Mature Christians can you please explain this bible verse?

Question

Hello. I was reading the bible and I am a Christian and do not believe that homosexuality is right. But, I was reading this verse and its kinda confusing.


After David had finished talking to Saul, Jonathon became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself. From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his fathers house. And Jonathon made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathon took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 1 Samuel 18:1-4 NIV


Is this speaking of just a very good friendship, or possibly a homosexual relationship?

Thank you everyone. What confused me was the phrase one in spirit. But, I knew that it had to be a friendship, I just wanted to get other peoples opinions on it.

Answer 1

It is only in recent times that the love of one man for another has been seen in the context of a homosexual love at first glance. If you look at some of the older historical writings like the ones about the knights of England you find men saying that their love for their comrades in arms surpassed that of the love of a woman because they had gone through life and death situations and had experienced the sacrifical love that fellow soldiers can feel for each other when a brother in arms puts their own life on the line to save you.

In case you hadn't noticed, men also look at things a little differently than women do. So even though a man might feel the most tender and loving affections for his wife and share intimate conversations with her, there will still be those occasions when another man can more fully share his feelings about life and the world around us. In a cultural situation like the one David found himself in, where Jewish women didn't have much social standing or shared roles with the men, there would have been a sharper division of experience for this situation to manifest itself than in today's world where women have bought into the lie that being equal with men means trying to fill every role in society that has been traditionally reserved for men in most instances.

Answer 2

Why does a very good friendship have to smack of homosexuality?? In this passage, it suggests nothing of the like to me. How can God say that David was a man after His own heart if David was breaking the Levitical law with the practice of homosexuality? I clearly see no reason to suspect this was nothing more than a very close friendship.

Answer 3

Concerning their friendship, David said of Jonathan at 2 Sam. 1:26, "More wonderful was your love for me than the love from women." Here David was expressing his close friendship with his fallen friend, Jonathan. They did not have a homosexual relationship, a practice that was a violation of Jewish law, punishable by death.

Answer 4

No, no homosexual relationship.
Yes, they were the very best of friends, like a husband and wife should be.
The story goes on to describe how their friendship grew and matured.
The term "knit" (1 Sam 18:1) in Hebrew means to "bind oneself, be bound (to)". It is related to persons who are bound together as if in a conspiricy.
Do you remember the New Testament story of a Pharasee asking Jesus which commandment was the greatest (most important) commandment? Do you remember what Jesus answered? Matthew 22:37-40 "And He said to him, " 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' 38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."

Sorry about the all caps, those are quotes in the New Testament from the Old Testament.

My point is that Jesus said that we should love neighbors as we love ourselves, so the love between Jonathan and David is not unusual in biblical standards.

Answer 5

Consider what language the Old Testament was written in, Hebrew. Then get a Hebrew dictionary or lexicon(Thayer or Strong's) look up the word love as it is used in that biblical verse and you will find that Jonathon's love for David was as one brother would love another, not in a homosexual manner.

Answer 6

the best description is best friends, in other cultures blood brother may describe the bond strength (not the practice just the strength of the bond) a friend closer than a brother. in implies nothing immoral

here is the KJV it might help a little too

1Sa 18:1 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.

Answer 7

He is speaking of perfection in a spiritual sense. Not perfection in a literal sense. The struggle for spiritual perfection is the hardest task that God has set for us as humans. But... man is not a perfect being... only God can assume perfection. Just the ambition and the trials that we go through on a daily basis trying to be the Christian that God wants us to be is the perfection he seeks. You say that you take the Bible literally... don't. The Bible was not penned by the hand of our creator... IT WAS INSPIRED by him and written by scholars and prophets and apostles.... human beings... and we are reading their interpretations. Twenty people can read the same passages from the Bible and you will have twenty different opinions on what was being said. So don't be so hard on yourself, if the Bible was easy to read and follow then being a perfect Christian would be a simple thing, but since it is not, just be at peace with your self and your faith that you are still seeking the grace and goodness of our Lord through his teachings. Peace.

Answer 8

Jonathon became one in the spirit with David, that was a spiritual binding.
several time they were said to have loved each other like brothers.
sometime we meet someone that becomes closer to us that our brothers.
to take off his robe, tunic, and sword was a sign that he was welcoming him into the royal family.

Answer 9

David and Jonathon became the best of friends. They was no homosexuality there.

Answer 10

This has nothing to do with homosexuality. It was customary when making a pact or covenant with someone to exchange articles of clothing with them. Remember the story of Boaz in Ruth. Boaz made a covenant with another kinsman closer to Ruth, they exchanged a sandal. Jonathan and David were close friends, not effeminate.