The Meaning of 1 Samuel 23:16 Explained

1 Samuel 23:16

KJV: And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

YLT: And Jonathan son of Saul riseth, and goeth unto David to the forest, and strengtheneth his hand in God,

Darby: And Jonathan Saul's son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

ASV: And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jonathan  Saul's  son  arose,  and went  to David  into the wood,  and strengthened  his hand  in God. 

What does 1 Samuel 23:16 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 23:15-29 - A Relentless Pursuit Foiled
Amid outward strife, God is sure to provide some rill of human love-a tender friendship, a Jonathan. See Psalms 106:46. This is the mission of a friend-to strengthen our hands in God, whisper words of hope, and enter into renewed covenants with us. Is not this what our best Friend does? He finds us out in the deepest woods, and whispers His Fear not. There is no hunted soul to whom Jesus will not come to pour in the oil and wine of His presence.
Let us always strengthen our friends' hands in God. We sometimes weaken their good resolutions by our timid entreaties, as Peter did when he urged the Lord to spare Himself, Matthew 16:22. No, you must always help your friend to be his noblest and strongest. The angel strengthened the Redeemer in the garden. The one word for us to pass on is, "O man, greatly beloved, fear not; peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong," Daniel 10:19.
The Ziphites made a direct bid for Saul's favor, but their plot miscarried. When a man puts his life into God's hands, he has no need to fear "the arrow by day nor the terror by night." Whatever difficulties threaten him, there is ever a way of escape. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 23

1  David, enquiring of the Lord by Abiathar, rescues Keilah
7  God showing him the coming of Saul, and the treachery of the Keilites,
13  he escapes from Keilah
14  In Ziph Jonathan comes and comforts him
19  The Ziphites discover him to Saul
25  At Maon he is rescued from Saul by the invasion of the Philistines
29  He dwells at En Gedi

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 23:16 mean?

And arose Jonathan son of Saul and went to David in the woods and strengthened - his hand in God
וַיָּ֙קָם֙ יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן בֶּן־ שָׁא֔וּל וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ אֶל־ דָּוִ֖ד חֹ֑רְשָׁה וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק אֶת־ יָד֖וֹ בֵּאלֹהִֽים

וַיָּ֙קָם֙  And  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
יְהוֹנָתָ֣ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שָׁא֔וּל  of  Saul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאוּל  
Sense: a Benjamite, son of Kish, and the st king of Israel.
וַיֵּ֥לֶךְ  and  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
דָּוִ֖ד  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
חֹ֑רְשָׁה  in  the  woods 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֹרֶשׁ 
Sense: wood, wooded height, forest, wooded area.
וַיְחַזֵּ֥ק  and  strengthened 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
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.
יָד֖וֹ  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
בֵּאלֹהִֽים  in  God 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).