# 1 Samuel 20.17

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-10-06 | updated: 2026-10-06 -->

**Book:** [1 Samuel](/codex/1-samuel/) · NASB95

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 15. but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever; no, not when Jehovah hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth. 16. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, And Jehovah will require it at the hand of David's enemies.
>
> **17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.**
>
> 18. Then Jonathan said unto him, To-morrow is the new moon: and thou wilt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. 19. And when thou hast stayed three days, thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. (1 Samuel 20:15-19, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 15. but you shall also not cut off your kindness from my house forever; no, not when Yahweh has cut off every one of the enemies of David from the surface of the earth.” 16. So Jonathan made a covenant with David’s house, saying, “Yahweh will require it at the hand of David’s enemies.”
>
> **17. Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.**
>
> 18. Then Jonathan said to him, “Tomorrow is the new moon, and you will be missed, because your seat will be empty. 19. When you have stayed three days, go down quickly, and come to the place where you hid yourself when this started, and remain by the stone Ezel. (1 Samuel 20:15-19, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 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. 16. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies. <sup>made: Heb. cut</sup>
>
> **17. And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul. <sup>because: or, by his love toward him</sup>**
>
> 18. Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty. <sup>empty: Heb. missed</sup> 19. And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly, and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel. <sup>quickly: or, diligently: Heb. greatly</sup> <sup>when the: Heb. in the day of the business</sup> <sup>Ezel: or, that sheweth the way</sup> (1 Samuel 20:15-19, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 15. but thou dost not cut off thy kindness from my house unto the age, nor in Jehovah's cutting off the enemies of David, each one from off the face of the ground.' 16. And Jonathan covenanteth with the house of David, and Jehovah hath sought [it] from the hand of the enemies of David;
>
> **17. and Jonathan addeth to cause David to swear, because he loveth him, for with the love of his own soul he hath loved him.**
>
> 18. And Jonathan saith to him, 'To-morrow [is] new moon, and thou hast been looked after, for thy seat is looked after; 19. and on the third day thou dost certainly come down, and hast come in unto the place where thou wast hidden in the day of the work, and hast remained near the stone Ezel. (1 Samuel 20:15-19, YLT)

## Setting

- **Speaker:** _TBD_
- **Audience:** _TBD_
- **Location:** _TBD_
- **Time period:** _TBD_

## Theological reading

_Patristic / early-church-father exegesis, to be added._

## Key words

_Theologically-loaded Greek or Hebrew words in this verse may have entries in the lexicon. Curated to roughly 100 contested terms across the corpus, not every word._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Arguments and defeaters:**

- [David and Jonathan Relationship Objection Defeater](/codex/david-and-jonathan-relationship-objection-defeater/)

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## Notes

_Your annotations._

## Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the **most literal English translations available** (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the **public domain in the United States**, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

- **[ASV](/codex/asv/)** (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
- **[WEB](/codex/web/)** (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
- **[KJV](/codex/kjv/)** (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
- **[YLT](/codex/ylt/)** (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See [Bibles](/codex/bibles/) for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.