When he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
Parallel translations
- KJV And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
- BSB After David had finished speaking with Saul, the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
- NKJV Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
- NASB Now it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that Jonathan committed himself to David, and Jonathan loved him as himself.
- NLT After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jonathan's soul is knit to David's, and he loves him as himself. A deep, godly friendship is born, marked by selfless loyalty.
Overview
Immediately after David's triumph, Saul's son Jonathan is bound to him in love as to his own soul. Their friendship is a model of covenant loyalty and self-giving affection. Remarkably, Jonathan, the natural heir, loves the one who will replace him, foreshadowing the humility that gladly yields to God's anointed king.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Prov 18:24A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
- 1 Sam 20:17Jonathan caused David to swear again, for the love that he had to him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
- 1 Sam 18:3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
- 2 Sam 1:26I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan. You have been very pleasant to me. Your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
- Col 2:2that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,
- Gen 44:30Now therefore when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us; since his life is bound up in the boy’s life;
- Deut 13:6If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son, or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or your friend, who is as your own soul, entices you secretly, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods,” which you have not known, you, nor your fathers;
- 1 Sam 19:2Jonathan told David, saying, “Saul my father seeks to kill you. Now therefore, please take care of yourself in the morning, and live in a secret place, and hide yourself.
- Judg 20:11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
- 1 Chr 12:17David went out to meet them, and answered them, “If you have come peaceably to me to help me, my heart will be united with you; but if you have come to betray me to my adversaries, since there is no wrong in my hands, may the God of our fathers see this and rebuke it.”
- 1 Sam 14:45The people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has worked this great salvation in Israel? Far from it! As Yahweh lives, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he has worked with God today!” So the people rescued Jonathan, that he didn’t die.
- 1 Sam 14:1–14Now it fell on a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, “Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side.” But he didn’t tell his father.
- Ps 86:11Teach me your way, Yahweh. I will walk in your truth. Make my heart undivided to fear your name.
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Christ at the center
The rise of the anointed king after Israel's failed first choice points to the true Anointed One (Messiah means 'anointed'), the shepherd-king after God's own heart from Bethlehem.
How 1 Samuel 18:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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