1 Samuel 20 31

1 Samuel 20:31 kjv

For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.

1 Samuel 20:31 nkjv

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, you shall not be established, nor your kingdom. Now therefore, send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die."

1 Samuel 20:31 niv

As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send someone to bring him to me, for he must die!"

1 Samuel 20:31 esv

For as long as the son of Jesse lives on the earth, neither you nor your kingdom shall be established. Therefore send and bring him to me, for he shall surely die."

1 Samuel 20:31 nlt

As long as that son of Jesse is alive, you'll never be king. Now go and get him so I can kill him!"

1 Samuel 20 verses

1 Samuel 20 31 Meaning

King Saul, filled with rage and paranoia, declares to his son Jonathan that his (Saul's) royal house and kingdom will never be secure or established as long as David lives. He sees David's mere existence as an existential threat to his dynasty. Therefore, he issues an immediate and non-negotiable command for David to be brought to him, intending to execute David without trial, asserting that David "shall surely die."

1 Samuel 20 31 Context

This verse is situated during the Feast of the New Moon, a crucial time in Israelite culture. David's absence from the feast, despite Jonathan's efforts to explain it away, provokes Saul's seething rage and reveals the true extent of his murderous intent toward David. Saul perceives David not just as a competitor, but as the single impediment to the continuation and establishment of his own dynasty, as he blames David for undermining the stability of his son Jonathan's potential reign. The narrative highlights the intense conflict between Saul's human efforts to secure his throne and God's sovereign plan to establish David as king.

1 Samuel 20 31 Word analysis

• For as long as: This phrase (כָּל־הַיָּמִים / kol-ha-yamim - "all the days") emphasizes the enduring nature of Saul's perception and problem. He sees David's life, no matter its length, as a continuous and permanent obstacle.
• the son of Jesse: (בֶּן־יִשַׁי / ben-Yishai) - This is a deliberately dismissive and derogatory title used by Saul. It denies David his proper identity as his son-in-law, his appointed military commander, and critically, God's anointed one (1 Sam 16:13). By calling him "son of Jesse," Saul emphasizes David's humble, non-royal origins, undermining his legitimacy and attempting to strip away any divine favor or prophetic significance, presenting him as an insignificant commoner. It reflects Saul's complete disregard for God's choice.
• lives on the earth: (חַי עַל־הָאָרֶץ / khai al-ha-aretz) - This stresses David's physical presence and continued existence. For Saul, David simply being alive and present in the land of Israel poses a direct and tangible threat. Saul believes his security hinges on David's literal absence from life.
• neither you nor your kingdom shall be established: (וְלוֹא־יִכּוֹן אַתָּה וּמַלְכוּתֶךָ / v'lo-yikkon attah u'malkhutekha) - The verb "established" (יִכּוֹן / yikkon, from כּוּן / kun) means to be firm, endure, secure, or stable. Saul sees David as the direct cause of his and Jonathan's inability to securely hold the throne and found a lasting dynasty. This statement reveals Saul's deep anxiety about dynastic continuity. It contrasts sharply with God's promise to establish David's kingdom eternally (2 Sam 7:12-16). Saul is trying to do by human might and murder what only God can truly accomplish: establishing a secure reign.
• Therefore send and bring him to me: (וְעַתָּה שְׁלַח וְקַח אֹתוֹ אֵלָי / v'attah sh'lach v'kach oto elay) - This is a direct, imperative command from the king, revealing his absolute resolve and his belief that he has the royal authority to issue such an order. "Therefore" (וְעַתָּה / v'attah - "and now") indicates a logical consequence in Saul's twisted reasoning – since David is a threat, he must be eliminated.
• for he shall surely die: (כִּי־מוֹת יָמוּת / ki-mot yamut) - This is an emphatic Hebrew idiom for certainty of death, often indicating a judicial pronouncement or decree of execution. It is the strongest way to state that someone "must die" or "will certainly die." It expresses Saul's fixed, murderous intention and underscores the lack of any perceived alternative in his mind for David's fate. He is passing a death sentence on an innocent man.

1 Samuel 20 31 Bonus section

This verse profoundly contrasts two different conceptions of "kingdom establishment." Saul's desperate, violent pursuit of his own lineage's security against a perceived earthly threat directly opposes God's method of establishing His chosen king. Saul attempts to 'kun' (establish) his kingdom by shedding innocent blood, reflecting a human, fallen way of gaining power. David's kingdom, by contrast, would be "established" by God (2 Sam 7:12-16) through His faithfulness and covenant, despite David's periods of weakness. The immediate consequence of Saul's rage in this scene is to further solidify Jonathan's unwavering loyalty to David, demonstrating that Saul's manipulative actions further alienated those closest to him and could not thwart God's ultimate plan. The futility of human ambition fighting against divine destiny is a central theme in this interaction.

1 Samuel 20 31 Commentary

Saul's words in 1 Samuel 20:31 encapsulate the tragic spiral of his reign. His intense paranoia, fueled by God's rejection and an evil spirit (1 Sam 16:14), reaches its climax here. He falsely believes that David, God's anointed, is the obstacle to his dynastic security. The dismissal "son of Jesse" strips David of honor and denies his true calling, revealing Saul's deep-seated jealousy and his rejection of divine Providence. Saul, convinced that his kingdom can only be "established" through human will and violence, stands in stark opposition to the true nature of God's established kingdom which rests on covenant and divine choice. His decree for David's execution highlights his increasing desperation and moral depravity. This verse is a poignant illustration of human rebellion against God's sovereign will and the futility of fighting against His purposes.