Now it came about that 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.I've often wondered what is meant to knit souls together. Obviously, the literal meaning is silly, but what does it mean? I've head some people say that it means they were lovers, which is also ridiculous (even later in the chapter it says that David fell in love with and married Jonathan's sister). So what does knitting two souls together mean?
I think part of it must be in the final statement of the verse, that Jonathan loved David as himself. If this were written in the New Testament, it would probably use the term "agape" which we all like to throw around. As would later be proved, Jonathan cared about David's well being at least as much as his own, and probably more so, given the risks he took for David. To have that high a mutual esteem for each other, and know the other has it as well, is the only way I can think of that these two were joined.
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