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.
Parallel translations
- WEB 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.
- 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 that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
- 1 Sam 20:17And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved 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 thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
- Col 2:2That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
- Gen 44:30Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life;
- Deut 13:6If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers;
- 1 Sam 19:2But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place, and hide thyself:
- Judg 20:11So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.
- 1 Chr 12:17And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, If ye be come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you: but if ye be come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon, and rebuke it.
- 1 Sam 14:45And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath wrought with God this day. So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.
- 1 Sam 14:1–14Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he told not his father.
- Ps 86:11Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy 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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