1 Samuel 20:10

KJV

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what [if] thy father answer thee roughly?

KJV (with Strong's)

Then said {H559} David {H1732} to Jonathan {H3083}, Who shall tell {H5046} me? or what if thy father {H1} answer {H6030} thee roughly {H7186}?

Complete Jewish Bible

Then David asked Y'honatan, "Who will tell me in the event your father gives you a harsh answer?"

Berean Standard Bible

Then David asked Jonathan, “Who will tell me if your father answers you harshly?”

American Standard Version

Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me if perchance thy father answer thee roughly?

Commentary

### SUMMARY
1 Samuel 20:10 captures a moment of profound anxiety and dependence for David, as he poses a critical question to Jonathan regarding the perilous plan to ascertain King Saul's true intentions. David, in hiding and utterly reliant on his loyal friend, expresses deep concern about how he will receive the vital information, particularly if Saul's response is harsh and indicative of his murderous resolve. This verse powerfully underscores David's precarious situation and the unwavering, life-saving loyalty of Jonathan.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed within the escalating narrative of Saul's jealousy and attempts on David's life. Following previous attempts by Saul to kill David (e.g., [1 Samuel 18:11](/1_samuel/18-11 "1 Samuel 18:11 - Saul's First Attempt to Spear David") and [1 Samuel 19:9-10](/1_samuel/19-9 "1 Samuel 19:9-10 - Saul's Renewed Attempts to Kill David")), David has fled Saul's court. Chapter 20 opens with David seeking out Jonathan, his closest friend and Saul's son, to understand the true depth of Saul's hostility. They renew their covenant of friendship ([1 Samuel 20:1-17](/1_samuel/20 "1 Samuel 20 - David and Jonathan's Covenant and Plan")), devising an elaborate plan involving David's absence from the New Moon feast. David's question in [1 Samuel 20:10](/1_samuel/20-10 "1 Samuel 20:10 - David's Anxious Question") comes as they finalize the details, revealing his practical concern about how the critical, potentially life-or-death, information will be communicated to him while he remains in hiding. It highlights the high stakes and David's utter dependence on Jonathan's execution of their dangerous scheme.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The setting is the early Israelite monarchy, where the king's word was law and his favor or disfavor could mean life or death. Saul, as the first king, wielded immense power, and his unpredictable, often violent, temperament (exacerbated by an evil spirit, as noted in [1 Samuel 16:14](/1_samuel/16-14 "1 Samuel 16:14 - The Spirit of the Lord Departs from Saul")) created a dangerous environment for anyone perceived as a threat. The New Moon feast was a significant religious and social occasion ([Numbers 28:11-15](/numbers/28-11 "Numbers 28:11-15 - Offerings for the New Moon")), and a prominent figure like David's absence would be noticed and require explanation. The deep covenant of friendship between David and Jonathan ([1 Samuel 18:3](/1_samuel/18-3 "1 Samuel 18:3 - Jonathan's Covenant with David")) was a culturally recognized and binding agreement, often sealed with oaths, signifying a bond that could transcend even family loyalties and political ambition, as it clearly does here.
* **Key Themes:** This verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes in 1 Samuel. Firstly, it underscores the theme of **Saul's escalating paranoia and rejection by God**, as his irrational rage against David continues to manifest, foreshadowing his ultimate downfall. Secondly, it powerfully illustrates the **unwavering loyalty and sacrificial love of Jonathan**, a friendship that stands in stark contrast to the treachery and self-interest often found in royal courts. Jonathan's willingness to risk his own life and inheritance for David's safety is a testament to the depth of their bond. Thirdly, David's question highlights the theme of **vulnerability and dependence**, both on human intermediaries like Jonathan and, implicitly, on God's providential care amidst extreme danger. David's precarious position emphasizes that his future, including his eventual kingship, is entirely in God's hands, despite the immediate human threats. The elaborate plan devised by David and Jonathan, including the coded message, speaks to the pervasive atmosphere of **suspense and intrigue** that characterizes this period of David's life.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Roughly (Heb. קָשָׁה, _qasha_):** This word literally means "to be hard," "to be severe," "to be stiff," or "to be difficult." In this context, it signifies not merely a harsh verbal reprimand but a severe, unyielding, and potentially violent response. It implies a fixed and dangerous intent, confirming David's fears about Saul's murderous disposition. The use of _qasha_ here foreshadows Saul's later violent outburst against Jonathan in [1 Samuel 20:30](/1_samuel/20-30 "1 Samuel 20:30 - Saul's Rage Against Jonathan"), where he hurls a spear at his own son.
* **Tell (Heb. יַגִּיד, _yaggid_):** From the root נָגַד (_nagad_), meaning "to declare," "to report," "to make known." David's concern here is not just *what* the answer will be, but *how* it will be communicated to him. Given his hidden status and the danger, the method of relaying the message is as crucial as the message itself. This highlights David's isolation and reliance on Jonathan as his sole, trusted intermediary.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Then said David to Jonathan":** This phrase immediately sets the scene as an intimate, urgent conversation between two trusted friends. It emphasizes David's initiative in seeking clarification and assurance for the dangerous plan they are enacting.
* **"Who shall tell me?":** This is David's primary, anxious question concerning the practical logistics of their plan. He is in hiding, completely cut off from direct communication with the royal court. He needs to know who will be the messenger, ensuring reliability and discretion, given the life-threatening nature of the information. It underscores his vulnerable and dependent position.
* **"or what [if] thy father answer thee roughly?":** This second part of David's question reveals his deep apprehension about Saul's anticipated reaction. The phrase "answer thee roughly" points to David's accurate assessment of Saul's volatile and violent character. David is not just worried about a verbal rebuke, but about a response that would confirm Saul's murderous intent, putting both Jonathan and himself in extreme peril. This question is loaded with the weight of potential death.

