1 Samuel 20:17 Meaning and Explanation
“And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Out of deep love, Jonathan has David swear the oath once more, loving David as his own life.
What Does 1 Samuel 20:17 Mean?
Jonathan asks David to swear yet again, not from doubt but from the fullness of love. The narrator twice names the reason: he loved him, and he loved him as he loved his own soul. The repetition presses the depth of a love that counts another's life as precious as its own.
To love a friend as one's own soul is to dissolve the line between self-interest and another's good. This is love poured out without reserve, and it stands in Scripture as a high human image of the love that gives itself entirely. Where such love is found, the heart of God is near.
1 Samuel 20:17 in the Original Language
nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ), 'soul' -- the whole living self, one's very life and being.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Samuel 20:17
What does 1 Samuel 20:17 mean?
Out of deep love, Jonathan has David swear the oath once more, loving David as his own life.