Gays sometimes point to Ruth and Naomi (in the book of Ruth), Daniel and Ashpenaz (Daniel chapter 1), and David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18:1-4, 21, 20:17, 2 Samuel 1:26) as examples of homosexual couples in the Bible. However, if you read the short book of Ruth you'll find that Ruth and Naomi cared for each other as daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. There are no descriptions of homosexuality between Ruth and Naomi. If you read the first chapter of Daniel you'll see that it does not describe any homosexuality between Daniel and Ashpenaz.
Concerning Jonathan and David, consider that two men can express love towards each other, they can swear an oath to each other, they can enter into a covenant with each other, etc., without being homosexuals. There are different types of love, different types of oaths, different types of covenants, and so on. Even though the Bible says that David and Jonathan "loved" each other, this does not mean that they were homosexuals. For example, 1 Samuel 18:16 says, "But all Israel and Judah
loved David, because he led them in their campaigns." Surely we shouldn't assume that all of the men in Israel and Judah were homosexuals just because they "loved" David. In the same way, we should be careful about assuming that Jonathan and David were homosexuals just because of the word "love" in 1 Samuel 18:1, 3, 20:17, and 2 Samuel 1:26. In those verses there are two Hebrew words which are used to describe the "love" that Jonathan and David felt for each other:
'ahab, which can mean "to have affection for (sexually or otherwise)," "love," "like," or "friend," according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and
'ahabah, which means "love," according to Strong's Hebrew Dictionary. These two words are sometimes used in the Bible to describe the love that a husband and wife feel for each other (as in Genesis 24:67 and 29:20), but these two words are also used in other ways as well:
"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love ['ahab], and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."" (Genesis 22:2)
"Go out to the flock and bring me two choice young goats, so I can prepare some tasty food for your father, just the way he likes ['ahab] it." (Genesis 27:9)
"But all Israel and Judah loved ['ahab] David, because he led them in their campaigns." (1 Samuel 18:16)
"Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the Lord's eternal love ['ahabah] for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness." (1 Kings 10:9)
"In return for my friendship ['ahabah] they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer. They repay me evil for good, and hatred for my friendship ['ahabah]." (Psalms 109:4-5)
Therefore, just because the Bible says that Jonathan and David "loved" each other (using the Hebrew words
'ahab and
'ahabah, as in the above passages), this does not mean that they were homosexuals. There are no references to any homosexual activity between Jonathan and David in the Bible, so it is perfectly reasonable that they loved each other as
brothers and that their relationship was forged even stronger as
brothers-in-arms during war (an emotional bond which can be deeper in some ways than the love of a woman, as David says in 2 Samuel 1:26, where he specifically calls Jonathan "my
brother").
Gays also tend to say that Jonathan and David were homosexuals because they "kissed" each other:
"After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his face to the ground. Then they kissed [nashaq in Hebrew] each other and wept together--but David wept the most." (1 Samuel 20:41)
In order to understand what was going on here, we need to look at the context. David believed that King Saul (Jonathan's father) wanted to kill David, but Jonathan did not realize that his father wanted David dead (1 Samuel 20:1-2). Jonathan said that if his father wanted to kill David, then Jonathan would warn David and send him away safely (1 Samuel 20:12-13), and then Jonathan discovered that King Saul did want to kill David. We have seen that Jonathan and David loved each other as brothers, and now they had to leave each other (perhaps forever) because David's life was in danger. They "kissed" each other (1 Samuel 20:41) and confirmed their oath of friendship, and then David left. That is the context for the above passage. Notice that when David and Jonathan "kissed" each other, the Hebrew word for "kiss" in this passage is
nashaq. This Hebrew word is also used when other men "kissed" each other in non-homosexual ways, such as when Jacob kissed his father Isaac (Genesis 27:26-27), when Laban kissed his nephew Jacob (Genesis 29:13), when Esau kissed his brother Jacob (Genesis 33:4), when Samuel kissed Saul (1 Samuel 10:1), when the king kissed Barzillai (2 Samuel 19:39), when Joab kissed Amasa (2 Samuel 20:9), and so on. So even though Jonathan and David "kissed" each other (just as those other men "kissed" each other), this does not mean that Jonathan and David were homosexuals. In some cultures (especially in the Middle East) it is not uncommon for men to kiss on both cheeks when greeting each other or when departing from each other, as we can see occasionally in the news. For example, a CNN news article about the Middle East said that "Iranian President Mohammad Khatami
kissed Prince Abdullah
on both cheeks in a traditional greeting". Jonathan and David lived in the Middle East, and they were departing from each other (perhaps forever), so it is perfectly reasonable that they would kiss on both cheeks. There is no Scriptural proof of any homosexual activity between Jonathan and David.
Gays also sometimes say that Jonathan "disrobed" in front of David:
"And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt [or "girdle" in some translations]. Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army. This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well." (1 Samuel 18:3-5)
Notice that this passage does not say that Jonathan removed
all of his clothes, and notice that there is no indication of any sexual activity here. This passage simply says that Jonathan was
giving some of his possessions to David. Sometimes gays acknowledge this fact, but they say that not only was Jonathan disrobing in front of David, he was also "turning the symbols of his manhood over to David." However, this is reading a particular interpretation into this passage which ignores the culture that Jonathan and David were living in. For example, here's what a Bible commentary says about this passage:
"3. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant --Such covenants of brotherhood are frequent in the East. They are ratified by certain ceremonies, and in presence of witnesses, that the persons covenanting will be sworn brothers for life.
4. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David --To receive any part of the dress which had been worn by a sovereign, or his eldest son and heir, is deemed, in the East, the highest honor which can be conferred on a subject. The girdle, being connected with the sword and the bow, may be considered as being part of the military dress, and great value is attached to it in the East." (So 1 Samuel 18:3-5 (above) describes a covenant of brotherhood between Jonathan and David, and it describes Jonathan conferring a high honor on David. None of this is homosexual in nature.
Another argument that gays sometimes make is that Jonathan had "chosen" David as his "marriage partner":
"Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness? For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die." (1 Samuel 20:30-31, KJV)
The homosexual argument is that the "nakedness" in the above passage is a reference to sexual relations, and that therefore the context implies that Jonathan had "chosen" David in a sexual way (in other words, that Jonathan wanted a homosexual marriage with David). Furthermore (according to this argument), King Saul was angry at this because Jonathan could not be established as king unless he had a female spouse who could produce heirs for him. But there are several problems with this argument. For one thing, notice whose "nakedness" is being described in the above passage. The expression "thy mother's nakedness" refers to Jonathan's
mother. There are no sexual relations between Jonathan and David being implied here, and there are no sexual relations involving Jonathan's mother being implied here. This passage has nothing to do with sex or marriage, whether homosexual or otherwise. The context of this passage describes King Saul's hatred for David, and Saul's desire to kill David. Jonathan and David loved each other as brothers, and they had sworn a covenant of brotherhood to each other. In the passage above, King Saul was angry at his son Jonathan
for taking David's side against Saul, not because of any homosexuality between Jonathan and David. For example, here is how the NIV translates this passage:
"Saul's anger flared up at Jonathan and he said to him, "You son of a perverse and rebellious woman! Don't I know that you have sided with the son of Jesse to your own shame and to the shame of the mother who bore you? As long as the son of Jesse lives on this earth, neither you nor your kingdom will be established. Now send and bring him to me, for he must die!"" (1 Samuel 20:30-31)
Summary: When we understand the context of the above passages and we understand the culture in which Jonathan and David lived, it is easy to see that these passages do not describe any homosexuality between Jonathan and David.