#### Literary Devices
The verse effectively employs **Dialogue** to reveal character and advance the plot, showcasing David's anxiety and Jonathan's pivotal role. It uses **Foreshadowing**, as David's concern about Saul answering "roughly" directly anticipates Saul's violent outburst against Jonathan later in the chapter ([1 Samuel 20:30](/1_samuel/20-30 "1 Samuel 20:30 - Saul's Rage Against Jonathan")). There is an element of **Suspense**, as the reader is drawn into David's uncertainty about his fate, which hinges on Saul's reaction. The question itself functions as a form of **Rhetorical Question**, not necessarily seeking a direct answer to "who," but rather expressing David's profound apprehension and need for a secure communication channel.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse, while seemingly a logistical detail, profoundly illustrates the human condition of vulnerability and dependence amidst uncertainty. David's reliance on Jonathan, a human agent, mirrors our own need for trusted relationships and divine intervention in times of peril. The narrative implicitly points to God's overarching sovereignty, even when human plans are meticulously laid and dangers loom large. Despite David's anxiety, the larger story of 1 Samuel continually demonstrates God's faithfulness to His chosen one, protecting David through various means, including the unwavering loyalty of Jonathan. True friendship, as depicted here, is a profound gift, reflecting aspects of God's steadfast love (Heb. _hesed_) and provision for His people.

* [Proverbs 17:17](/proverbs/17-17 "Proverbs 17:17 - A Friend Loves at All Times")
* [Proverbs 18:24](/proverbs/18-24 "Proverbs 18:24 - A Friend Who Sticks Closer Than a Brother")
* [Psalm 56:3-4](/psalms/56-3 "Psalm 56:3-4 - Trusting God in Fear")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
David's raw anxiety in this verse resonates deeply with the human experience of facing uncertain and potentially dangerous situations, especially when one's well-being depends on the actions or responses of others. It reminds us that even figures of great faith and future destiny experience fear and vulnerability. This passage challenges us to consider the quality of our own relationships, highlighting the invaluable nature of true, loyal friends who are willing to stand with us, even at personal cost, during times of distress. It also prompts us to reflect on how we navigate relationships with unpredictable or hostile authority figures, emphasizing the need for wisdom, discernment, and reliance on trusted counsel. Ultimately, while David's immediate trust is in Jonathan, the broader narrative invites us to place our ultimate trust in God, who is sovereign over all circumstances, even when the path ahead is unclear and the answers we seek are fraught with peril.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **In what areas of your life are you currently experiencing uncertainty or dependence on others for crucial information or outcomes?**
* **How does David's reliance on Jonathan challenge or affirm your understanding of true friendship and loyalty?**
* **Have you ever faced a situation where you had to navigate an unpredictable or "rough" authority figure? What lessons did you learn?**
* **How can you cultivate a deeper trust in God's providence when you feel vulnerable or anxious about future outcomes, as David did?**

