If David was anointed by Samuel at the age of 10, this would be at the mid-point of Sauls 40-year reign, and Jonathan would be 40. Now we are in a position to understand the meaning of 1 Samuel 13:1a in context. In other words they believe the David and Jonathan friendship was homosexual. The sages characterized the relationship between Jonathan and David in the following Mishnah: Whenever love depends on some selfish end, when the end passes away, the love passes away; but if it does not depend on some selfish end, it will never pass away. David was a young man at the time of the encounter with Goliath, during Sauls reign. However, it is not at all clear that 2 years is sufficient time for all of the events recounted in 1 Samuel 13-27 (Davids rise to fame within Israel, his marriage, and subsequent flight from place to place) to fit within a two year span, given that rather over a year is accounted for purely at Gath. Again, a higher figure is more probable. Josephus, Antiquities Book 6, Ch. How have the mighty fallen, This is relevant to the question of 1 Samule 13:1. Sanhedrin, fol. ]>x6RX-5u8Wh+@hUC|*`N{cyaLqHRNu bs Jonathan and David were approximately the same age the closeness of their friendship does not preclude widely differing ages but renders it less likely. Further, since the Bible overwhelmingly refers to homosexuality as a sin and wants us to not engage in this sin (Genesis 19:1-26; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:22-28; 1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10), why would God select David to become the king of Israel? 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. (1 Samuel 19) Saul continued to grow wicked. Susan Ackerman also believes that there is highly eroticized language present in six different sections in the Hebrew Bible in regards to the relationship of David and Jonathan. 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. Yet, inspite of their differences, they became fast friends. As David proved himself faithful as court musician and armor bearer, he was soon elevated to a prominent position of leadership in the military (18:5).[1]. If Saul was eighteen at the birth of Jonathan then he would have been at least sixty at his death. The next significant passage is 1 Samuel 20:16-17. Jonathan and David became close friends: shake someone elses hand. No longer an enemy of God, a believer is a child of God identified with Jesus Christ. Memory Verse: Psalm 119:63 I am a friend to all who fear You, to all who follow Your precepts., (Begin with prayer) Jon Levenson and Baruch Halpern suggest that the phrase suggests "David's theft of Saul's wife", and that the verse supports the construction that Ahinoam, the wife of Saul is the same Ahinoam who became David's wife. It is utterly wrong-headed to read the idea of homosexuality into this text. Thus, Jonathan was about 30 when David was born (a matter worth paying close attention to). Now, the text tells us that he reigned for two years. WebIt is important to note that the difference in age between Jonathan and David rests critically on the translation adopted at 1 Sam. 1996. vol. [14] Similarly, Roger of Hoveden, a twelfth-century chronicler, deliberately drew comparisons in his description of "The King of France (Philip II Augustus) [who] loved him (Richard the Lionheart) as his own soul. Assumptions and inferences In verse 20, aheb is used to refer to Sauls daughter, Michals, love for David. Lessons in Ghana, Liberia, Cote dIvoire and Senegal by John Oakes Lessons in English and French. ." 1 Samuel 28-31 the death of Saul and Jonathan The covenant is described in verses 12-15. As well as the basic pieces of information above, the following extra items appear reasonable: Basic information Donations to this ministry aretax-deductible. This is further reinforced by the fact that in verse 16 ahebis used to refer to the love of all Israel and Judah for David. Bible Story:Davids Friend 9 (Edersheim). A sample of 362 adolescents (David killed Goliath with a stone and a slingshot) transitory, homosexuality, deployed by the redactors as a textual means to assert David's rights against Jonathan's: the latter willingly alienated his princely status by bowing down (1 Samuel 20:41), sexually speaking, to the former. Verses 25-27 are the final verses of a lament over Saul and Jonathan (v. 17). What this means for us is that we cannot simply run through the text of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles and add up years, assuming in every case that they measure the literal age of a man when he begins his reign and the literal number of years he reigns. When Jonathan tried to reason with his father he was so angry with Jonathan for being friends with David that he threw a spear at him. Besides, Saul must have been older than thirty at this time because he had a grown son, Jonathan, who was old enough to serve in the army with him. [50], At his 1895 trial, Oscar Wilde cited the example of David and Jonathan in support of "The love that dare not speak its name": "Such a great affection of an elder for a younger man as there was between David and Jonathan, such as Plato made the very basis of his philosophy, and such as you find in the sonnets of Michelangelo and Shakespeare. Thus I wanted to get your thoughts on this passage. 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. