Uncovering the True Relationship Between David and Jonathan

Same-gender attraction has always existed, though ancient societies didn’t define it as we do today. Still, the Bible contains one of its most powerful examples of same-gender love: the story of David and Jonathan.​

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Jonathan’s Love for David

Jonathan’s love for David was immediate and intense:​

“The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” — 1 Samuel 18:1​

The Hebrew text—וְנִקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ה נֶ֖פֶשׁ יְהוֹנָתָֽן בְּנֶ֣פֶשׁ דָּוִ֑ד—suggests a deep, reciprocal bond.​

Jonathan didn’t just express affection—he acted on it:

• He made a covenant with David—an unbreakable, lifelong bond.

• He stripped off his royal robe, sword, bow, and belt—a symbolic surrender of his status as heir to the throne.​

Would a “straight” man behave this way toward another man?​

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David’s Response to Jonathan

David’s love for Jonathan was equally profound. When they parted:

“They kissed one another and wept with one another, and David wept the most.” — 1 Samuel 20:41 (DSS)

And when Jonathan died:

“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; you have been dear to me.

Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women.” — 2 Samuel 1:26

David’s comparison to women’s love wasn’t a casual remark—it was a bold statement of Jonathan’s unique place in his heart.

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The Language of Love

In Hebrew:

• “Brother” (’achi) implied a chosen bond, not just biological kinship.

• “Dear to me” (na’amanta li) meant cherished, delightful—language often used romantically.

David wasn’t mourning a friend. He was grieving someone he deeply loved.

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Was David Bisexual?

David married women and had concubines, suggesting he wasn’t exclusively attracted to men—what we might now call bisexuality or fluidity.

Jonathan, however, showed singular devotion—so deep that he willingly gave up his right to the throne for David.

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A Covenant Beyond Friendship

David and Jonathan’s bond wasn’t political—it was personal. Their karath beriyth covenant (כָּרַת בְּרִית)—a sacred, binding agreement—was more than a pact between allies. It mirrored the seriousness of ancient marriage vows.

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A Love That Endures

David’s lament for Jonathan wasn’t just sorrow—it was heartbreak:

“Your love was more wonderful than the love of women.”

If David and Jonathan lived today, their relationship would likely be recognized as one of same-gender love—emotionally and physically intimate.

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The Bible never condemns their bond.

There is no shame in their love.

And that speaks volumes.​​