Jonathan Loved David - God Makes That Clear In The Bible


David and his sling.




The Bible tells us Jonathan Loved David. The same Hebrew words used to describe opposite sex love are used to describe Jonathan and David’s same sex love. Jonathan loved David with an unquenchable everlasting love which caused them to form a lifelong covenant and partnership.

This much we know from the witness of the Holy Spirit in the text of scripture. The Hebrew words God uses to describe the Jonathan and David relationship indicate romantic life-long covenant committed love.

The Hebrew word ahab and ahabah
indicate Jonathan loved David!

The Hebrew word ahab, used to describe how Jonathan loved David, occurs 208 times in the Hebrew text of the Old Testament. It is translated love in the KJV 169 times and occurs in our story in 1 Samuel 16:21, 18:1, 3, 16, 20, 20:17 and II Samuel 1:26.

The Holy Spirit used ahab in Genesis 29:20 to describe Jacob's love for his wife Rachel and in Song of Solomon 3:1-4, to describe the love of the Shunamite girl for Solomon.

The love of the Shulamite girl for Solomon is described as coming from her nephesh-soul, just as Jonathan’s love for David sprang from his nephesh-soul. Scripture uses ahabah to describe sexual love in the context of opposite sex marriage in Proverbs 5:19.

Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Hebrew Lexicon defines ahab as:

  1. “Human love for a human object, including: love of man toward man,
  2. love of man toward himself,
  3. love between man and woman,
  4. love as sexual desire.”

How can we determine if ahab, when describing how Jonathan loved David, refers to romantic love and love as sexual desire between two men? Context gives us insight because the way ahab is translated depends on context. In I Samuel 16:21, ahab is used of Saul’s love for David. Nothing in the context indicates romantic, sexual attraction between Saul and David. Therefore we conclude ahab refers to non-romantic love between David and King Saul.




David when a young man, killed a lion that attacked his flock.





In 1 Samuel 18:16, ahab is used of the love of all Israel and Judah for David. Nothing in the context indicates romantic, sexual attraction between Israel, Judah and David. Therefore we conclude ahab refers to non-romantic love in this usage.

In 1 Samuel 18:20, where Michal is said to love David, it is universally believed that ahab refers to the romantic, sexual love of Princess Michal for David. The Hebrew word for love-ahab, has not changed.

What has changed is the context. The Hebrew word ahab in 1 Samuel 18:20 refers to the love of a woman for a man who eventually form a marriage partnership with each other.

God Did Not Use These
Hebrew Words By Accident.

How then are we to understand the use of ahab in 1 Samuel 18:1-3, 20:17 and 2 Samuel 1:26, where it describes how Jonathan loved David, in the context of a fifteen year intimate partnership? Jonathan loved David as fully, as intimately as any man ever loved a woman.

In this context, does ahab signify romantic or non-romantic love? The mutual love of Jonathan and David is described more fully than any other human love story in the Bible.

God contrasts Jonathan and David’s love story with the story of Michal and David. Although David eventually marries Michal, making him, in Saul’s words, his "son in law in the two" [Jonathan and Michal] I Samuel 18:21, scripture is careful never to tell us that David loved Princess Michal. David and Michal’s barren marriage is presented more as political alliance than love match.

Scripture notes that David was pleased to become the King’s son in law, perhaps revealing David's political ambition, instead of telling us David was pleased to marry Michal. David’s wholehearted love was reserved for Jonathan, the man scripture presents as the love of David's life. God makes it clear in scripture how much Jonathan loved David.

The fact that God used Hebrew words like ahab and qashar to describe Jonathan and David’s relationship is a subtle clue indicating that gay relationships are
affirmed, blessed and sanctified by God.

God wanted everyone to know that
Jonathan loved David!

Jonathan loved David and David loved Jonathan. God emphasized that fact in the Bible so that for all eternity everyone would know that God affirmed their same sex marriage relationship. Because God does nothing by accident, Hebrew word usage by the Holy Spirit is not accidental.

