The Meaning of 1 Samuel 20:2 Explained

1 Samuel 20:2

KJV: And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

YLT: And he saith to him, 'Far be it! thou dost not die; lo, my father doth not do anything great or small and doth not uncover mine ear; and wherefore doth my father hide from me this thing? this thing is not.'

Darby: And he said to him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, and not apprise me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

ASV: And he said unto him, Far from it; thou shalt not die: behold, my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me; and why should my father hide this thing from me? it is not so.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto him, God forbid;  thou shalt not die:  behold, my father  will do  {08675;06213:08804} nothing  either great  or small,  but that he will shew  it me: and why should my father  hide  this thing  from me? it [is] not [so]. 

What does 1 Samuel 20:2 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 20:1-16 - Friendship's Covenant
Life becomes intolerable when suspense is long drawn out; hence David's appeal to his friend. Besides, he yearned for one more glimpse of the dear home at Bethlehem, and to drink of "the well which was by the gate." The talk between the friends was heart-breaking to both. Only those who have experienced the severance of loving communion and intercourse can fathom the depth and bitterness of the waters that began to roll between the two friends.
Jonathan is one of the noblest types of manhood presented in Scripture biography. Whether in private or public life, he shone with peerless beauty, as a star in a dark sky. David said of him that he was "lovely and pleasant." Jonathan had a clear prevision of David's coming greatness, but it gave him no pang of jealousy. He loved his friend better than himself, so much, indeed, that it was a richer ecstasy for Jonathan to see David crowned and exalted than to ascend the throne himself. Love casts out jealousy. This friendship was ideal; and we can only ask that we may realize something of its sweetness, and know the love of Christ after the same fashion. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 20

1  David consults with Jonathan for his safety
11  Jonathan and David renew their covenant by oath
18  Jonathan's token to David
23  Saul, missing David, seeks to kill Jonathan
35  Jonathan affectionately takes his leave of David

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 20:2 mean?

so Jonathan said to him by no means not You shall die Indeed - - nothing will do my father nothing either great or thing small and without first telling - me and why should hide from me thing this not this [is so]
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר ל֣וֹ חָלִילָה֮ לֹ֣א תָמוּת֒ הִנֵּ֡ה [לו־] [עשה] (לֹֽא־) (יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה) אָבִ֜י דָּבָ֣ר גָּד֗וֹל א֚וֹ דָּבָ֣ר קָטֹ֔ן וְלֹ֥א יִגְלֶ֖ה אֶת־ אָזְנִ֑י וּמַדּוּעַ֩ יַסְתִּ֨יר מִמֶּ֛נִּי הַדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּ֖ה אֵ֥ין זֹֽאת

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  so  Jonathan  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֣וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
חָלִילָה֮  by  no  means 
Parse: Interjection, third person feminine singular
Root: חָלִיל  
Sense: far be it (from me), God forbid that, let it not be.
תָמוּת֒  You  shall  die 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
הִנֵּ֡ה  Indeed 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
[לו־]  - 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
[עשה]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
(לֹֽא־)  nothing 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
(יַעֲשֶׂ֨ה)  will  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אָבִ֜י  my  father 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
דָּבָ֣ר  nothing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
גָּד֗וֹל  either  great 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
דָּבָ֣ר  thing 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
קָטֹ֔ן  small 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: קָטָן 
Sense: young, small, insignificant, unimportant.
וְלֹ֥א  and  without 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יִגְלֶ֖ה  first  telling 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אָזְנִ֑י  me 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
וּמַדּוּעַ֩  and  why 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
יַסְתִּ֨יר  should  hide 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.
מִמֶּ֛נִּי  from  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַדָּבָ֥ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֖ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
זֹֽאת  this  [is  so] 
Parse: Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.