1 samuel 20:2 - He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
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What does "1 samuel 20:2" mean?
This verse is part of a conversation between Jonathan and David, where David is deeply concerned that Saul (Jonathan's father and the king) is plotting to kill him. Jonathan, loyal to his friend David, is trying to reassure him. Let's break it down:
"He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die." Jonathan is emphatically denying David's fears. He believes Saul wouldn't kill David.
"Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me." This is the crux of Jonathan's argument. He claims that Saul confides in him completely. Saul trusts Jonathan implicitly and tells him everything, whether it's important or trivial.
"Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”" This is the key question. If Saul were planning to kill David, it would be a significant, life-altering plan. Therefore, according to Jonathan, Saul would have told him. Because Jonathan doesn't know about any such plan, he concludes that no plan exists. Jonathan is essentially saying: "If my father was going to kill you, he would have told me. He tells me everything. Therefore, he's not going to kill you."
In essence, Jonathan's argument rests on two assumptions:
1. That Saul trusts and confides in him completely. He believes he's in the inner circle and privy to all of Saul's plans.
2. That a plot to kill David would be significant enough that Saul would have shared it.
However, it's important to note (and the rest of the story reveals) that Jonathan is wrong. His assumptions are flawed. Saul is plotting against David, and he is deliberately keeping it secret from Jonathan. This highlights a few key themes:
The limits of human knowledge and perception: Jonathan, despite his good intentions and close relationship with his father, is ultimately unaware of Saul's true intentions.
The destructive nature of jealousy and paranoia: Saul's growing jealousy of David is driving him to act irrationally and secretively, even betraying his own son's trust.
Dramatic Irony: The reader knows (or soon will learn) that Saul is planning against David, making Jonathan's confident assurances all the more tragic and poignant.
So, the verse is Jonathan, motivated by loyalty and genuine affection, attempting to reassure David based on his (flawed) understanding of his father's character and actions.
1 samuel 20:2 - He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die. Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me. Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”
What does "1 samuel 20:2" mean?
This verse is part of a conversation between Jonathan and David, where David is deeply concerned that Saul (Jonathan's father and the king) is plotting to kill him. Jonathan, loyal to his friend David, is trying to reassure him. Let's break it down:
"He said to him, “Far from it; you will not die." Jonathan is emphatically denying David's fears. He believes Saul wouldn't kill David.
"Behold, my father does nothing either great or small, but that he discloses it to me." This is the crux of Jonathan's argument. He claims that Saul confides in him completely. Saul trusts Jonathan implicitly and tells him everything, whether it's important or trivial.
"Why would my father hide this thing from me? It is not so.”" This is the key question. If Saul were planning to kill David, it would be a significant, life-altering plan. Therefore, according to Jonathan, Saul would have told him. Because Jonathan doesn't know about any such plan, he concludes that no plan exists. Jonathan is essentially saying: "If my father was going to kill you, he would have told me. He tells me everything. Therefore, he's not going to kill you."
In essence, Jonathan's argument rests on two assumptions:
1. That Saul trusts and confides in him completely. He believes he's in the inner circle and privy to all of Saul's plans.
2. That a plot to kill David would be significant enough that Saul would have shared it.
However, it's important to note (and the rest of the story reveals) that Jonathan is wrong. His assumptions are flawed. Saul is plotting against David, and he is deliberately keeping it secret from Jonathan. This highlights a few key themes:
The limits of human knowledge and perception: Jonathan, despite his good intentions and close relationship with his father, is ultimately unaware of Saul's true intentions.
The destructive nature of jealousy and paranoia: Saul's growing jealousy of David is driving him to act irrationally and secretively, even betraying his own son's trust.
Dramatic Irony: The reader knows (or soon will learn) that Saul is planning against David, making Jonathan's confident assurances all the more tragic and poignant.
So, the verse is Jonathan, motivated by loyalty and genuine affection, attempting to reassure David based on his (flawed) understanding of his father's character and actions.