When he wept for him, it is likely, he made supplication, but the Lord had repented that he had made Saul king, and resolved to undo that work of his, so that Samuel's prayers prevailed not for him. Observe, We must mourn for the rejection of sinners, 1. Though we withdraw from them, and dare not converse familiarly with them. Thus the prophet determines to leave his people and go from them, and yet to weep day and night for them, Jer. ix. 1, 2 . 2. Though they do not mourn for themselves. Saul seems unconcerned at the tokens of God's displeasure which he lay under, and yet Samuel mourns day and night for him. Jerusalem was secure when Christ wept over it.

Cross-references

Related passages from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

Genesis 49:8

Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

Ruth 4:18

Now these are the generations of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,

1 Samuel 9:16

To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me.

1 Samuel 10:1

Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?

1 Samuel 13:13

And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

1 Samuel 13:14

But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.

1 Samuel 15:11

It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

1 Samuel 15:23

For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king. witchcraft: Heb. divination

1 Samuel 15:26

And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel.

1 Samuel 15:35

And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

1 Samuel 20:15

But also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever: no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth.

1 Samuel 20:23

And as touching the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be between thee and me for ever.

2 Kings 9:1

And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand, and go to Ramothgilead:

2 Kings 9:3

Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head, and say, Thus saith the LORD, I have anointed thee king over Israel. Then open the door, and flee, and tarry not.

2 Kings 9:6

And he arose, and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

1 Chronicles 2:10

And Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

Isaiah 11:1

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

Isaiah 11:10

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. glorious: Heb. glory

Isaiah 55:4

Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

Jeremiah 6:30Jeremiah 7:16Jeremiah 11:14Jeremiah 14:11Jeremiah 14:12Jeremiah 15:1Acts 13:21Acts 13:22Romans 15:121 John 5:16

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Verses like this

Other verses that share key original-language words with 1 Samuel 20:39.

1 Samuel 19:7

And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past. in times: Heb. yesterday, third day

1 Samuel 20:12

And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee, and shew it thee; sounded: Heb. searched shew: Heb. uncover thine ear

1 Samuel 20:38

And Jonathan cried after the lad, Make speed, haste, stay not. And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows, and came to his master.

Genesis 22:12

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Isaiah 29:11

And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: book: or, letter

Isaiah 37:6

And Isaiah said unto them, Thus shall ye say unto your master, Thus saith the LORD, Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed me.

Isaiah 42:16

And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. straight: Heb. into straightness

Isaiah 50:4

The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

Frequently asked questions

What does 1 Samuel 20:39 say?

1 Samuel 20:39 (King James Version) reads: "But the lad knew not any thing: only Jonathan and David knew the matter."

Is 1 Samuel 20:39 in the Old or New Testament?

1 Samuel 20:39 is in the Old Testament of the Bible, in the book of 1 Samuel.

Reflect

As you read 1 Samuel 20:39, what is one truth here you can carry into today?

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