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. After that victory, Saul was proclaimed king (1 Samuel 11). 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 . Saul was XXX years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for XXX-two years. Samuel is 49. Since phileo love involves feelings of warmth and affection toward another person, we do not have phileo love toward our enemies. The grammatical and social difficulties are pointed out in respect to 1 Samuel 18:21,[48] as well as the marked difference in the Bible between sensual kissing (as in Song of Songs) and the social kiss of Near Eastern cultures, whether in greeting, or as expression of deep affection between friends and family (as found throughout the Old and New Testaments). Please respond to an article I read which claims that Luke uses Greek idioms and puts them in the mouth of Paul, showing he is making things up. . I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; "[15], The Renaissance artists Donatello and Michelangelo both brought out strong homoerotic elements in their respective sculptures depicting the youthful David. Once again David escaped Sauls attempt to kill him. Jesus is the mighty friend of sinners. David should've learned to prioritize his marriage relationship. 21:8 tells us that Saul also had a concubine Rizpah, with whom he had two sons Armoni and Mephibosheth. Jonathan around 45. WebSo Ishbosheth was 10 years older than David, which means Jonathan was more than 10 years older than David. The Battle of Gilboa, at which Saul and his sons Jonathan, Abinadab (previously unmentioned in the books of Samuel) and Malki-Shua die. Jonathan is first mentioned in I Sam. It is otherwise hard to account for several features, including Sauls inability to recognise David on his arrival. 18:14. The problem with this translation is, again, that the phrase is a formula used everywhere else for the actual length of a kings reign (2 Samuel 2:10; 5:4; 1 Kings 14:21; etc.). WebIn the final land decision (19:29), David does not extend to Meribbaal the warmth and consideration that he deserved for his love and loyalty. We believe that God is the loving Father of all kids. Conversely, the friend of one partner is also the friend of the other partner. 2919 Birth of David. The Hebrew word dod is the primary word for sexual foreplay and intercourse in Hebrew. rev2023.3.1.43269. Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. He is depicted as a skilled warrior, poet, and musician and is part of the tribe of Judah and the son of Jesse of Bethlehem. Their father was Samuel, and so at this point Saul was adopted by Samuel. "W`*`hMaUby,q\'E-}$3wme/rPH"`i.Z8 X7@?r1 UsTvp c]M4Y&;Pcq[ And when Saul had reigned two years. The damaged text: 1 Samuel 13:1 Finally, it may well be that several diverse traditions concerning Saul were in existence, and that the forty year option was the one Paul had been taught. They sang, Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands. Learning Activity #2: Activity pages for students to work on while waiting for all to arrive. It is often thought that this recounts a rather earlier episode concerning Saul and David, than the account in chapter 16 of David entering military service. by James B. Jordan In the Bible, Jonathan is the eldest son of King Saul of Israel. Robert D. Bergen. 1999. p. 26. One day when the soldiers were returning home after David killed Goliath women had gathered in the streets singing and dancing. In 1 Samuel 20:4 has David pushing Jonathan to lie to his father. Samuel was around 73. It means that a year after Sauls adoption by Samuel, or within that year, he became king "when he was one year old." Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father's house. All rights reserved. His jealousy toward David had grown so much that he told Jonathan and his men to kill David. In 1993 a member of the Knesset in Israel, Yael Dayan, provoked controversy when she referred to David and Jonathan in a parliamentary debate in support of gay men and women in the Israeli military.[53]. We have seen that in context Saul can properly be said to have been one year old when he became king. 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. Jonathan and David had a true friendship that was bound by their faith in God. In fact, the saints in heaven will not engage in sexual activity between one another. (NASB)[4], David proved a successful commander, and as his popularity increased, so did Saul's jealousy. He selflessly became friends with David who had been anointed as the new king. Also, David would protect Jonathans family (1 Samuel 20:16-17; 23:16-18). The first reference to the friendship of David and Jonathan is found in 1 Samuel 18:1-4. The Catholic Encyclopedia, Driscoll, James F. 9 (Edersheim). [19][a] For Theodore Jennings, it is clear that Jonathan's "immediate" attraction to David was caused by his beauty:[21]. 1, 2 Samuel. David is married to many women, one of whom is Jonathan's sister Michal, but the Bible does not mention David loving Michal (though it is stated that Michal loves David). Saul had three sons, of which Jonathan was the oldest. It is true that the phrase translated "when he began reigning," is literally in Hebrew "in his reigning," but this is the phrase used everywhere else in the Old Testament to denote the beginning of a mans reign (2 Samuel 2:10; 5:4; 1 Kings 14:21; etc.) Do this a few times with the children. This attraction is given extravagant expression. Samuel is 68. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. Every kids church ministry deserves the very best resources for teaching Gods Word, even when they dont have the financial resources. 2Sa 5:4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 2929 (Hypothetical) anointing of David at age 10. And thus, King Edward II wept for his dead lover Piers Gaveston as: " David had mourned for Jonathan.". During this time Samuel dies, and David marries Ahinoam and Abigail, Michal having been given in marriage to Paltiel. 