1 Samuel 18:1

Saul Comes to Fear David

18:1 When David ¹  had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan and David became bound together in close friendship. ²  Jonathan loved David as much as he did his own life. ³ 

1 Samuel 18:3

18:3 Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life. ⁴ 

1 Samuel 20:17

20:17 Jonathan once again took an oath with David, because he loved him. In fact Jonathan loved him as much as he did his own life. ⁵ 

1 Samuel 20:2

20:2 Jonathan ⁶  said to him, “By no means are you going to die! My father does nothing ⁷  large or small without making me aware of it. ⁸  Why would my father hide this matter from me? It just won’t happen!”

1 Samuel 1:26

1:26 She said, “Just as surely as you are alive, my lord, I am the woman who previously stood here with you in order to pray to the Lord.

[18:1]  ¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (David) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ² tn Heb “the soul of Jonathan was bound with the soul of David.”

[18:1]  ³ tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”

[18:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “like his [own] soul.”

[20:17]  ⁵ tn Heb “for [with] the love of his [own] life he loved him.”

[20:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jonathan) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:2]  ⁷ tc The translation follows the Qere, many medieval Hebrew mss, and the ancient versions in reading “he will not do,” rather than the Kethib of the MT (“do to him”).

[20:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “without uncovering my ear.”