1 Samuel 20:17
And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
a. NASB 1995: Jonathan made David vow again because of his love for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life. [New American Standard Bible 1995 (NASB1995) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.]
b. NKJV: Now Jonathan again caused David to vow, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul. [Scripture quotations marked "NKJV" are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright© 1982, Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.]
c. Classic Amplified Bible: And Jonathan caused David to swear again by his love for him, for Jonathan loved him as he loved his own life. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]
d. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: Jonathan again adjured David because of his love for him, for he loved him as he loved himself [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]
e. ESV: And Jonathan made David swear again by his love for him, for he loved him as he loved his own soul. [Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.]
f. Unless otherwise stated, all Greek and Hebrew definitions are from Blue Letter Bible
1. “And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.”
a. [And] Johnathan [Strong: 3083 Yᵉhôwnâthân, yeh-ho-naw-thawn'; from H3068 and H5414; Jehovah-given; Jehonathan, the name of four Israelites:—Jonathan.]
b. [caused] David [Strong: 1732 Dâvid, daw-veed'; rarely (fully); דָּוִיד Dâvîyd; from the same as H1730; loving; David, the youngest son of Jesse:—David.]
c. [to] swear [Strong: 7650 shâbaʻ, shaw-bah'; a primitive root; properly to be complete, but used only as a denominative from H7651; to seven oneself, i.e. swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times):—adjure, charge (by an oath, with an oath), feed to the full (by mistake for H7646), take an oath, × straitly, (cause to, make to) swear.]
d. again [Strong: 3254 yâçaph, yaw-saf'; a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing):—add, × again, × any more, × cease, × come more, conceive again, continue, exceed, × further, × gather together, get more, give more-over, × henceforth, increase (more and more), join, × longer (bring, do, make, much, put), × (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, × yet, yield.]
e. [because he] loved [Strong: 160 ʼahăbâh, a-hab-aw; feminine of H158 and meaning the same:—love.]
f. him [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]
g. for [Strong: kîy, kee; a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent; (by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed:—and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.]
h. [he] loved [him] [Strong: 157 ʼâhab, aw-hab'; or אָהֵב ʼâhêb ; a primitive root; to have affection for (sexually or otherwise):—(be-) love(-d, -ly, -r), like, friend.]
i. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]
j. [as he] loved [Strong: 160 ʼahăbâh, a-hab-aw; feminine of H158 and meaning the same:—love.]
k. [his own] soul [Strong: 5315 nephesh, neh'-fesh; from H5314; properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental):—any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, × dead(-ly), desire, × (dis-) contented, × fish, ghost, greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, × jeopardy of) life (× in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally, one, own, person, pleasure, (her-, him-, my-, thy-) self, them (your) -selves, slay, soul, tablet, they, thing, (× she) will, × would have it.]
1). This of course is part of the Mosaic Covenant and the LORD’s design from the beginning.
a). Deuteronomy 6:4, 5 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
6:5 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
b). Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord.
2). Jesus stated this during His earthly ministry.
a). Matthew 22:34-40 But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
22:35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
22:36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