19.2. The covenant was with the house of David. Is it committing adultery if its my boyfriend. J. Carl Laney. The problem with this interpretation is that David was not yet anointed, so Saul could not be usurping Davids throne. [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. 60 As Jonathan Kirsch notes, many attempts have been made to conceal the flesh-and-blood David from us. 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. What we need to learn from this interpretation is this: Sometimes the chronology will date a kings reign not from his natural birth, but from some other spiritual event in his history, or in Israels history. Sanhedrin, fol. The next day David was playing his harp for Saul. During Davids exile, Samuel died (1 Samuel 25:1), perhaps at the age of 85. There is no sign or hint of a homosexual relationship in these verses. (Tough Questions Kids Ask #3), "Blessed are the Meek" Sunday School Lesson, Lesson: God made YOU special! Verse 16 refers to a covenantal relationship that Jonathan made with David. On that day a covenant was cut between the two friends; its terms we are not told but its practical issues stand revealed. One solution, which we find in the New International Version, is to assume that 1 Samuel 13:1 has become corrupted in transmission. Jonathan and David came up with a secret signal to let David know how Saul reacted. and they called to Lot and said to him, Where are the men who came to you tonight? Our enemies are His enemies and He fights for us. The covenant is described in verses 12-15. . For example, when I see the word worle I recognize that this is a spelling error and guess the actual word is world. First & Second Samuel. [33] The strong emotive language expressed by David towards Jonathan is also argued to be akin to that of platonic expressions in more expressive or pre-urban cultures. We apologize for any inconvenience, but an unexpected error occurred while you were browsing our site. Return to top We know that David married Jonathans sister, Michal, and became Jonathans brother-in-law ( 1 Samuel 18:27 ). Jonathan ended up protecting David and saving his life ( 19:1-6, 20:1-42 ). David was chosen by God and appointed to replace Saul as king of Israel instead of Jonathan, and still Jonathan loved David ( 20:31 ). Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Your love to me was more wonderful However, none of the Hebrew manuscripts state thirty and forty, only the Septuagint. He is described as strong, swift, and a talented archer. Mephibosheth five years old when Saul and (1 Samuel 19) Saul continued to grow wicked. In 1 Samuel 20 David has been hiding. The Hebrew word translated as loved in verse 1 is aheb. . We must remember that love between a husband and wife is multifaceted. So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, May the LORD require it at the hands of Davids enemies. Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life. Unlike Jonathan (he did not put on Davids shepherd clothes), Jesus put on our filthy rags (sin) when He was nailed on the cross. Proverbs 17:17 tells us that there are friends whose love is better than that of a brother. Conversely, a reign-length for Saul of more than 30 years suffers from opposite problems. "King David." Ish-bosheth is at most 30 when he takes Sauls place as king. They didnt allow their differences to mask their real selves. This means that most of the basic information points and reasonable suppositions about the lives of the individuals concerned can be met, and agrees with the tradition Josephus knew. In verse 10, the Hebrew word dodappears in the plural. Earlier I mentioned that true friends are a gift from God. David was a young man at the time of the encounter with Goliath, during Sauls reign. How have the mighty fallen, And the weapons of war perished![7]. The resolution of the problem has bearing on how the book of Judges dovetails with the books of Samuel, as well as links with external matters. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Lets read 20:19-23. After the death of Saul, David became king of Judah in Hebron (2 Sam 2:11). Gagnon[33] and the Assyriologist Markus Zehnder[34] and is consistent with commonly held theological views condemning same sex relations. That is, Solomons wife is engaged in different activities that is commonly called foreplay today. 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. This is how the translators of the original and new King James versions interpreted the clause, for they rendered it: "Saul reigned one year." (2 Samuel 12:7-8) Does God condemn polygamy? 2. Your love to me was more wonderful than the love of women. . They believe that the David and Jonathan kissin 1 Samuel 20:40-41 indicates that they were homosexual lovers. It is apparent that you are aware that there is a particular difficulty with accurate copying of numbers in Hebrew texts. According to some biblical scholars, the "choosing" (bahar) indicates a permanent choice and firm homoerotic relationship, and the mention of "nakedness" (erwa) is to convey a negative sexual nuance, which would give the impression that Saul saw something indecent in Jonathan and David's relationship. Jonathan cherished David, Achilles loved Patroclus." The Expositors Bible Commentary. In a single day David had acquired the finest sword in the Philistine army as well as one of the finest swords in Israels armory; he had been permitted to wear the kings clothing in the time of conflict and was given princely clothing in times of peace. Now we are in a position to understand the meaning of 1 Samuel 13:1a in context. Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them. Genesis 19:5 (NASB). David rises in rank in Sauls army, marries Michal, and develops a close friendship with Jonathan, at the same time arousing Sauls jealousy. "Saul." 3. So If Saul asked Jonathan where David was and was not angry that he went to his familys feast instead, then David would know his life is not in danger.