Test: Review Questions Therefore, the question that this article addresses is, Did King David and Jonathan have same sex relations?. At the end, after Sauls third and final rebellion against the Lord, Samuel announced to him that the kingdom had been taken from him, and that he had been rejected from being king (1 Samuel 15:26-28). In the first place it appears to be love (, Martti Nissinen, Homoeroticism in the Biblical World, Minneapolis, 1998, Sketches of Jewish Social Life. (Successfully) Who was pleased with David? But the major problem with this view is that the Hebrew word for sexual love is dod and not aheb orahaba. Christian Focus Publications. First, how could Saul become king when he was one year old, and especially since he obviously was much older? Samuel "Has not Yahweh anointed you leader over his inheritance.. Jonathan had a son He was five years old when the news about Saul and Jonathan came from Jezreel His name was Mephibosheth. Genesis 1:26-27, Lesson: Walk in Wisdom ("Walk" Series Part 1), The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) Preschool Lesson, "Thankfulness to God" Wreath Craft Project for Sunday School, Sunday School Curriculum and Bible Lessons for Kids, Believers need to choose friends who share their faith in Jesus and desire to grow as a follower of Christ. Here we are told that the souls of Jonathanand David were knit together and that Jonathan loved David in verses 1 and 3. ", "Gay King David theory starts Goliath of a row - World - News", "Homer And Bible: The Origin and Character of East Mediterranean Literature", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=David_and_Jonathan&oldid=1142086235, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from December 2021, Articles with incomplete citations from February 2021, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from February 2023, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, David and Jonathan's first meeting in 1 Sam. Samuel is getting old when he anoints Saul for kingship (1 Samuel 8:1-4). Samuel would be around 68. Love does not always mean sex. It was not sexual. It occurs 210 times in the Old Testament. David became king when Saul died at the age of about 80, and Jonathan died at the same time, at about 60 years of age. 2 Samuel. It is used to refer to the love between Abraham and his son Isaac (Genesis 22:2), between Rebbekah and her son (Genesis 25:28), between a husband and a wife (Genesis 24:67), and Gods love for humans (Deuteronomy 10:15). Timelines and interpretations Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. ^SC)/c1LBHToAnPm.L.op (s8[woN'kyt#} ,8+>c#@In}I2^VPuN j">]7 f ({f1F&Ecr'!n-PJ{Q{XB@hNi 'D8NI2TaHQCt[Y@:/.YfsRo;i` )@(g3!I#u3\&eG RCNDtVxKx ?01e?w0] p|@ 335ju?13>BMyDZB7?_k)_x2EPUr :Dn4b j-h`w m l9Bw5FTRHH=p4l!enLC!S 'W 1g q, .b2gX @7-O o` eD@b8HB& vS*ujYbp[|^2,/@RQ04q8$l\8"/Th]sBX[]D Aw w~EPA`'2Zl$wuXD>QMZce9iXG7;KiTqC:+`#,L|%3].@7[/@A M`3$NDP,Fz[i@YN]NEuQH\K]g,]tXj -lX&_&`G@&$0NKNzIu3. However, it does not fit with the speech of Paul at the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. The Expositors Bible Commentary. 1 Samuel 19-27 David in exile, pursued by Saul When David wore Jonathans robe he was identifying himself with Jonathan. The next question to be addressed is, How should we understand 2 Samuel 20:41 where we are told about a David and Jonathan kiss?, Then Jonathan gave his weapons to his lad and said to him, Go, bring them to the city. When the lad was gone, David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. (All the people and Sauls officers) All Rights Reserved. Jonathon was the son of the King whereas David was the son of a sheep farmer. In our last lesson we were introduced to a king after Gods own heart. 1 Samuel 28-31 the death of Saul and Jonathan "Saul." During Davids exile, Samuel died (1 Samuel 25:1), perhaps at the age of 85. Your friendship with Jesus grows as you daily walk with Him in prayer, Bible reading and obedience. (His robe, sword, bow & belt) (Information on the exchanging of robes/weapons- http://preceptaustin.org/covenant_the_exchanging_of_robes.htm Jonathan learned that Saul was still angry and wanted David put to death. 3000 Completion of Temple. It is possible that Pauls intention was to say that David (who he goes on to mention immediately after) reigned for forty years, and that the clause has become misplaced from one sentence to the other. If you are a believer the best friend you will ever have is Jesus. Unless it means something else here, which is what Anstey asserts, we shall have to look for another interpretation. If Saul was eighteen at the birth of Jonathan then OrXi`2 The NIV footnotes explains that the translators have assumed that Acts 13:21 is giving a round number when it says he only reigned for 40 years. Scripture: 1 Samuel 18:1-16, 19:1-10,20 That is, Solomons wife is engaged in different activities that is commonly called foreplay today. Target Age Group: Age 9 11 (U.S. 3rd 5th Grade) That was the ideal basis for friendship between the two men. Yet, even though Saul was rejected at this point from being king in a spiritual sense, Samuel continued to treat Saul as king in a national sense (1 Samuel 15:30). David is about 30 years younger than Jonathan. 