And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death.
David made a strong promise and said, 'Your father definitely knows that you care about me, and he's thinking, "Don't let Jonathan know this, or it will hurt him." But I swear by the living LORD and by your life, I am just one step away from death.'
David is desperately telling his best friend Jonathan that King Saul is hiding his murderous plans from Jonathan to protect his feelings, but David knows he's in immediate danger.
📚 Historical Context
This conversation takes place when King Saul had become jealous of David's military success and popularity, leading him to repeatedly try to kill David. Jonathan, Saul's son and David's closest friend, had been trying to reconcile his father and David, but David realized that Saul was deliberately hiding his true intentions from Jonathan to avoid hurting his son.
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