1 Samuel 20:14

And as long as I live, treat me with the LORD’s loving devotion, that I may not die,

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Jonathan speaks to David during their clandestine covenant meeting, pleading for his survival while fleeing King Saul’s lethal pursuit.

The words — The Hebrew חֶסֶד (chesed) denotes covenant loyalty, anchored by the conditional אִם־ (im) and the temporal phrase עוֹדֶנִי חָי (‘odeni chai), literally “if I am still alive.”

The thread — This demand for enduring loyal action resurfaces when David seeks Saul’s surviving heir (2 Samuel 9:3) and aligns with the apostolic command to imitate God’s steadfast character (Ephesians 5:1).

Why it lands — The text commands a concrete, lifelong commitment of faithful action rather than transient emotion, requiring the reader to ground relationships in covenantal duty.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְלֹ֖אve./Lo'and/ not אִם־'im-if עוֹדֶ֣נִּיo.De./nistill/ I חָ֑יChai[am] alive וְלֹֽא־ve./lo'-and/ not תַעֲשֶׂ֧הta.'a.Sehyou will do עִמָּדִ֛י'i.ma.D/iwith/ me חֶ֥סֶדChe.sed[the] covenant loyalty of יְהוָ֖הYah.wehYahweh וְלֹ֥אve./Lo'and/ not אָמֽוּת׃'a.MutI will die

King James Version

And thou shalt not only while yet I live shew me the kindness of the Lord, that I die not:

Cross-references

2 Samuel 9:3 So the king asked, “Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I can show the kindness of God?” Ziba answered, “There is still Jonathan’s son, who is lame in both feet.”
Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children,