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. As I have shown elsewhere, Saul was adopted by Samuel as his son when Samuel anointed him king (1 Samuel 10:9). I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; You have been very pleasant to me. (Successfully) Who was pleased with David? Throughout Scripture heterosexual and homosexual physical acts are referred to as to know. For example, in the city of Sodom when the men of the city want to have sex with two angels, Genesis 19:5 says, . As we have seen, the death of the judge Abdon in the year 2909 provoked a national crisis. So David went out wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of war. Verse 16 refers to a covenantal relationship that Jonathan made with David. (All the people and Sauls officers) He [Kish] had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites the word bahur is used here, suggesting not youthfulness but vigour (the word often being used of warriors). %PDF-1.3 Regan, P. C; Jerry, D; Narvaez, M; Johnson, D. "Public displays of affection among Asian and Latino heterosexual couples". Samuel was around 58. (Robe, sword, bow, belt), How was what Jonathan gave David similar to what Jesus gives to those who believe in Him? Perhaps these homosocial relationships, based on love and equality, are more comparable with modern homosexual people's experience of themselves than those texts that explicitly speak of homosexual acts that are aggressive, violent expressions of domination and subjection. C4ktI)-O:26aW#(2v'>9jRvhMG(A#`P:wtt(HBV3~_3@zFZ[;$ ] ocyRAd2ssygO%p8 gQ{9k>eq. OrXi`2 Moody Press. Learning Activity #1: What makes a good friend? Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Consequently, the two men exchanged kisses of parting sorrow. . Read 1 Samuel 18:5. They didnt allow their differences to mask their real selves. 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). This is how the translators of the original and new King James versions interpreted the clause, for they rendered it: "Saul reigned one year." Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. Jonathan is about 18 at the start of Sauls reign, and David is 30 at the end of it, so David is about 10 years older than Jonathan. Curriculum-based dance is important for providing a pathway into extra-curricular dance because, for many young people, physical education is their only opportunity to experience dance. Bible Lesson: David and King Sauls son, Jonathan, became strong friends. (He went and found out if his father was still angry and came back and gave David the signal that it was not safe for him to return), Who is the best friend a person could have? Bible Text: 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Answer: We know from 1 Samuel 18:1 that Jonathan loved David. Second Samuel 1:26 records Davids lament after Jonathans death, in which he said that his love for Jonathan was more wonderful than the love of a woman. Some use these two passages to suggest a homosexual relationship between David and Jonathan. It is also known that covenants were common, and that marriage was a public event and included customs not seen in this story. David served as Sauls armor bearer for several years, and then joined the army at age 20. Bible overwhelmingly refers to homosexuality as a sin. Who is a believers friend? Let its spices be wafted abroad. It occurs in Genesis 19:8. And eat its choice fruits! Jonathan was very sad because of his fathers intent to kill his friend. Saul was probably about 40 when he began to reign, reigned 40 years, and died at about 80 years of age. It is clear from the above that a 2-year reign seems unlikely. That was the ideal basis for friendship between the two men. The fact that they were both married did not inhibit them in emotional and physical displays of love for each other. Basic information We even try to fix some of them. Read 1 Samuel 18:8-9 to see Sauls response. To force the word to refer to more than friendship love in 1 Samuel 18:1 cannot be supported. The traditional and mainstream religious interpretation of the relationship has been one of platonic love and an example of homosociality. Both the verse and the Hebrew word stripped also supports this conclusion. It means that a year after Sauls adoption by Samuel, or within that year, he became king "when he was one year old." Why did God create such an imperfect Eden project? During this time Samuel dies, and David marries Ahinoam and Abigail, Michal having been given in marriage to Paltiel. % 2950 David year 1. 1: hold up 1 finger. (NASB)[4], David proved a successful commander, and as his popularity increased, so did Saul's jealousy. 1, 2 Samuel. Jonathan was a seasoned military commander while David was still too young to even enlist. The biblical text does not explicitly depict the nature of the relationship between David and Jonathan. May my beloved come into his garden Also Ish-bosheth son of Saul was forty years old when he became king over Israel, and he reigned 2 years. Conversely, the friend of one partner is also the friend of the other partner. 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. David rises in rank in Sauls army, marries Michal, and develops a close friendship with Jonathan, at the same time arousing Sauls jealousy. Today it is common for men to exchange a kiss on the cheek as a greeting, as a farewell, an expression of joy or sorrow, and to seal an agreement. So the balance of probability seems to favour a reign between 10 and 20 years. 2023 Ministry-To-Children.com | Bible Lessons for Kids, Activities for Sunday School, Free Resources for Children's Ministry Leaders. 2939 David, age 20, enters army; rapidly becomes famous. 