1 Samuel 20:2

1Sa 20:2 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].

Ver. 2. God forbid; thou shalt not die.] Jonathan could not think his father so perfidious and bloody minded; having so lately sworn to the contrary. "Love thinketh not evil, but believeth all things, hopeth all things." {1Co 13:5} He knew not that Machiavellian maxim, Mercatorum est, non regum, stare iuramentis: It is for tradesmen, and not for kings to keep their oaths.

Behold, my father will do nothing.] Either Jonathan knew not of Saul’s recent attempts against David, or else he looked upon them as fruits of his frenzy, which would be soon over.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Sa 20:2. He said, God forbid: thou shalt not die — It appears by this that Jonathan knew nothing of his father’s design, and that the messengers before named had been sent to seize David without his privity. Hence, from a principle of filial respect to his father, he was very loath to believe that he would do so ill a thing. Behold, my father will do nothing, but he will show it me — In this he was greatly mistaken. Communicative as Saul was to his son Jonathan in other things, he was ashamed to disclose to him the wicked design he had formed against the life of his friend. Why should my father hide this thing from me? — Why? For an obvious reason; because it was too base and shameful to be discovered to any one that had any fear of God before his eyes, or any sense of moral obligation. He was afraid too that if he should disclose his design to Jonathan, he should find means to prevent its execution. It is not so — Jonathan gave credit to his father’s oath, mentioned 1Sa 19:6.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

20:2-3 Jonathan was naive about his father’s intentions. David’s willingness to swear . . . by the Lord showed how convinced he was about Saul’s intentions.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Hebrew, reveal it in mine ear.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 2. My father will do nothing] Jonathan thought that his father could have no evil design against David, because of the oath which he had sworn to himself 1Sa 19:6; and at any rate, that he would do nothing against David without informing him.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(2) God forbid; thou shalt not die.—Jonathan even now refuses to believe that his loved father, when he was himself, really wished ill to David; all that had hitherto happened the princely Jonathan put down to his father’s unhappy malady. He urges upon his friend that if the king in good earnest had designs upon David’s life, he would in his calm, lucid days have consulted with him, Jonathan, to whom he ever confided all his State secrets.

Will do nothing.—Here the commentators and the versions—LXX., Vulg., and Cbaldee—all agree to read in the Hebrew text, lo “not,” for lo “to him,” that is, for a vau an aleph must be substituted.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2. nothing either great or small] i.e. absolutely nothing. Cp. 1Sa_22:15, 1Sa_25:36.

shew it me] Lit. “uncover mine ear,” and so in 1Sa_20:12. See on 1Sa_9:15.

it is not so] Bearing in mind Saul’s oath (1Sa_19:6), and attributing his recent violence to temporary madness, Jonathan refuses to believe that his father has any deliberate design against David’s life.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And he said unto him, God forbid, thou shalt not die,.... He could not believe his father had any such intention; and that if he discovered anything of that kind, it was only when he was in a frenzy, and a melancholy disorder had seized him; and that David had nothing to fear on that head, and that he would secure him from all danger in that respect; the thing was too gross and detestable to be credited:

behold, my father will do nothing, either great or small, but that he will show it me; such an interest had he in him, and in his favour, being his son and heir to his crown, and having done many warlike exploits, which had the more endeared him to him, that he made him privy to all his secret designs, and took his opinion in all matters of moment and importance:

and why should my father hide this thing from me? his design of taking away the life of David, if he had really formed one:

it is not so; Jonathan concluded, from his ignorance of it, there was nothing in it, and that it was only a surmise of David's; and yet it is strange that Jonathan should know nothing of the messengers being sent to David's house to take him, and of others sent to Naioth after him, and of Saul's going there himself with such a design; and if he did know anything of the matter, he made the best of it to David, partly to allay his fears, and partly that his father might not appear so black and vile as he really was.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

It is not so - Jonathan’s unwillingness to believe evil of his father is one of the many admirable traits in his character.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Be. The recent machinations and orders of Saul had been concealed from his son, with whom he used to consult on all important matters. (Calmet) --- Perceiving, however, that Jonathan was unwilling to come into his measures, Saul, in his phrenzy, tried to destroy David. (Haydock) --- But Jonathan, forming his judgment of others by his own upright heart, relied on the oath of his father, (Calmet) and on the information he had lately communicated to him, when he desired David to be slain. (Menochius) --- Abulensis believes that the particulars of a preceding reconciliation have been lost, which Salien supplies, the year of the world 2973.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Thou shalt not die; I will secure thee by my interest with my father; nor doth he design to destroy thee; for what he doth in his frantic fits is not to be imputed to him; and when he comes to himself, I doubt not to reconcile thee to him. For Jonathan gave credit to his father’s oath, 1Sa 19:6; and the worthiest minds are least suspicious and most charitable in their opinions of others.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

God forbid. An exclamation of horror; literally, "Far be it". (see 1Sa_9:4-5) In spite of the many proofs of Saul"s bitter hatred, Jonathan cannot believe that after all that had taken place at Ramah his father would still persist in his murderous purpose. He further assures David that Saul would do nothing without telling him; literally, without uncovering his ear, without telling it him privately (see on 1Sa_9:15). The phrase is used again in ver. 12. For will do nothing the written text reads "has done for himself," which the Kri properly corrects. The rashness of Saul"s temper, and his frank talk about killing David recorded in 1Sa_19:1, confirm Jonathan"s statement about the openness of his father"s ways, and he therefore assures David that he may take his place in safety.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Is it not so - For Jonathan gave credit to his father's oath, chap. xix, 6.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.