### FAQ
**Why was David so concerned about *how* he would be told the news, beyond just the content of Saul's response?**

Answer: David's concern about "Who shall tell me?" (1 Samuel 20:10) goes beyond mere curiosity about the messenger; it reflects his extreme vulnerability and the high stakes involved. David was in hiding, effectively a fugitive from the king. Any direct communication or a known intermediary could expose his location and put his life at risk. He needed a discreet, reliable, and trustworthy method of communication that would not betray his whereabouts or compromise Jonathan. The "who" and "how" were critical logistical details for his survival, ensuring that the message would reach him securely and that the messenger would not be coerced or inadvertently reveal his position to Saul. This highlights the pervasive danger David faced and his reliance on Jonathan's meticulous execution of their plan.

**What does "answer thee roughly" reveal about King Saul's character?**

Answer: The phrase "answer thee roughly" (Hebrew: _qasha_) is highly revealing of King Saul's increasingly unstable and violent character. It implies far more than a simple verbal reprimand. It suggests a harsh, unyielding, and potentially physically violent response, indicative of a fixed and dangerous intent. Saul's character throughout [1 Samuel](/1_samuel/1 "The Book of 1 Samuel") is marked by fits of rage, paranoia, and jealousy, particularly towards David. This phrase foreshadows Saul's actual behavior later in the chapter, where he indeed answers Jonathan "roughly" by insulting him, his mother, and then attempting to spear him ([1 Samuel 20:30-33](/1_samuel/20-30 "1 Samuel 20:30-33 - Saul's Rage Against Jonathan")). David's choice of words demonstrates his accurate understanding of Saul's volatile and murderous disposition.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
David's anxious question in [1 Samuel 20:10](/1_samuel/20-10 "1 Samuel 20:10 - David's Anxious Question"), born of vulnerability and dependence on Jonathan, powerfully foreshadows humanity's ultimate reliance on a greater Friend and King, Jesus Christ. David, the anointed king-in-waiting, is in hiding, dependent on an intermediary for life-saving information, mirroring our own spiritual state as those alienated from God due to sin, desperately needing a mediator. Jonathan's unwavering loyalty, sacrificing his own inheritance and risking his life for David, serves as a poignant type of Christ's sacrificial love. Just as Jonathan interceded for David before a hostile king, Jesus intercedes for us before the Father, not merely risking but giving His life to secure our salvation ([Romans 5:8](/romans/5-8 "Romans 5:8 - Christ Died for Us")). The "rough answer" David feared from Saul, a king consumed by jealousy and hatred, finds its ultimate parallel in the world's rejection and crucifixion of the true King, Jesus, who came to His own, and His own received Him not ([John 1:11](/john/1-11 "John 1:11 - He Came to His Own")). Yet, unlike David who still faced uncertainty, believers receive the definitive "answer" from Christ: a message of peace, reconciliation, and eternal life, communicated not through a hidden signal but through His open demonstration of love on the cross ([Colossians 1:20](/colossians/1-20 "Colossians 1:20 - Reconciliation Through Christ")). He is the ultimate "who shall tell me," the Word made flesh who perfectly reveals the Father's heart and secures our eternal safety from the ultimate "rough answer" of divine judgment ([Hebrews 1:1-2](/hebrews/1-1 "Hebrews 1:1-2 - God Speaks Through His Son")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Proverbs 18:23

¶ The poor useth intreaties; but the rich answereth roughly.

1 Samuel 25:14

But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed on them.

Genesis 42:30

The man, [who is] the lord of the land, spake roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

Genesis 42:7

¶ And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food.

1 Samuel 20:30

Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious [woman], do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

1 Samuel 20:34

So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

1 Kings 12:13

And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;