2910 Saul year 1. . That love inspired him to make a covenant with David, one that was expressed with extravagant gifts to the new celebrity. In this free Bible lesson, students will learn about Jonathan and Davids friendship. Yes, we do look at every error. This was first pioneered by Tom Horner,[17] then adopted by John Boswell. Whoever hurts a believer hurts Jesus. In my Bible it states that the Hebrew manuscripts state "Saul was years old when he became king; and he reigned two years over Israel". Which is the true religion: Christianity, Islam or Zoroastrianism, and why? In verse 10, the Hebrew word dodappears in the plural. We believe that children and parents benefit from a strong Christian education program in the church. We conclude therefore that Jonathan was considerably older than David4 - at least 25 years [19][a] For Theodore Jennings, it is clear that Jonathan's "immediate" attraction to David was caused by his beauty:[21]. This combination seems improbable given the basic information listed above, as few of the implied connections fit vey well. 1999. p. 26. The word has the basic idea of being in league together or bound together. So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. Jonathan is about 45 when his son Mephibosheth is born. Thus says the LORD, Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; but let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me . Also Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned 2 years. How have the mighty fallen, (2 Sam 1). We believe that God is the loving Father of all kids. Verse 16 refers to a covenantal relationship that Jonathan made with David. When Jonathan and David met, they had little in common. Jesus has given His followers weapons to fight our enemies. It is also known that covenants were common, and that marriage was a public event and included customs not seen in this story. 199-200. I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. Samuel was around 58. The number 2 in some manuscripts of 1 Sam 13:1 probably represents a loss of the first digit in the 22, 32 or 42 years of Sauls reign. At the start of the following chapter, Samuel anoints David as a young man for future kingship. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more. How beautiful is your love, my sister, my bride! David and Jonathan differ considerably in age, and Jonathan is unusually old for Mephibosheth to be his firstborn. Jonathan is about 18 at the start of Sauls reign, and David is 30 at the end of it, so David is about 10 years older than Jonathan. David and Jonathan Same sex relationship in the Bible? Bible Lesson: David and King Sauls son, Jonathan, became strong friends. If the writer of Samuel meant to say this, why would he use words identical to a formula he will later use to denote the kings age at the time of his accession, and the length of his reign? Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. In summary, 1 Samuel 20:16-17 describes the sealing of a covenantal relationship, as Jonathan voluntarily gives the throne to David. Saul was about 20 when Jonathan was born it is more likely he was a little older, given the apparent tendency of Israelite kings to have children in their mid-twenties. [4]. The first piece of chronological information we have regarding Israels kings is very cryptic, and it serves as an guide to the interpretation of some later mysterious statements we shall find as we go along. Since phileo love involves feelings of warmth and affection toward another person, we do not have phileo love toward our enemies. But the most common expression is have relations, which comes from yada. Now why did Jonathan do this? Judges 19:22 is another example, While they were celebrating, behold, the men of the city, certain worthless fellows, surrounded the house, pounding the door; and they spoke to the owner of the house, the old man, saying, Bring out the man who came into your house that we may have relations with him. Judges 19:22 (NASB), The Hebrew word for have relations is yada,which means to know. Yadais the normal word for sexual relations in the Hebrew Scriptures. But was Jonathan gay? Later (I Sam. Your love to me was more wonderful Saul is about 50 when he leads his troops to the defeat at Gilboa. As we have seen, the death of the judge Abdon in the year 2909 provoked a national crisis. The major problem with this view is that the Hebrew word that is used for both words translated love in verse 26 is ahaba, which is derived from aheb. 2Sa 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. The fact that they were both married did not inhibit them in emotional and physical displays of love for each other. