If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

If he say thus, It is well; thy servant shall have peace: but if he be wroth, then know that evil is determined by him.

If he shall say, It is well: thy servant shall have peace: but if he be angry, know that his malice is come to its height.

If thus he say: Good; peace is for thy servant; and if it be very displeasing to him, know that the evil hath been determined by him;

If he says, It is well, your servant will be at peace: but if he is angry, then it will be clear to you that he has an evil purpose in mind against me.

If he will say, 'It is well,' then your servant will have peace. But if he will be angry, know that his malice has reached its height.

If he say thus, it is well,.... It is very well, it is very good and right in him to do so:
thy servant shall have peace; it will be a token that the wrath of the king was removed, and that his mind was well disposed towards David, and things had taken an happy turn, and would issue in his peace and prosperity:
but if he be very wroth; with Jonathan for giving leave, and with David for going away:
then be sure that evil is determined by him; that he has a settled obstinate malice in his heart, which is become implacable and inveterate, and confirmed in him; and that it is a determined point with him to slay David if possible, which he hoped to have an opportunity of doing at that time in which he was disappointed, and caused such wrath in him.

"If thy father says, It is well, there is peace to thy servant (i.e., he cherishes no murderous thoughts against me); but if he be very wroth, know that evil is determined by him." כּלה, to be completed; hence to be firmly and unalterably determined (cf. 1-Samuel 25:17; Esther 7:7). Seb. Schmidt infers from the closing words that the fact was certain enough to David, but not to Jonathan. Thenius, on the other hand, observes much more correctly, that "it is perfectly obvious from this that David was not quite clear as to Saul's intentions," though he upsets his own previous assertion, that after what David had gone through, he could never think of sitting again at the king's table as he had done before.