I Samuel 20:10 · Bible study
1 Samuel 20:10 Commentary: Who Will Tell Me?
Hebrew · 7 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore David's anxious question to Jonathan and what it reveals about their covenant plan, trust, and the dangers they face.
Research Summary
- Meaning: David asks how he will learn Saul’s reaction to Jonathan’s report, revealing the practical risks of their plan.
- Key words: yaggid (will he tell/declare), qashah (roughly/harshly), mi … o mah (who … or what), a double question showing urgency.
- Main debate: Whether the second clause is a separate question (“or what if”) or an exclamation of woe (Gill cites Abarbinel).
- Theological theme: Covenant friendship that faces real danger with both trust and careful planning.
- Best use: Teaching on prayerful wisdom, healthy relationships, and the cost of loyalty.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”
WEB World English Bible 2000
Then David said to Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you roughly?”
KJV King James Version 1769
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
And David saith unto Jonathan, `Who doth declare to me? or what if thy father doth answer thee sharply?'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And David answered Jonathan: Who shall bring me word, if thy father should answer thee harshly concerning me?
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Dijo entonces David á Jonathán: ¿ Quién me dará aviso? ó ¿ qué si tu padre te respondiere ásperamente?
Disse então Davi a Jônatas: Quem me dará aviso? Ou que se teu pai te responder asperamente?
David dit à Jonathan: Qui m’ informera dans le cas où ton père te répondrait durement?
David aber sprach: Wer will mir's ansagen, so dir dein Vater etwas Hartes antwortet?
David nu zeide tot Jonathan: Wie zal het mij te kennen geven, indien uw vader u wat hards antwoordt?
Davide disse a Gionathan: “Chi m’informerà, nel caso che tuo padre ti dia una risposta dura?”
I rzekł Dawid do Jonatana: Któż mi oznajmi, jeźliżeć co odpowie ojciec twój przykrego?
И сказал Давид Ионафану: кто известит меня, если отец твой ответит тебе сурово?
大衛 對 約拿單 說：「你父親 若 用厲言 回答你，誰 來告訴 我呢？」
Then David said to Jonathan, Who will give me word if your father gives you a rough answer?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · I Samuel 20:10
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that David’s question in this verse is a practical, anxious inquiry about how he will receive news of Saul’s reaction. The Cambridge Bible notes the double question parallels Jonathan’s double promise in verses 12, 13: he will send good news or bad. Gill observes the same structure and adds that David is asking either for a messenger or for a sign, since if Saul responds harshly, it would be unsafe for Jonathan to come himself. The Geneva Bible paraphrases: “How shall I knowe, if thy father answere thee cruelly?” The core point across all sources is simple: David needs a reliable, secure method of communication before he can proceed with the test at the new moon feast. His trust in Jonathan’s loyalty is clear, but so is his awareness of the mortal risk if the message fails.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: David needs a secure way to learn Saul’s response to Jonathan’s report, and he trusts Jonathan to provide it.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Interpretation of the double question | David is asking how he will receive news of Saul’s response. | Some read the second clause as a separate question (“or what if your father answers harshly?”), while others (e.g., Abarbinel, cited by Gill) take it as an exclamation of dread: “Woe to me if your father answers you harshly!” |
| Tone of the question | It reflects David’s awareness of real danger. | Whether it expresses primarily anxious practicality (most commentators) or also a deep emotional concern for Jonathan’s safety (Gill on Abarbinel’s reading). |
| David’s level of trust in Jonathan | David trusts Jonathan’s loyalty and covenant commitment. | Some see the question as showing ongoing doubt about execution, not about Jonathan’s heart; others view it as a natural request for a concrete plan, not a lack of trust. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse sits at the climax of a tense planning scene between David and Jonathan. David has just fled from Naioth in Ramah (1 Samuel 20:1) and come to Jonathan with a desperate complaint: Saul is trying to kill him. Jonathan, still unconvinced, offers to learn his father’s true intentions. Their plan involves the new moon feast, a monthly religious observance when the king’s family and court gathered for a meal. David’s absence would be noticed (verse 18). Jonathan promises to sound out his father and communicate the result by a prearranged signal with arrows (verses 19, 22).
Covenant language runs through the chapter. In verse 8, David reminds Jonathan that they have bound themselves by “a covenant of Yahweh.” Such a covenant was more than a personal promise, it invoked God as witness and guarantor, carrying the weight of divine judgment if broken. Jonathan’s reply in verse 9 shows his integrity: he would never hide danger from David. Yet David’s question in verse 10 reveals the practical gap between good intentions and safe execution. Even with a trustworthy friend, how can the message be delivered in a way that does not expose the messenger or the recipient? The urgency is heightened by David’s earlier words: “There is but a step between me and death” (verse 3).
Cultural background also matters. The Hebrew term qashah (“roughly”) describes a harsh, severe response, the same word used of Joseph speaking “roughly” to his brothers (Genesis 42:7). Saul’s fury is not hypothetical; later in the chapter he verbally assaults Jonathan and even throws a spear at him (verse 33). The stakes could not be higher.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for this verse. The Hebrew text is stable, and the English renderings differ only in punctuation and choice of question particle (e.g., “or what if” / “or what”). No manuscript evidence introduces ambiguity.
