Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 18

The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David. — We have in this and the following chapters a somewhat detailed account of David at the Court of Saul. This court life of the future king has already been touched upon in 1 Samuel 16, notably in 1 Samuel 18:21–23, where Saul's affection for David was mentioned, and where the appointment of the young shepherd to a post about the king’s person is also recorded. However, this mention in 1 Samuel 16 considerably anticipated the course of events.

In relating the results of this affection of Saul for David, the writer of what we might call the episode concerning the influence of music and poetry passed over, so to speak, the story of several years. During this time, the single combat of David with the Philistine giant, and the victorious campaign in which the young hero took so distinguished a part, took place. The history here resumes the narrative of the future king’s life after the campaigns that immediately followed the discomfiture of the Philistine champion (1 Samuel 18:6 and following). 1 Samuel 18:1–4 simply relate the beginning of the world-famous friendship between Prince Jonathan and David.

The Hebrew is rendered “was knit,” or better, was bound up. This is a strong term and is used in Genesis 44:30 of Jacob’s love for Benjamin: seeing that his life is bound up in the lad’s life. Aristotle, Nicom. ix. 8, has noted that friends are called one soul.

Jonathan loved him as his own soul. — As has been remarked before, the character of the princely son of Saul is one of the most beautiful in the Old Testament story. He was the type of a true warrior of those wild, half-barbarous times—among brave men seemingly the bravest; a perfect soldier, whether fighting as a simple man-at-arms or as the general of an army; chivalrous and generous; utterly free from jealousy; a fervid believer in the God of Israel; a devoted and loyal son; a true patriot in the highest sense of the word, who sealed a devoted life with a noble death, dying as he did fighting for his king and his people.

The long and steady friendship of Jonathan no doubt had a powerful and enduring influence on the later life of the greatest of the Hebrew sovereigns. The words, the unselfish, beautiful love, and, above all, the splendid example of the ill-fated son of Saul, have no doubt given their colouring to many of the noblest utterances in David’s Psalms and to not a few of the most heroic deeds in David’s life.

We read of this friendship as dating from the day after the first striking deed of arms performed by David when he slew the giant. It is clear, however, that it was not the personal bravery of the boy hero, or the rare skill he showed in the encounter, that so singularly attracted Prince Jonathan. These things no one would have admired and honoured more than the son of Saul, but it needed more than splendid gallantry and rare skill to attract that great love of which we read. What won Jonathan’s heart was the shepherd boy’s sublime faith, his perfect childlike trust in the “Glorious Arm” of the Lord. Jonathan and David possessed one thing in common—an intense, unswerving belief in the power of Jehovah of Israel to keep and to save all who trusted in Him.

The two were typical Israelites, both possessing in a very high degree that intense confidence in the Mighty One of Israel that was the mainspring of the people’s glory and success. This same confidence, in the seemingly interminable days of their punishment and degradation, has been the power that has kept them together—a people distinct, still reserved for some mighty destiny in the unknown future.

Made a covenant. The son of the first Hebrew king recognized in David a kindred spirit. They were one in their God, in their faith, in their devotion to the Divine will. Jonathan recognized in the young shepherd, who unarmed went out alone to meet the mighty Philistine warrior, the same spirit of sublime faith in the Invisible King. This same spirit had inspired Jonathan himself in days long ago to go out alone with his armor-bearer to attack and capture the Philistine stronghold. It was then he spoke those memorable words that enable us to understand his character: It may be that the Lord will work for us: for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few (1 Samuel 14:6).

The great friendship, which has been the admiration of subsequent generations, began with the strong faith in the Eternal common to the two friends. Throughout its duration, the link that united them was an intense desire to do the will of Him who, as true Hebrew patriots, they felt loved Israel; and when the friends parted for the last time in the wilderness of Ziph, we are told how the elder (Jonathan) strengthened the younger (David’s) hand in God (1 Samuel 23:16).

Gave it to David. —It has been suggested that the reason for this gift was to enable his friend David—then poorly dressed—to appear at his father’s court in a fitting dress; but this kind of present was usual among friends in those distant ages. Glaucus and Diomed, for instance, exchanged armor of a very different value.

“Let us now exchange arms, and prove to each host
We guard the friendship of the lineage we boast.

For Diomed’s brass arms, of humble make,
For which nine oxen were paid (a common price),
He gave his own of gold, divinely crafted:
A hundred oxen the shining purchase cost.”

Iliad, vi. 286–295.

And he was accepted. —The historian here calls special attention to the strange power David was able to acquire over the hearts of men. It was not only over Saul and his great son that he rapidly won influence, but also in the case of his colleagues at the Court and in the army, all of whom he was rapidly outstripping in the race for honour and distinction, he seems to have disarmed all jealousy. His rapid rise to high position was evidently looked upon with general favour. This is still further enlarged upon in the next and following verses.

When David returned. —The triumphant return of the young soldier does not refer to the homecoming after the death of the giant, but to the close of the campaign that followed that event. Evidently, a series of victories after the fall of the dreaded champion—perhaps spread over a very considerable period—had for a time restored the supremacy of Israel in Canaan. In this war, David, on whom after his great feat of arms the eyes of all the soldiers were fixed, established his character for bravery and skill.

Singing and dancing. —This was on some grand occasion—probably the final triumph at the end of the war. The Speaker’s Commentary, on the English rendering “singing and dancing,” remarks that “the Hebrew text is probably here corrupt, and suggests that for vau, ‘and,’ we should read beth, ‘with’ and that then the sense would be to sing ‘in the dance,’ or ‘with dancing.’ The action was for the women to dance to the sound of the timbrel, and to sing the Epinicium with strophe and antistrophe as they danced and played.” (Judges 11:34.)

We know that music and song were originally closely connected with dancing. David, for instance, when a mighty king, on one great occasion in Jerusalem actually himself performed dances before all the people (2 Samuel 6:14; 2 Samuel 6:16). (See Note on Exodus 15:20.)