Arthur81
Well-Known Member
Over many years I've arrived at the following understanding, striving to be as objective as possible.
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit/H7194 qashar with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved/H157 ahab him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved/H160 ahabah him as his own soul." (1Sam 18:1-3 KJV)
Two Hebrew words are translated "loved" in these verses, ahab and ahabah. Doing a word study of the Hebrew, you find ahab has a broad meaning of love: father to son, man to his wife, love for a particular food, love of man to God, of a slave to his master, etc. That second Hebrew for loved, ahabah when used of human to human love, it is invariably man to woman and Jonathan's love to David. ahabah is even used of the sexual rape of Tamar by Amnon in 2 Sam. 13:15. From Gen. 29:20 up through 2 Chron. 9:8; the word when used of human to human, is either male to female, or Jonathan's love of David. It is also the Hebrew word used in 2 Sam. 1:26.
That KJV word "knit", which is H7194 qashar is revealing when you study it in a literal Hebrew-English Interlinear OT. In the Hebrew, qashar can be modified by gender, either "she" or "he/him". The word is used 44 times in the OT, and many times modified by "he" or "him" and in context it always refers to males. The Hebrew qashar is modified by "she" only three times in the OT -
Gen. 38:28 used of a midwife here
Josh. 2:21 used of Rahab here
1 Sam. 18:1 used of Jonathan's soul knit to David, modified by "she"
The exact phrase "love of women", is found only in 2 Sam. 1:26; only this one occurrence. It does not read "love of wife/wives", but "women". If David meant a platonic love, he could have said "love of brother/father". In 1 Samuel I find the plural "women" used in similar contexts and it leads me to understand an erotic content in 2 Sam. 1:26. See the following -
"Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting." (1Sam 2:22 ASV)
David speaking, using the word "women":
"And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy?" (1Sam 21:4-5 ASV)
Trying to be as objective, cautious and detailed as possible, I cannot see any other understanding of Jonathan's love for David than involving sexual content. From my readings in psychological studies about male love to male; this does not seem to be uncommon at all. It may not fit with Sunday School religion or our feelings about it; but the language in scripture seems clear.
BUT, in real life for the Christian, a male of exclusive homosexual orientation would experience a lot of difficulties and problems that may not have any perfect solution among the church family. It's probably not a 'one size fits all' answer, and deep, heartfelt prayers with weeping can consume a family if one takes their eyes off Christ! There is NO biblical answer in the liberal churches, or in the LGBTQ movement, and sadly, I see no true and honest answer among evangelicals and fundamentalists.
"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit/H7194 qashar with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved/H157 ahab him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved/H160 ahabah him as his own soul." (1Sam 18:1-3 KJV)
Two Hebrew words are translated "loved" in these verses, ahab and ahabah. Doing a word study of the Hebrew, you find ahab has a broad meaning of love: father to son, man to his wife, love for a particular food, love of man to God, of a slave to his master, etc. That second Hebrew for loved, ahabah when used of human to human love, it is invariably man to woman and Jonathan's love to David. ahabah is even used of the sexual rape of Tamar by Amnon in 2 Sam. 13:15. From Gen. 29:20 up through 2 Chron. 9:8; the word when used of human to human, is either male to female, or Jonathan's love of David. It is also the Hebrew word used in 2 Sam. 1:26.
That KJV word "knit", which is H7194 qashar is revealing when you study it in a literal Hebrew-English Interlinear OT. In the Hebrew, qashar can be modified by gender, either "she" or "he/him". The word is used 44 times in the OT, and many times modified by "he" or "him" and in context it always refers to males. The Hebrew qashar is modified by "she" only three times in the OT -
Gen. 38:28 used of a midwife here
Josh. 2:21 used of Rahab here
1 Sam. 18:1 used of Jonathan's soul knit to David, modified by "she"
The exact phrase "love of women", is found only in 2 Sam. 1:26; only this one occurrence. It does not read "love of wife/wives", but "women". If David meant a platonic love, he could have said "love of brother/father". In 1 Samuel I find the plural "women" used in similar contexts and it leads me to understand an erotic content in 2 Sam. 1:26. See the following -
"Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting." (1Sam 2:22 ASV)
David speaking, using the word "women":
"And the priest answered David, and said, There is no common bread under my hand, but there is holy bread; if only the young men have kept themselves from women. And David answered the priest, and said unto him, Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days; when I came out, the vessels of the young men were holy, though it was but a common journey; how much more then to-day shall their vessels be holy?" (1Sam 21:4-5 ASV)
Trying to be as objective, cautious and detailed as possible, I cannot see any other understanding of Jonathan's love for David than involving sexual content. From my readings in psychological studies about male love to male; this does not seem to be uncommon at all. It may not fit with Sunday School religion or our feelings about it; but the language in scripture seems clear.
BUT, in real life for the Christian, a male of exclusive homosexual orientation would experience a lot of difficulties and problems that may not have any perfect solution among the church family. It's probably not a 'one size fits all' answer, and deep, heartfelt prayers with weeping can consume a family if one takes their eyes off Christ! There is NO biblical answer in the liberal churches, or in the LGBTQ movement, and sadly, I see no true and honest answer among evangelicals and fundamentalists.
