Christina
Della Femina
WGS 3463-995
Blog 2
The relationship that David has
with Jonathon is an interesting contrast to his relationship with Michal. The
reader instantly gets a sense of an intense bond between the two men when 1
Samuel says that “Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as
himself” (18:1). It goes on to
describe how Jonathon gave David his clothes and even weapons (1 Samuel 18:4)
off his own back. When Saul first plan to kill David, Jonathan spoke well of
David in order to dissuade his father. It is clear that Jonathon would (and
did) go to great lengths to protect and love David.
The
narrative continues on to say that Saul’s daughter Michal was in love with
David (1 Samuel 18:20). Not only was it mentioned twice that she loved him, but
her devotion as his wife was evident when she protected him from her father’s
servants. She warned David that they were coming to kill him and helped him
escape them (1 Samuel 19:11-12). She defies her father without a second though
in order to save her husband; that clearly shows great devotion. But David left
without so much as a goodbye.
At
face value, it would seem that both relationships are equal in love, but there
is one passage that gives Jonathan greater favor. When Jonathan and David have
to part, it said that David “bowed down before Jonathan three times, with his
face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together – but David
wept the most” (1 Samuel 20:41). This single passage shows the intense sadness
David felt to be leaving Jonathan, compared to the extreme lack of emotion when
he had to leave his wife Michal. This gives the reader a clear view that the
relationship between the two men was far richer than that between David and
Michal. Furthermore, it tells us that marriage was simply done to create
political, economic and social ties between men. There was no emotional
connection between husband and wife; the real love was between David and
Jonathan.
I agree with you that both relationships had a great deal of love for each other but I would have to agree that David and Jonathan had a richer love for one another. I thought they had a greater love for each other when Jonathan was willing to give up so much for David by letting him be the successor for Saul. Also when it said their souls were one, I don’t think there is a love that gets much richer than that. I did not think of it from an emotional standpoint like you did although I completely agree with you. When Michal helped David escape sure she deceived her father while doing so but from the story she did not seem sad that David was leaving. But when Jonathan said goodbye to David they both cried together. Since this did not happen with David and Michal I agree with you that it shows David and Jonathan cared more about each other than David and Michal did.
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