1 Samuel 13:3, 4 Jonathan at Sauls accession Even though Jonathan was a mighty prince and nearing 50 years of age, while David was a humble shepherd and likely not yet 20 years old, those differences between them did not matter. * The covenant they made was a real protection for their friendship. How so? Copyright 2022 . David became king when Saul died at the age of about 80, and Jonathan died at the same time, at about 60 years of age. Using a board or poster paper draw an outline of a person and allow students to write phrases that describe a good friend. The kind of covenant loyalty seen A quick glance at the Hebrew letters used for the numbers will show that some of them are rather similar in shape, making the likelihood of a copying error particularly great. In fact, the saints in heaven will not engage in sexual activity between one another. This Hebrew verb is in the Hithpael tense and must be understood as removing clothes and not as stripping oneself naked. It occurs only thirty-seven times in the Old Testament. [4]. How do you explain this? 1 Samuel 13:1 literally says: "A son of one year was Saul when he became king, and two years he reigned over Israel." 1 Samuel 9:2 description of Saul That is, Jonathan did not strip himself naked. "Ahinoam (Person)", The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary. The age difference between David and Jonathan could be lessened by supposing that Saul and Jonathan were both older than the values shown for example if Saul was about 10 years older and Jonathan in his late twenties at the time of his fathers accession. Ish-bosheth is at most 30 when he takes Sauls place as king. It follows that whoever is one partners enemy is the other partners enemy. stream For example, when I see the word worle I recognize that this is a spelling error and guess the actual word is world. And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself ( 1 Samuel 18:1-3 ). Saul was probably around 40, since he had a grown son. Love does not always mean sex. Bring them out to us that we may have relations with them. Genesis 19:5 (NASB). How have the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! Song of Solomon 4:16 (NASB), A more accurate translation would be Lover. He is a sexual lover involved in foreplay in verse 10 and sexual intercourse in verse 16. The first half of the verse, Anstey maintains, should not be translated "A son of one year was Saul when he began reigning," but rather "A son of one year was Saul in his reigning." The difficulty arises because the passage in which Sauls age at accession, and regnal length, has been damaged at an early stage of transmission of the text. WebJonathan is about 18 at the start of Sauls reign, and David is 30 at the end of it, so David is about 10 years older than Jonathan. Webat that time David would have been 20 years of age and Jonathan at least 45. Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his fathers house. Samuel "Has not Yahweh anointed you leader over his inheritance.. Second, how can it be said that Saul only reigned two years, when clearly he reigned for many more (including the whole time David was in exile)? In my Bible it states that the Hebrew manuscripts state "Saul was years old when he became king; and he reigned two years over Israel". Mephibosheth five years old when Saul and Therefore, when David said Jonathans love was more wonderful then David was referring to sexual activity. Presuming Samuel anoints David at around 20 years of age, he would have been at least 60 at this point of time, a realistic figure. We have seen that in context Saul can properly be said to have been one year old when he became king. We believe that children and parents benefit from a strong Christian education program in the church. 1982. p. 61. [16], Some modern scholars and writers have interpreted the love between David and Jonathan as a homosexual relationship. Additionally, David would be 28 when Saul took the throne, and it is not clear that the description of him as a youth would have been used. Once again David escaped Sauls attempt to kill him. And thus, King Edward II wept for his dead lover Piers Gaveston as: " David had mourned for Jonathan.". That is why the NASB translates dod as Beloved., Awake, O north wind, Sauls body is publicly displayed at Beth-shan, but recovered by men of Jabesh Gilead for burial. Suppose Saul reigned for 32 years. Saul is about 50 when he leads his troops to the defeat at Gilboa. It is difficult to see how this could be realistically reduced to 30 years to fit the Septuagint reading of 1 Samuel 13:1, though a few years reduction could be made. A campaign to relieve Jabesh Gilead from the Ammonites, ending with So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Saul as king. Samuel was about 81. Site design and hosting by . If Saul reigned for 22 years, David is about 10 years younger than Jonathan, and is less than 10 years old when Saul takes the throne. Lets read 20:19-23. 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. How long did Saul reign? 2919 Birth of David. During Davids exile, Samuel died (1 Samuel 25:1), perhaps at the age of 85. Sauls was afraid of David because he knew Gods Spirit had left him and He was with David. Samuel appointed his own sons as judges, but they were not respected, and the people demanded a king. Jonathan was loyal to his friend David and warned him about his fathers plan to kill him. 4. Christian Focus Publications. Jonathan was totally devoted to David becoming king of lsrael. So Why not just write, "And after Saul had reigned two years"? First, suppose Saul reigns for 2 years. Did animals eat meat before the fall? Observations on the Relationship Between David and Jonathan and the Debate on Homosexuality, Markus Zehnder, Observations on the Relationship between David and Jonathan and the Debate on Homosexuality, Westminster Theological Journal 69.1 [2007]: 127174), Edelman, Diana. Kill his friend David and Jonathan. `` Free Resources for Children 's ministry Leaders man! 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