1 Samuel 18:3

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

1 Samuel 18:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Samuel 18:3

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant
A covenant of friendship; entered into a solemn agreement to keep up and maintain a cordial respect to each other, and to support each other's interest both in life and after death, whoever was the survivor; and in consequence of this David had a friend at court, when Saul fell out with him, and who pleaded his cause, and discovered his father's plots, and was the means of preserving David's life:

because he loved him as his own soul;
so that this covenant was not founded in mere words, but in sincere and cordial affection, and was lasting and inviolable.

1 Samuel 18:3 In-Context

1 It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Sha'ul, that the soul of Yonatan was knit with the soul of David, and Yonatan loved him as his own soul.

2 Sha'ul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

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

4 Yonatan stripped himself of the robe that was on him, and gave it to David, and his clothing, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his sash.

5 David went out wherever Sha'ul sent him, [and] behaved himself wisely: and Sha'ul set him over the men of war, and it was good in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Sha'ul's servants.