1 Samuel 18:3
“Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.”
What does 1 Samuel 18:3 mean?
Jonathan's deep affection for David moved him to make a binding promise of loyalty and friendship. In their culture, a covenant was the most serious commitment two people could make, signaling that they would stand by each other no matter what came. The phrase "loved him as his own soul" captures something beyond ordinary friendship, something that meant Jonathan saw David's wellbeing as inseparable from his own. This was a profound act of vulnerability from Jonathan, especially given that David would eventually become a rival to the throne Jonathan was meant to inherit, yet Jonathan chose loyalty to his friend over his own advantage.