1 Samuel 24 21

1 Samuel 24:21 kjv

Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house.

1 Samuel 24:21 nkjv

Therefore swear now to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house."

1 Samuel 24:21 niv

Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family."

1 Samuel 24:21 esv

Swear to me therefore by the LORD that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father's house."

1 Samuel 24:21 nlt

Now swear to me by the LORD that when that happens you will not kill my family and destroy my line of descendants!"

1 Samuel 24 verses

1 Samuel 24 21 Meaning

This verse records Saul's earnest plea and oath request to David, seeking assurance for the continuity of his royal lineage and the preservation of his family name after his demise. Recognizing David as God's chosen king, Saul acknowledges the impending end of his own dynasty and expresses a deep-seated desire that David, when he comes into power, will not utterly annihilate his descendants or erase the memory of his household from Israel. It is a desperate appeal for mercy and a guarantee of lineage survival, reflecting a profound fear common among ancient Near Eastern monarchs regarding the extinction of their house by a succeeding rival dynasty.

1 Samuel 24 21 Context

Chapter 24 opens with Saul pursuing David in the Wilderness of Engedi. David and his men find refuge in a cave where Saul, unaware of their presence, enters to relieve himself. David's men urge him to kill Saul, interpreting the situation as divine hand-off of the enemy. However, David refrains, only cutting off a corner of Saul's robe, citing his reverence for the LORD's anointed. After Saul departs, David calls out to him, demonstrating his innocence and humility. Overcome by David's surprising act of mercy and realizing David's noble character, Saul weeps, acknowledges David's righteousness, and accepts that David is God's chosen king. He recognizes that David's kingdom will be established, implicitly contrasting it with his own failing dynasty. Verse 21, then, becomes Saul's plea, rooted in the desperate recognition of his loss of divine favor and his understanding of ancient monarchial practices where new kings often eradicated the former king's household.

1 Samuel 24 21 Word analysis

• you will not cut off: The Hebrew term is takhrīt (תַּכְרִית), derived from karat (כָּרַת), meaning "to cut, to cut off, to make a covenant." In this context, it denotes severing, destroying, or utterly exterminating. It signifies not just killing a person but eradicating their entire line, thereby ensuring no future claim to the throne or memory. This verb is often used in the context of dynastic purges or divine judgment upon a household, signifying complete annihilation of its future and legacy.
• my descendants: The Hebrew word is zaraʿ (זֶרַע), meaning "seed" or "offspring." It encompasses direct progeny, referring to the entire lineage, succession, and future generations. The concern for one's "seed" was paramount in ancient Israelite culture, tied directly to the continuity of family, property, and tribal identity, and especially significant for a royal house.
• after me: aḥărai (אַחֲרַי) signifies not only the period following Saul's death but the enduring state of his lineage into the future. It underscores the perpetual nature of his request for preservation.
• nor destroy: The Hebrew tashmīd (תַשְׁמִיד), from the root shamad (שָׁמַד), means "to annihilate, to exterminate, to wipe out." It's a powerful word indicating total destruction, often used for God's judgment against wicked nations or complete military defeat. Here, it refers to the obliteration of memory and identity.
• my name: The Hebrew word shem (שֵׁם) means "name" but carries profound cultural and theological weight. In biblical thought, a "name" represents more than just an identifier; it embodies a person's reputation, character, essence, legacy, and memory. To "destroy one's name" meant to erase their identity and influence from history, leaving no memorial, and condemning them to oblivion. This was a fate more feared than death for many in ancient cultures.
• from my father's house: This phrase, mîb-bêt ʾābhī, literally "from the house of my father," refers to the entire ancestral household, the clan, and specifically in this royal context, the ruling dynasty or family line. It is a plea to spare the entire lineage from oblivion, maintaining some form of continuity or memory, however diminished. It points to Saul's deep-seated concern for the very existence and memory of his royal lineage.

1 Samuel 24 21 Bonus section

This verse functions as a pre-covenantal plea from Saul to David, anticipating the future of David's reign. It reflects a form of suzerainty treaty where the lesser party (Saul) appeals to the greater party (David) for terms of grace regarding succession. Saul's request for an oath highlights the binding nature of such solemn declarations in ancient Israel, where an oath taken in God's name was considered inviolable. The ultimate fulfillment of this type of mercy, seen in David's later kindness to Mephibosheth (2 Sam 9), demonstrates a remarkable ethical standard for kingship, contrasting sharply with the often ruthless political realities of the ancient world. It shows David as not just a king chosen by God but also a king embodying God-like qualities of covenant loyalty and grace.

1 Samuel 24 21 Commentary

Saul's plea in 1 Samuel 24:21 highlights the brutal realities of ancient Near Eastern kingship and succession. Kings frequently exterminated the entire families of their predecessors to eliminate potential rivals and solidify their own reigns. Saul, having experienced the loss of divine favor and recognizing God's choice of David, understands that his dynasty is forfeit. His appeal is therefore a desperate and raw request for David to act with mercy beyond the customary practice of the time. It is a test of David's character, asking him to fulfill an oath of mercy, reflecting David's prior compassionate act in the cave. This verse also implicitly foreshadows David's later magnanimity shown to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, in 2 Samuel 9, which demonstrably fulfills the spirit of this requested oath. The request reveals Saul's focus on legacy and family continuity, a common concern in a culture where a preserved "name" meant continued existence through descendants and memory. It also underscores David's exceptional righteous character that would even make his defeated adversary hope for such grace from him.