And he said unto him, God forbid; thou shalt not die: behold, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will shew it me: and why should my father hide this thing from me? it [is] not [so].
Ver. 2. God forbid; thou shalt not die.] Jonathan could not think his father so perfidious and bloody minded; having so lately sworn to the contrary. "Love thinketh not evil, but believeth all things, hopeth all things." 1Co 13:5 He knew not that Machiavellian maxim, Mercatorum est, non regum, stare iuramentis: It is for tradesmen, and not for kings to keep their oaths.
Behold, my father will do nothing.] Either Jonathan knew not of Saul's recent attempts against David, or else he looked upon them as fruits of his frenzy, which would be soon over.