“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.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Samuel 18:1 Mean?
The friendship of David and Jonathan begins in a single moment: Jonathan's soul was "knit" with David's soul. And Jonathan loved him as his own soul. The bond is immediate, complete, and described in the most intimate language the Old Testament uses for human connection.
The word "knit" (qashar) means to bind, to conspire, to tie together. It's used for binding an oath, for conspiring in loyalty, for tying something that shouldn't come apart. Jonathan's soul didn't drift toward David. It was bound. The connection was instant and permanent.
"Loved him as his own soul" — the deepest possible love: the same instinctive, automatic, fierce love you have for yourself, directed at another person. Jonathan doesn't love David as a friend, an ally, or a useful connection. He loves him as himself. The self-other boundary dissolves.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Have you experienced a 'soul-knitting' friendship — instant, deep, permanent? What made it different?
- 2.What did Jonathan's love for David cost him (throne, father's approval, eventually his life) — and does that level of cost describe your deepest friendships?
- 3.How does 'loved him as his own soul' compare to Jesus' command to 'love your neighbor as yourself'?
- 4.Is there someone in your life whose soul is knit to yours — and are you honoring that bond?
Devotional
Jonathan's soul was knit to David's. And he loved him as his own soul. One conversation. And a lifetime bond was formed.
The friendship didn't build gradually. It didn't develop through shared experiences or mutual benefit. It happened in a moment — when David finished speaking to Saul (after killing Goliath), Jonathan's soul was bound to David's. Knit. Tied. Permanently connected.
The word "knit" suggests something that can't easily be undone. Like rope braided together. Like fabric woven tight. Jonathan's soul and David's soul became one material. The bond wasn't emotional alone. It was structural. Soul-level. Load-bearing.
"Loved him as his own soul" — this is the love Jesus will later command: love your neighbor as yourself. Jonathan does it naturally. Not as an obligation. Not as a discipline. His love for David operates with the same instinct, the same intensity, the same protectiveness as his love for himself.
This friendship will cost Jonathan everything: his future throne (David will be king instead of him), his father's approval (Saul will try to kill David and rage at Jonathan for protecting him), eventually his life (he dies on Gilboa alongside the father who hated the man he loved). Jonathan loved David as his own soul — and the love was tested in ways that most friendships never face.
The beauty and the cost are inseparable. The knitting that happened in one moment held through years of conflict, exile, and danger. The bond that formed instantly lasted until death separated them.
Have you experienced this? A connection so immediate, so deep, so soul-level that it could only be described as knitting? That's a Jonathan-and-David friendship. It's the rarest thing in human experience. And it's worth everything it costs.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul,.... In answer to his questions about his descent and…
Was knit with the soul of David - The same forcible phrase occurs of Jacob’s love for Benjamin (marginal reference).…
When he had made an end of speaking - These first five verses are omitted by the Septuagint. See the notes on the…
David was anointed to the crown to take it out of Saul's hand, and over Jonathan's head, and yet here we find,
I. That…
1Sa 18:1-5. Jonathan's friendship for David
1 5. This section also is not found in the Septuagint (B).
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture