Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant; for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee: notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?
So please be kind to me, your servant, because you have made a sacred promise with me before the LORD. But if I have done anything wrong, kill me yourself, why would you hand me over to your father?
Jonathan is asking David to show him loyalty because of their sacred friendship, but says if he's guilty of wrongdoing, David should execute him rather than let King Saul do it.
📚 Historical Context
In the biblical story of 1 Samuel, David was on the run from King Saul, who was consumed by jealousy over David's rising popularity and success in battle. Jonathan, Saul's son and David's loyal friend, had previously made a sacred covenant with David before the Lord, pledging mutual protection and faithfulness. This verse shows David appealing to that covenant, asking Jonathan to treat him kindly and handle any accusations of wrongdoing directly, rather than letting Saul intervene.
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