Board index ‹ Specific Bible verses, texts, and passages ‹ 2 Samuel

[Jackpot]

Reading the book of Samuel.

[jimwalton]

Some say that this shows David & Jonathan were gay and had a gay relationship. In response, I ask, “By what standards are you evaluating the intent of these ancient writings?” If it's by modern standards, our culture, our language, and our cognitive environment, no wonder you think that these aren't similes and metaphors that are between friends. In the ancient world, however—in the days of the monarchy, David, and Jonathan—and the virtual nonexistence of homosexuality in Israelite culture, and in a religious context where homosexuality was considered an abomination, you seem to think it's perfectly reasonable that a theological writer would include a sentence praising their gay relationship?

The case against perceiving their friendship as a gay relationship:

1. The Mosaic law forbade homosexuality as an abomination (Lev. 18 & 20). That was their worldview and what they considered to be the Law.

2. David was considered to be a man whose heart God was pleased with (1 Sam. 16.7, 18). This would be an odd statement if David were living contrary to the covenantal Law.

3. 1 Samuel 18.1 is the first record of their friendship. It's unreasonable to think the writer would start off with their homosexual liaison, therefore, since David was the man of God's own choosing, with whom God would make a covenant and through whom the Messiah would come.

4. The nature of their friendship is described as a "covenant" (1 Sam. 18.3)—the political and legal means by which the duties and privileges of kinship may be extended to another individual or group. By establishing a covenant, Jonathan intends to bring David into the status and privileges of his royal family. The idea is that their kinship bond would reflect their relationship with the Divine Kinsman, YHWH. As God fulfills obligations and his covenanters receive the privileges of kinship, so also in this case Jonathan is extending access to such rank and privileges to David. When the text says "Jonathan loved David as himself," it meant that the two were now kinsmen, even though they were of different tribal groups.

5. As part of the kinsman group, David was given the hand of King Saul's daughter, Michal, in marriage (1 Sam. 18.18-27).

6. 1 Sam. 19.1 speaks of Jonathan's fondness for David. The word is חָפֵץ (chahpheyts). It has a wide-ranging scope of meaning, anywhere from sexual pleasure to God's delight in sacrifices to wanting to protect someone. We find out from the context of chapter 19 that Jonathan wants to protect David from being killed. This is the most likely intent of the word in its context.

7. 1 Samuel 20.3 indicates that David had found favor in Jonathan's eyes. The point of this text is that Jonathan is heir to the throne, but he has welcomed David into a kinship relationship, thereby threatening his own status as heir. He is setting up David to one day be king (1 Sam. 23.17). Again, they seal their relationship with a covenantal oath (1 Sam. 20.3, 16) affirming David's kinship status in the threat of death. They have a "sworn friendship" (1 Sam. 20.42).

8. 1 Samuel 23.16 affirms this perspective on their relationship: "And [Jonathan] ... helped him find strength in God." The two of them make another kinship covenant (1 Sam. 23.18). David never sees Jonathan again.

9. We have no indication from the text that David is gay. He has many wives, is attracted to women (1 Sam. 25.40), seems to enjoy making love to women (2 Sam. 11), and has many children. Aside from his friendship with Jonathan, nothing is ever said about any other such relationship with males. The evidence all points to his heterosexuality.

To add an addendum: Richard Godbeer, professor of history at Virginia Commonwealth University, has shown through an extensive review of written correspondence that male friendship has been greatly diluted in the present time when compared with the richness of healthy, nonerotic affection between men in colonial America. (Richard Goodbeer, The Overflowing of Friendship: Love Between Men and the Creation of the American Republic (Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2009)