Question 1

What does it mean that Jonathan’s soul was knit to David’s soul?

Accepted Answer

The phrase about Jonathan’s soul being knit to David’s soul describes a deep, loyal friendship. Jonathan saw David’s faith, courage, and humility and loved him as he loved himself. This was not a shallow feeling but a settled commitment of heart. It showed in what Jonathan did: he made a covenant with David and gave him his robe and weapons, treating David like an equal or even an honored successor. Their bond shows what true, selfless friendship looks like, where one person rejoices in God’s work in another instead of feeling threatened.

Question 2

Why did Jonathan give David his robe, sword, bow, and girdle?

Accepted Answer

Jonathan giving David his robe and weapons was more than a nice gift. Jonathan was the king’s son, so his robe and gear marked him as a prince and a leader. By taking them off and putting them on David, he honored David and, in a way, admitted that God’s favor and future kingship rested on David, not on himself. It was a humble act that showed Jonathan accepted God’s plan. Instead of fighting for his own position, he chose to support David and bind himself to him in loyal friendship.

Question 3

Why did Saul become so jealous and angry with David?

Accepted Answer

Saul’s jealousy grew when the women of Israel sang, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” He heard the praise for David as a threat to his own honor and even to his throne, saying, “What can he have more but the kingdom?” At the same time, he could see that the Lord was with David and had departed from him. This mix of wounded pride, fear of losing power, and awareness of God’s favor on David fed his envy. That jealousy soon turned into plots and open attempts to kill David.

Question 4

What does it mean that an evil spirit from God came upon Saul?

Accepted Answer

This line describes God allowing a harmful spirit to trouble Saul as part of judgment for his earlier disobedience. God had taken away His favor from Saul, and Saul’s mind and heart grew dark and unstable. The evil spirit stirred up Saul’s fears, anger, and wild behavior, like when he tried to pin David to the wall with a javelin. The passage does not explain every detail of how this worked, but it shows that turning from God has serious consequences, and that without God’s presence a person can be driven by destructive thoughts and passions.

Question 5

Why did Saul try to kill David while David was playing music for him?

Accepted Answer

When David played music, it had once helped calm Saul. But after Saul became jealous and fearful, his heart changed. With the evil spirit troubling him, he sat with a javelin in his hand and suddenly hurled it at David, hoping to nail him to the wall. This shows how uncontrolled jealousy and inner torment can break out in violent actions, even against someone who is serving and helping. David’s escape, twice, shows God’s quiet protection, and David’s continued service shows his patience and trust instead of revenge.

Question 6

Why did Saul offer his daughters Merab and Michal to David?

Accepted Answer

On the surface, Saul offered Merab, then Michal, to honor David and bring him into the royal family. But his real aim was different. He hoped that by tying David closer to him and asking for dangerous military acts as a bride price, the Philistines would kill David. With Michal, he even said she could be a snare to David. So the marriage offers were part of a hidden plan to destroy David rather than bless him. Still, God turned it around so that David was strengthened and honored instead of trapped.

Question 7

Why did David say he was not worthy to be the king’s son-in-law?

Accepted Answer

When Saul first offered Merab, David answered with humility, asking, “Who am I?” He saw himself as from a poor, unimportant family, not fit to marry into the royal house. This shows David did not grab for honor or think highly of himself, even after great victory and public praise. His words came from a lowly heart that remembered where he came from. This stands in contrast to Saul, who was clinging to honor and position. David’s humility fits with the repeated line that he behaved himself wisely and that the Lord was with him.

Question 8

What is the meaning of Saul asking for a hundred Philistine foreskins as a dowry?

Accepted Answer

Saul named a strange and brutal bride price because he wanted David to face extreme danger in battle, hoping the Philistines would kill him. It was not about money but about risking David’s life. David accepted the challenge, not to boast, but because he was willing to serve and saw it as a way to be the king’s son-in-law. God again protected him: David and his men killed two hundred Philistines and brought the full number. What Saul planned as a trap became one more way God lifted David up before Israel.

Question 9

What does this passage teach about God’s favor and human jealousy?

Accepted Answer

The story shows a sharp contrast. God’s favor rests on David, seen in his wise conduct, success in battle, and the love people have for him. David stays humble and keeps serving, even under threat. Saul, on the other hand, lets jealousy take hold when others praise David. His fear of losing power grows into plots, broken promises, and attempted murder. The passage teaches that when God chooses to bless someone, human schemes cannot finally stop it, and that envy can eat a person up from the inside if they will not bow to God’s plan.

1 Samuel 18:1

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

Jonathan Befriends David

Saul Envies David

David Marries Michal

Jonathan Befriends David

Cross References

1 Samuel 18:1

And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

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Jonathan Befriends David

Saul Envies David

David Marries Michal

Jonathan Befriends David

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