שמואל א 20:3

Hebrew Modern Translation

וישבע עוד דוד ויאמר ידע ידע אביך כי מצאתי חן בעיניך ויאמר אל ידע זאת יהונתן פן יעצב ואולם חי יהוה וחי נפשך כי כפשע ביני ובין המות׃

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Aleppo Codex
וישבע עוד דוד ויאמר ידע ידע אביך כי מצאתי חן בעיניך ויאמר אל ידע זאת יהונתן פן יעצב ואולם חי יהוה וחי נפשך כי כפשע ביני ובין המות

Biblia Hebrica Stuttgartensia (1967/77)
וַיִּשָּׁבַ֨ע עֹ֜וד דָּוִ֗ד וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יָדֹ֨עַ יָדַ֜ע אָבִ֗יךָ כִּֽי־מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וַיֹּ֛אמֶר אַל־יֵֽדַע־זֹ֥את יְהוֹנָתָ֖ן פֶּן־יֵֽעָצֵ֑ב וְאוּלָ֗ם חַי־יְהוָה֙ וְחֵ֣י נַפְשֶׁ֔ךָ כִּ֣י כְפֶ֔שַׂע בֵּינִ֖י וּבֵ֥ין הַמָּֽוֶת ׃

Westminster Leningrad Codex
וַיִּשָּׁבַע עוֹד דָּוִד וַיֹּאמֶר יָדֹעַ יָדַע אָבִיךָ כִּֽי־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וַיֹּאמֶר אַל־יֵֽדַע־זֹאת יְהוֹנָתָן פֶּן־יֵֽעָצֵב וְאוּלָם חַי־יְהוָה וְחֵי נַפְשֶׁךָ כִּי כְפֶשַׂע בֵּינִי וּבֵין הַמָּֽוֶת ׃

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

sware: Deuteronomy 6:13, Jeremiah 4:2, Hebrews 6:16

but truly: 1 Samuel 25:26, 1 Samuel 27:1, 2 Samuel 15:21, 2 Kings 2:2, 2 Kings 2:4, 2 Kings 2:6

as thy soul: 1 Samuel 1:26, 1 Samuel 17:55, Jeremiah 38:16

but a step: 1 Samuel 27:1, Deuteronomy 28:66, Psalms 116:3, 1 Corinthians 15:30, 1 Corinthians 15:31, 2 Corinthians 1:9, 2 Corinthians 1:10

Reciprocal: Genesis 26:31 - sware Genesis 27:2 - I know not Genesis 33:10 - if now Genesis 42:15 - By the life Numbers 32:5 - if we have 1 Samuel 2:6 - he bringeth 1 Samuel 29:6 - the Lord 2 Samuel 11:11 - as thou livest 2 Samuel 14:19 - As thy soul 2 Samuel 14:22 - I have found 1 Kings 17:12 - As the Lord Psalms 118:13 - General Psalms 119:87 - almost Psalms 119:109 - My soul 2 Corinthians 1:8 - insomuch

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And David sware moreover, and said,.... To assure Jonathan of the truth of it, that he did most certainly seek after his life, of which, as he had no doubt himself, by an oath he endeavoured to remove any that might be in Jonathan, who was not willing to believe his father could be guilty of so foul a crime:

thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes: that he was high in his favour, that he had a great value for him, and he had a large share in his love and friendship, and that was the reason why he hid from him his base intentions:

and he saith, let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved; as he would be, both for the evil his father would be guilty of, and the danger David, his beloved friend, would be in:

but truly, [as] the Lord liveth, and [as] thy soul liveth, [there is] but a step between me and death; as appeared by his casting a javelin at him, 1 Samuel 18:11, sending messengers to his own house to slay him, 1 Samuel 19:11, and others to Naioth to seize him, 1 Samuel 19:20, and coming himself thither with an intention to kill him, 1 Samuel 19:22, and in each of these instances he had a narrow escape for his life; and this he declared in the most solemn manner by an oath, for the confirmation of the truth of it to Jonathan.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And David sware moreover - Rather, “yet again.” He met Jonathan’s denial by repeating his statement and confirming it with an oath.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Samuel 20:3. There is but a step between me and death. — My life is in the most imminent danger. Your father has, most assuredly, determined to destroy me.

The same figure used here, there is but a step between me and death, may be found in Juvenal, who, satirizing those who risk their lives for the sake of gain in perilous voyages, speaks thus: -

I nune et ventis animam committe, dolato

Confisus ligno, digitis a morte remotus

Quatuor aut septem, si sit latissima teda.

SAT. xii., ver. 57.

"Go now, and commit thy life to the winds, trusting to a hewn plank, four or seven fingers thick, if the beam out of which it has been cut have been large enough."