# 1 Samuel 20.8

<!-- type: passage | created: 2026-06-01 | updated: 2026-06-01 -->

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

## Immediate context (±2 verses)

**ASV** ([ASV](/codex/asv/))
> 6. If thy father miss me at all, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Beth-lehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family. 7. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.
>
> **8. Therefore deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of Jehovah with thee: but if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?**
>
> 9. And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? 10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly? (1 Samuel 20:6-10, ASV)

**WEB** ([WEB](/codex/web/))
> 6. If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city; for it is the yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ 7. If he says, ‘It is well;’ your servant shall have peace: but if he is angry, then know that evil is determined by him.
>
> **8. Therefore deal kindly with your servant; for you have brought your servant into a covenant of Yahweh with you; but if there is iniquity in me, kill me yourself; for why should you bring me to your father?”**
>
> 9. Jonathan said, “Far be it from you; for if I should at all know that evil were determined by my father to come on you, then wouldn’t I tell you that?” 10. Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if perchance your father answers you roughly?” (1 Samuel 20:6-10, WEB)

**KJV** ([KJV](/codex/kjv/))
> 6. If thy father at all miss me, then say, David earnestly asked leave of me that he might run to Bethlehem his city: for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family. <sup>sacrifice: or, feast</sup> 7. If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.
>
> **8. Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?**
>
> 9. And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee? 10. Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly? (1 Samuel 20:6-10, KJV)

**YLT** ([YLT](/codex/ylt/))
> 6. if thy father at all look after me, and thou hast said, David asked earnestly of me to run to Beth-Lehem his city, for a sacrifice of the days [is] there for all the family. 7. If thus he say: Good; peace [is] for thy servant; and if it be very displeasing to him, know that the evil hath been determined by him;
>
> **8. and thou hast done kindness, to thy servant, for into a covenant of Jehovah thou hast brought thy servant with thee;, and if there is in me iniquity, put thou me to death; and unto thy father, why is this, thou dost bring me in?'**
>
> 9. And Jonathan saith, 'Far be it from thee! for I certainly do not know that the evil hath been determined by my father to come upon thee, and I do not declare it to thee.' 10. And David saith unto Jonathan, 'Who doth declare to me? or what [if] thy father doth answer thee sharply?' (1 Samuel 20:6-10, 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; see Lexicon Roadmap._

- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_
- _TBD_

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## Quoted in

**Lexicon:**

- [H2617 - hesed](/codex/h2617-hesed/)

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_Scripture quotations taken from the **New American Standard Bible®** (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by **The Lockman Foundation**. Used by permission. All rights reserved. [www.lockman.org](https://www.lockman.org)_

## 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.
