1 Samuel 20:13
“Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also, should it please my father to do you evil, if I don’t disclose it to you, and send you away, that you may go in peace. May Yahweh be with you, as he has been with my father.”
What does 1 Samuel 20:13 mean?
David is making a solemn promise to his friend Jonathan, swearing by God that he will warn Jonathan if Jonathan's father King Saul plans to harm him. The strong opening ("Yahweh do so to Jonathan, and more also") is an ancient way of saying, "May God punish me severely if I break this oath." David is essentially saying: if I ever keep quiet about danger coming your way, let God judge me harshly for that betrayal. He ends with a blessing for Jonathan, hoping God's presence will protect and guide him just as it has guided Saul. What makes this touching is that David is promising complete loyalty to his closest friend, even though that friend's father is the king who wants David dead. Real friendship, David is saying, means putting someone else's safety above your own survival.