Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Samuel 18:1

"And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." — 1 Samuel 18:1 (ASV)

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.