Reception History
This verse has been read primarily within the larger narrative of David and Jonathan’s friendship. Early Jewish and Christian interpreters saw it as a model of covenantal loyalty tested by adversity. In the medieval period, commentators like the Jewish exegete Rashi (though not in the supplied excerpts) treated David’s question as a straightforward logistical inquiry. Protestant Reformers such as Matthew Henry highlighted the practical wisdom of securing a reliable messenger. In modern devotional use, the verse often serves as a springboard for discussions on godly friendship, wise risk-taking, and the balance between trust and prudence.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Trust tested by danger. David trusts Jonathan’s loyalty, but he also knows the cost. Real covenant friendship faces risk together, not just in theory but in practice.
- The need for a secure channel. David’s question is practical, not pessimistic. Faith does not eliminate wise planning. God’s people can combine trust in Providence with careful strategy.
- Friendship that bears the weight. Jonathan does not dismiss David’s concern. He takes him into the field and devises a plan (verses 11ff.). Christian friendship ought to be this concrete, listening to fear and then acting.
Five-point outline
- David’s situation: a man between life and death.
- Jonathan’s promise: loyalty to the covenant.
- David’s question: the anxiety of the one who waits.
- Jonathan’s answer: action, not just words.
- The lesson: biblical friendship is costly and creative.
Illustration hooks
- A friend who promises to keep a secret but has no safe way to deliver it, the tension between good intentions and good execution.
- Waiting for medical test results: the helplessness of needing news and the relief of a trusted messenger.
- A family in danger working out a communication code to avoid an abuser, risk and care combined.
Questions your congregation is asking
- How do I know whom I can really trust when my safety is on the line?
- Is it wrong to plan and scheme when I am following God’s will?
- What does healthy Christian friendship look like when the stakes are high?
Leading a Discussion
This verse invites us to consider the intersection of trust, risk, and practical wisdom in our closest relationships. As you discuss, keep the whole chapter in view, David and Jonathan are not simply having a conversation; they are staking their lives on each other.
Discussion questions
- Read 1 Samuel 20:10 in context (verses 1, 17). What has already happened between David and Jonathan before this verse?
- Why does David ask “Who will tell me?” rather than just nodding at Jonathan’s promise? What does this reveal about his state of mind?
- The Hebrew uses a double question: “who” and “or what.” How does this grammatical structure shape the intensity of David’s request?
- How does Jonathan’s response (verses 11, 22) address David’s concern? What does it tell us about the nature of their covenant?
- In what situations do you find it hard to trust even people you know are loyal? What makes planning feel like a lack of faith?
- This passage shows two friends facing a real threat together. How can your group support each other in moments when trust is difficult but necessary?
- What can this story teach us about the kind of friend we want to be, and the kind we need to look for?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Genesis 42:7 | Joseph saw his brothers, and he recognized them, but acted like a stranger to them, and spoke roughly with them. He said to them, “Where did you come from?” They said, “From the land of Canaan, to buy food.” |
| Genesis 42:30 | “The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. |
| I Samuel 20:30 | Then Saul’s anger burned against Jonathan, and he said to him, “You son of a perverse rebellious woman, don’t I know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame, and to the shame of your mother’s nakedness? |
| I Samuel 20:34 | So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no food the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had treated him shamefully. |
| I Samuel 25:10 | Nabal answered David’s servants and said, “Who is David? Who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants who break away from their masters these days. |
| I Samuel 25:14 | But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying, “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to greet our master; and he insulted them. |
| I Samuel 25:17 | Now therefore know and consider what you will do; for evil is determined against our master and against all his house, for he is such a worthless fellow that one can’t speak to him.” |
| I Kings 12:13 | The king answered the people roughly, and abandoned the counsel of the old men which they had given him, |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
6 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke draws attention to the psalmist's perplexed inquiry into divine communication. He portrays the speaker asking two things: who can give the necessary information, and what means God will employ to convey it. This captures the psalmist's sense of uncertainty about how God speaks.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator notes that the double question here matches Jonathan's earlier double promise to inform David of the result in either event. He suggests the words may simply mean "who shall tell me if your father answers you roughly?" This would narrow the question to a single, negative outcome.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Then said Dauid to Ionathan, Who shall tell me? how shall I knowe, if thy father answere thee cruelly?
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill distinguishes two parts in David's words to Jonathan. The first phrase is an honest question about who will report Saul's attitude, good or bad. The second is an anxious cry of distress: woe to David if Jonathan receives a rough answer and harsh words on his behalf.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch explains that Jonathan could not believe Saul truly intended to kill David because Saul's previous attacks happened during fits of madness, not when he was clear-minded. Jonathan knew Saul had never shared his murderous hatred with him. David, however, saw deeper into Saul's heart and swore that death was only a step away.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the remarkable self-denial in this covenant: Jonathan, the king's son, willingly sets aside his own claim to the throne and binds himself and his descendants to David's future house. The love that drives him looks beyond the present danger to secure lasting kindness for his family even after his own death.