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1 Samuel 20:40-42
New English Translation
1 Samuel 20:40-42
New English Translation
40 Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, “Go, take these things back to the town.”
41 When the servant had left, David got up from beside the mound,[a] knelt[b] with his face to the ground, and bowed three times. Then they kissed each other and they both wept, especially David. 42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for the two of us have sworn together in the name of the Lord saying, ‘The Lord will be between me and you and between my descendants and your descendants forever.’”
David Goes to Nob
(21:1)[c] Then David[d] got up and left, while Jonathan went back to the town of Naioth.[e]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 20:41 tc The translation follows the LXX in reading “the mound,” rather than the MT’s “the south.” It is hard to see what meaning the MT reading “from beside the south” would have as it stands, since such a location lacks specificity. The NIV treats it as an elliptical expression, rendering the phrase as “from the south side of the stone (rock NCV).” This is perhaps possible, but it seems better to follow the LXX rather than the MT here.
- 1 Samuel 20:41 tn Heb “fell.”
- 1 Samuel 20:42 sn Beginning with 20:42b, the verse numbers through 21:15 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 20:42b ET = 21:1 HT, 21:1 ET = 21:2 HT, 21:2 ET = 21:3 HT, etc., through 21:15 ET = 21:16 HT. With 22:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
- 1 Samuel 20:42 tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- 1 Samuel 20:42 tn The words “of Naioth” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied for clarity.
1 Samuel 20:40-42
New International Version
1 Samuel 20:40-42
New International Version
40 Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said, “Go, carry them back to town.”
41 After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground.(A) Then they kissed each other and wept together—but David wept the most.
42 Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace,(B) for we have sworn friendship(C) with each other in the name of the Lord,(D) saying, ‘The Lord is witness(E) between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.(F)’” Then David left, and Jonathan went back to the town.[a]
Footnotes
- 1 Samuel 20:42 In Hebrew texts this sentence (20:42b) is numbered 21:1.
New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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