Were King David and Jonathan Lovers?

Today we begin with a question.

Were King David and Jonathan lovers?

There is a short answer and a long answer.

The short answer is: no!

The long answer is: no, no, no, no, no, no, no and no!

Some liberal theologians (or more correctly, unbelieverogians) have recently put forward the idea that King David, a man after God’s own heart, and King Saul’s son, Jonathan, were homosexuals.

Where do they get that idea from?

From a quote taken from David in 2 Samuel 1:26 which reads, “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant have you been unto me: your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women”.

Where the sacred text speaks of the fraternal love between two eminent servants of the Lord, hyper-sexualized pseudo-scholars see nothing but a homoerotic relationship. Let us recall the apostolic teaching: “Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled” (Titus 1:15).

David considered Jonathan as a dear “brother” and esteemed his presence to be “very pleasant”. All of us who are born again have surely felt this pleasure whilst communing with other saints. There are few things as precious in this life.

I would far converse with one of my dear brothers in the Lord about the Gospel and the things of God than spend time with some renowned footballer or actor. I love spending time with my brethren in the faith. Does that mean I am gay? Of course not!

David also points out that Jonathan’s love was “wonderful, passing the love of women”. He spoke of love, not lust or concupiscence. The same type of zealous love that characterizes a faithful wife was exemplified in Jonathan’s love towards David. After all, he was willing to lay his life down for the soon-to-be king.

It is precisely this type of love that the Lord Jesus desires to find in all of His followers. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Jesus himself gave his life in love for us. Does that make Christ a homosexual? By no means!

True love denies itself for the benefit of the other. It was such a love that David experienced via Jonathan.

Biblically speaking, we know that true love detests sin. Paul underlines in 1 Corinthians 13:6 that love does not rejoice in iniquity. If that is so, how could Jonathan and David be lovers?

Another factor that contemporary unbelieverogians conveniently forget is that David took pleasure in the Law of the Lord. A few examples will suffice. “The Law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul” (Psalm 19:7). “I delight to do your will, O my God: yea, your Law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).

The Law that David so dearly loved stipulated: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lies with a women, both of them have committed an abomination” (Leviticus 20:13). And again, “You should not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination” (Leviticus 18:22).

How could David rejoice in the commandments of the Lord if those very ordinances condemned his homoerotic relationship with Jonathan?

To sum up, the theory that David and Jonathan were lovers is a load of old nonsense. So let us stop taking such a proposal seriously.

May the Lord give us all a good dose of the pure and holy love for all of our born again brothers and sisters! Let us follow the godly example of King David and Jonathan.