1 Samuel 20:40

Contemporary English Version

Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, "Take these back into town."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him and said, “Go, take it back to the city.”

Hebrew Names Version
Yonatan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

King James Version
And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

Lexham English Bible
Jonathan gave his weapons to his servant and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city."

English Standard Version
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city."

New Century Version
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, "Go back to town."

New English Translation
Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the servant who was with him. He said to him, "Go, take these things back to the city."

Amplified Bible
Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, take them to the city."

New American Standard Bible
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city."

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Ionathan gaue his bowe and arrowes vnto the boy that was with him, and sayd vnto him, Goe, carrie them into the citie.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his young man and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city."

Complete Jewish Bible
Y'honatan gave his weapons to his boy and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."

Darby Translation
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

Easy-to-Read Version
Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to go back to town.

George Lamsa Translation
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

Good News Translation
Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

Literal Translation
And Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy with him, and said to him, Go, bring them to the city.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then Ionathas gaue his boy his wapes and sayde vnto him: Go thy waye, and cary them in to the cite.

American Standard Version
And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

Bible in Basic English
And Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy, and said to him, Take these and go back to the town.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Ionathan gaue his instrumetes vnto the lad that was with him, and sayd vnto him: Go, and carry them to the towne.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him: 'Go, carry them to the city.'

King James Version (1611)
And Ionathan gaue his artillery vnto his ladde, and said vnto him, Goe, cary them to the citie.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to his boy, Go, enter into the city.

English Revised Version
And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said unto him, Go, carry them to the city.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Jonathan gave his equipment to the boy and said, "Go, take it back to the city."

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor Jonathas yaf hise armeris to the child, and seide to hym, Go thou, bere in to the citee.

Young's Literal Translation
And Jonathan giveth his weapons unto the youth whom he hath, and saith to him, `Go, carry into the city.'

Update Bible Version
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Jonathan gave his arms to his lad, and said to him, Go, carry [them] to the city.

World English Bible
Jonathan gave his weapons to his boy, and said to him, Go, carry them to the city.

New King James Version
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, "Go, carry them to the city."

New Living Translation
Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to the boy and told him to take them back to town.

New Life Bible
Then Jonathan gave his bow and arrows to his boy and told him, "Go, take them to the city."

New Revised Standard
Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city."

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad, and said to him, Go carry them into the city.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Jonathan therefore gave his arms to the boy, and said to him: Go, and carry them into the city.

Revised Standard Version
And Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad, and said to him, "Go and carry them to the city."

THE MESSAGE
Jonathan gave his quiver and bow to the boy and sent him back to town. After the servant was gone, David got up from his hiding place beside the boulder, then fell on his face to the ground—three times prostrating himself! And then they kissed one another and wept, friend over friend, David weeping especially hard.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, "Go, bring them to the city."

Contextual Overview

³⁵ In the morning, Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along ³⁶ and told him, "When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me." The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. ³⁷ When the boy got near the place where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted, "Isn't the arrow on past you?" ³⁸ Jonathan shouted to him again, "Hurry up! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to Jonathan, ³⁹ but he had no idea about what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew. ⁴⁰ Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, "Take these back into town." ⁴¹ By the day after tomorrow, everyone will think you've been gone a long time. Then go to the place where you hid before and stay beside Going-Away Rock. I'll shoot three arrows at a target off to the side of the rock, and send my servant to find the arrows. You'll know if it's safe to come out by what I tell him. If it is safe, I swear by the living Lord that I'll say, "The arrows are on this side of you! Pick them up!" But if it isn't safe, I'll say to the boy, "The arrows are farther away!" This will mean that the Lord wants you to leave, and you must go. But he will always watch us to make sure that we keep the promise we made to each other. So David hid there in the field. During the New Moon Festival, Saul sat down to eat by the wall, just as he always did. Jonathan sat across from him, and Abner sat next to him. But David's place was empty. Saul didn't say anything that day, because he was thinking, "Something must have happened to make David unfit to be at the Festival. Yes, something must have happened." The day after the New Moon Festival, when David's place was still empty, Saul asked Jonathan, "Why hasn't that son of Jesse come to eat with us? He wasn't here yesterday, and he still isn't here today!" Jonathan answered, "The reason David hasn't come to eat with you is that he begged me to let him go to Bethlehem. He said, ‘Please let me go. My family is offering a sacrifice, and my brother told me I have to be there. Do me this favor and let me slip away to see my brothers.'" Saul was furious with Jonathan and yelled, "You're no son of mine, you traitor! I know you've chosen to be loyal to that son of Jesse. You should be ashamed of yourself! And your own mother should be ashamed that you were ever born. You'll never be safe, and your kingdom will be in danger as long as that son of Jesse is alive. Turn him over to me now! He deserves to die!" "Why do you want to kill David?" Jonathan asked. "What has he done?" Saul threw his spear at Jonathan and tried to kill him. Then Jonathan was sure that his father really did want to kill David. Jonathan was angry that his father had insulted David so terribly. He got up, left the table, and didn't eat anything all that day. In the morning, Jonathan went out to the field to meet David. He took a servant boy along and told him, "When I shoot the arrows, you run and find them for me." The boy started running, and Jonathan shot an arrow so that it would go beyond him. When the boy got near the place where the arrow had landed, Jonathan shouted, "Isn't the arrow on past you?" Jonathan shouted to him again, "Hurry up! Don't stop!" The boy picked up the arrows and brought them back to Jonathan, but he had no idea about what was going on. Only Jonathan and David knew. Jonathan gave his weapons to the boy and told him, "Take these back into town." After the boy had gone, David got up from beside the mound and bowed very low three times. Then he and Jonathan kissed each other and cried, but David cried louder. ⁴² Jonathan said, "Take care of yourself. And remember, we each have asked the Lord to watch and make sure that we and our descendants keep our promise forever." David left and Jonathan went back to town.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

artillery: Heb. instruments, Rather weapons, as the word kelim also denotes; and here means the bow, quiver, and arrows. This is probably the only place in our language in which the word artillery is not applied to cannon or ordinance, but simply to weapons of war.

his lad: Heb. the lad that was his

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jonathan gave his artillery unto his lad,.... "His vessels" l or instruments; his arms, as the Targum, his quiver, bow, and arrows:

and said unto him, go, carry [them] to the city; to Gibeah, to Jonathan's house, or to his apartments at court there.

l את כליו "vasa sua", Montanus; "instrumenta sua", Piscator; "arma sua", V. L. Tigurine version.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 20:40. Jonathan gave his artillery — I believe this to be the only place in our language where the word artillery is not applied to cannon or ordnance. The original (כלי keley) signifies simply instruments, and here means the bow, quiver, and arrows.