1 Samuel 18:1–3
Jonathan's soul is bound to David's, and they make a covenant
Study it word by word1And it came about, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
2Saul took him on that day and did not let him return to the house of his father.
3Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
In its context
…
4Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his garment, and even his sword, and even his bow, and even his belt.
5David went out; wherever Saul sent him, he acted wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the eyes of all the people and also in the eyes of the servants of Saul.
Its words in the original
- יְהִיyehi· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- כַלֹּתchalot· finish, consume
Finish, complete something; come to an end. Also put an end to something, consume it, destroy it.
- דַבֵּרdaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- שָׁאוּלshaul· Saul
Saul, the name of several people. The best known is the son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, the first king of Israel. A king of Edom and a son of Simeon also bear it. It means "asked for".
- נֶפֶשׁnefesh· soul, living being, life
A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.
- יְהוֹנָתָןyehonatan· Jonathan
Jonathan: the long form ("Jehonathan") of the same name as יוֹנָתָן; the Hebrew uses both for the same people, and this translation spells them alike. It means "YHWH has given".
- נִקְשְׁרָהnikshra· bind, conspire
Bind, tie; conspire. The soul of one can be "bound" to another in love; of sheep, the strong ones.
- דָּוִדdavid· David
David, youngest son of Jesse, of Bethlehem; the second king of Israel. The name means "beloved."
- יֶּאֱהָבֵyeehave· love
Love, have affection for someone: a parent for a child, a husband for a wife, a friend for a friend, a person for God; also like, desire.
- יִּקָּחֵyikache· take
Take: seize, take along, receive. Also "take a wife" (marry).
- יּוֹםyom· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- נְתָנnetan· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- שׁוּבshuv· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- בֵּיתbet· house, household
House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".
- אָבִיavi· father
Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.
- יִּכְרֹתyichrot· cut, cut off
Cut, cut down. Said of a living being, cut off, destroy. "Cut a covenant" is the Hebrew expression for making a covenant, because it was sealed by cutting animals in two (Genesis 15).
- בְּרִיתberit· covenant
Covenant: a solemn commitment between two parties, with promises and obligations. When God makes it, he is the one who offers it and guarantees it.
- אַהֲבָתahavat· love
Love: the affection that joins one person to another; also the love of YHWH for his people.