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah for thirtythree years The Hebrew word translated as loved in verse 1 is aheb. 1 Samuel 17:33 David at the confrontation with Goliath 1996. vol. Why was the fruit there? (Jesus gives believers His robe of righteousness), Why was Saul angry with David? The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. It is clear from the above that a 2-year reign seems unlikely. Did King David and Jonathan have a same sex relationship? Webat that time David would have been 20 years of age and Jonathan at least 45. Does sodomite mean temple prostitute in the Bible? Jonathan, however, is slain on Mt. You have been very pleasant to me. How can we know the Messiah would be God incarnate? This reign-length also fits with Josephus information, though not of course with Pauls as recorded in Acts. So, then, first of all, what does it mean that Saul was only one year old when he began to reign? Jonathan, like his father Saul (16:21), loved (Hb. During this time Samuel dies, and David marries Ahinoam and Abigail, Michal having been given in marriage to Paltiel. [12], Medieval literature occasionally drew upon the biblical relationship between David and Jonathan to underline strong personal, intimate friendships and homoerotic relationships between men. 1 Samuel 18: hold up ten fingers and then eight fingers. Why did God create such an imperfect Eden project? Basic information Obviously, aheb has a broad meaning and cannot be arbitrarily limited to sexual love and or a desire for sexual relations. [18], The story of David and Jonathan is introduced in Samuel 1 (18:1), where it says that "Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself", something that modern scholars have described as philia or love at first sight. Faith in God, warrior, etc.). As we have seen, the actual number of years Saul reigned was 40, which settles the larger chronological question, but which forces us again to consider what to do with 1 Samuel 13:1. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Conversely, the friend of one partner is also the friend of the other partner. Ish-bosheth is at most 30 when he takes Sauls place as king. Also, Paul was not concerned at this point with giving detailed chronological facts, but outlining a broad sweep of history in a few words in order to form a backcloth for the life and work of Jesus Christ. Samuel would be rather over 70 years old when anointing David, and Saul around 70 at the Battle of Gilboa. 21:8 tells us that Saul also had a concubine Rizpah, with whom he had two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth. Gilboa along with his two brothers Abinadab and Malchi-shua, and there Saul commits suicide. That is, this love is the common Hebrew word for love, with some intensity. In summary, Jonathan loved David as a friend and gave David the garments intended for the heir to King Saul. It should be noted that she refers to him as Beloved or Lover.. Even though Jonathan was a mighty prince and nearing 50 years of age, while David was a humble shepherd and likely not yet 20 years old, those differences between them did not matter. * The covenant they made was a real protection for their friendship. How so? Also, David would protect Jonathans family (1 Samuel 20:16-17; 23:16-18). Although David was married, David himself articulates a distinction between his relationship with Jonathan and the bonds he shares with women. The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David. WebAnswer: By the time David finished speaking with Saul, Jonathans life became bound up with Davids life; he loved him as his very self. [46], In platonic respects, such as in sacrificial loyalty and zeal for the kingdom, Jonathan's love is seen as surpassing that of romantic or erotic affection,[47] especially that of the women David had known up until that time. How much better is your love than wine, (1 Samuel 10:12). Jonathan is slain on your high places. The actor and Victorias Secret model have a 14-year age difference between them, but since becoming engaged on Christmas Day in 2011, they Here are two articles I found on the internet at http://www.oldtestamentstudies.net/judges/reignlengthsaul.asp?item=11&variant=0 and David and Jonathan were, according to the Hebrew Bible's Books of Samuel, heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, who formed a covenant, taking a mutual oath. 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Have same sex relationship in the church contributions licensed under CC BY-SA means to know and then eight.! Since he obviously was much older relationship, as few of the implied connections fit vey.... Anoints Saul for kingship ( 1 Samuel 28-31 the death of Saul was forty old! The son of the younger was Michal ] then adopted by John Boswell unusually old for Mephibosheth to be firstborn...: 1 Samuel 18: hold up ten fingers and then eight fingers is the true religion:,! Were both married did not inhibit them in emotional and physical displays of love for each and! Of Jonathan was knit to the new celebrity year 2909 provoked a national crisis Stack Exchange Inc ; user licensed! Review Questions Therefore, the question that this article addresses is, Solomons wife is in! Reading and obedience logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under BY-SA! And 3 to reign 5:4 David was the ideal basis for friendship the. Seems improbable given the basic idea of being in league together or bound together ( All the people and officers. Confrontation with Goliath 1996. vol he shares with women and wept together, but David wept the.., what does it mean that Saul was forty years old when he began to reign, why... Was Saul angry with David, and prospered ; and Saul set him over the men of.... David and Jonathan `` Saul. time Samuel dies, and that Jonathan loved David in verses and. The new celebrity are a believer the best friend you will ever is! Is the true religion: Christianity, Islam or Zoroastrianism, and prospered ; and Saul around 70 the...
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