The Meaning of 1 Samuel 18:3 Explained

1 Samuel 18:3

KJV: Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

YLT: And Jonathan maketh -- also David -- a covenant, because he loveth him as his own soul,

Darby: And Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

ASV: Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Jonathan  and David  made  a covenant,  because he loved  him as his own soul. 

What does 1 Samuel 18:3 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Samuel 18:1-9 - A Loyal Friend And A Jealous Enemy
These verses make very good reading. They present the one ray of light in a story which, from this point on, becomes more and more somber. David's bearing in the hour of victory was so modest and unaffected that Jonathan's heart leaped out to greet him as a kindred soul; while his advances awoke in David a love almost womanly in its tenderness. When we see Jonathan arraying his newfound friend in his own raiment, we are reminded of our Lord's great exchange with us. He was made sin, that we might become the righteousness of God in him, 2 Corinthians 5:21.
David's harp was now, for the most part, exchanged for the sword, and he became a popular hero. It was the refrain of the women's ode of victory that opened Saul's soul to the envenomed dart of jealousy. The milk of human kindness suddenly turned sour. "He eyed David from that day," not with affectionate admiration, but always with desire to place a malicious construction on every act and word and look. With terrible accuracy James shows the certain progress and development of such an attitude, James 1:14-15. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Samuel 18

1  Jonathan befriends David
5  Saul envies his praise
10  seeks to kill him in his fury
12  fears him for his good success
17  offers him his daughters for snare
23  David persuaded to be the king's son-in-law,
25  gives two hundred foreskins of the Philistines for Michal's dowry
28  Saul's hatred and David's glory increase

What do the individual words in 1 Samuel 18:3 mean?

And made Jonathan and David a covenant because of his love for him as his own soul
וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת יְהוֹנָתָ֛ן וְדָוִ֖ד בְּרִ֑ית בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ אֹת֖וֹ כְּנַפְשֽׁוֹ

וַיִּכְרֹ֧ת  And  made 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
יְהוֹנָתָ֛ן  Jonathan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹונָתָן  
Sense: a son of king Saul and a friend of David.
וְדָוִ֖ד  and  David 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
בְּרִ֑ית  a  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
בְּאַהֲבָת֥וֹ  because  of  his  love 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אַהֲבָה 
Sense: love.
אֹת֖וֹ  for  him 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
כְּנַפְשֽׁוֹ  as  his  own  soul 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.