Many Christians understand the Jonathan and David story as God’s wonderful message of inclusion, planted by Jehovah God in holy scripture almost three thousand years ago because He loves his gay and lesbian and transsexual and transgender children as much as He loves His heterosexual children.

In telling the true story of how much David loved Jonathan, God provides a strong affirming message for gays and lesbians and for the church about the sanctity of committed gay relationships and gay marriages which are within the Biblical moral framework - committed, faithful and non-cultic.

Isn't it about time the church
began listening to God?


David playing his harp.




Some believe the reclining figure is King Saul while others believe the reclining figure is David's beloved romantic partner Jonathan.


The Hebrew word qashar

The Hebrew word qashar, is translated in English as knit. So scripture tells us, “the soul of Jonathan was (qashar) knit with the (nephesh) soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own (nephesh) soul.” 1 Samuel 18:1.

Qashar-knit, when linked with nephesh-soul, as here, refers to romantic love. Nephesh conveys the idea of soul, self, life, desire, emotion, passion.

In this context, nephesh-soul refers to the seat of emotions and passions while qashar-knit describes an activity which involves the mind and the will. Jonathan and David made a conscious decision to act on their mutual love and become a romantically involved couple.

Psalm 114, Played On An Ancient
Jewish Temple Lyre Harp

Perhaps King David himself wrote this music. The sound is probably similar to how David's harp playing sounded.


This video is 2 minutes long.


When the nephesh-soul of Jonathan is qashar-knit, bound, tied to the nephesh-soul of David, we have a strong statement from the Holy Spirit, the ultimate Author of scripture, about the intense romantic emotional attachment which bound these men together. Truly Jonathan loved David.

When used of physical objects, the word qashar means to tie physically. When used of incorporeal souls, as here, qashar-knit indicates emotional and romantic attachment.

Thus we see how God used the Hebrew language to demonstrate that the way Jonathan loved David is as pure and holy and Godly as opposite sex relationships.

Helpful Links to additional information.

God has a wise purpose for everything He allows. Knowing the controversy homosexuality would cause in the modern church, God inspired Samuel to record David’s unambiguous statement about his loving partnership with Jonathan so we would know that God blesses and sanctifies gay relationships and gay marriages which are within the biblical moral framework - committed, faithful, non-cultic.

Excellent Analogies in Scripture, for Affirming Gay Partnerships.

Here are Five More, Strong Analogies in Scripture, for Affirming Gay Partnerships.

From Jonathan and David, Return To Gay Christian 101.com Home Page.

Book, Gay Christian 101 eBook - Spiritual Self-Defense For Gay Christians.

Enjoy this page? Get the html to share it with others.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

  1. Click on the HTML link code below.
  2. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Google Translate


into 90 languages




Justification
by Faith

We are saved:

by grace alone through faith alone

in Christ alone.


Recent Articles

  1. Gay Christian 101 - Affirming God's glorious good news for all LGBs.

    Jan 08, 24 12:57 AM

    Rick Green 4
    Gay Lesbian Bisexual Christian 101 - Accurate biblical and historical info defending LGB Christians from the anti-gay crowd.

    Read More

  2. Romans 1 describes ancient shrine prostitution, not gays and lesbians.

    Dec 21, 23 04:37 PM

    rome-ancient1.jpg
    Romans 1, in historical context, is about ancient Roman fertility goddess worshipers who engaged in shrine prostitution to worship Cybele, not gays and lesbians.

    Read More

  3. The Centurion And Pais - When Jesus Blessed A Gay Couple.

    Nov 14, 23 10:32 PM

    rome-centurion.jpg
    Centurion and Pais? If Jesus blessed a gay relationship, would this change your view of homosexuality?

    Read More

Gay Christian FAQ


FREE Bible Study Downloads


Who Is Jesus?


Bible Study Resources
for eDisciples


101 Community


Bible Boot Camp


Beastiality?


Cybele and Rome


Adam - a real man?


87 Questions


Audacity Movie Review