FAITH & PRIDE spirituality
The Wonder of
Biblical Love Series Conclusion
Rev. Mark Andrew Jones St. Nicholas Episcopal Church
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David and Jonathan. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
ast month I presented what I In ancient Hebrew the word for “brother” believe to be strong evidence that could be applied to a wide range of blood David and Jonathan were far closer and non-blood relationships. Further, it than the Church and most scholars have was not uncommon for lovers to be referred officially admitted. We reviewed, among to as “brother” and “sister” (see, e.g., Song other elements, the diatribe King Saul of Songs 4:9 “You have ravished my heart, launched against his son, Jonathan. The my sister, my bride”). Context is everything translation of St. John Chrysostom (circa and here David is not speaking of a political 349-407), Archbishop of Constantinople, ally, but rather comparing Jonathan’s love seems to make the point in a painful, albeit to that of a woman. “Your love to me was familiar, way: “You son of common whores, wonderful, passing the love of women.” who are men crazy and run after every man Bruce Gerig reports that “one ancient who comes into sight; you weak, effeminate Septuagint manuscript … translated this wretch; you nothing of a man, who lives part as ‘Your love fell upon me like the love only to shame yourself and the mother who of women’” (footnote omitted). It’s little bore you” (1 Samuel 20:30-31). Saul’s insults wonder that homophobic interpreters have provide insight into the Jonathan-side of struggled with the meaning of this passage. the relationship. Coupled with Nowhere in scripture is David David’s lament upon receiving said to love anyone, including the news of Jonathan’s death the eight women with whom “Your (2 Samuel 1:19-27), we he reportedly had intense love may have the strongest relationships. Yet, there to me was homoerotic evidence of is an outpouring of love wonderful, their relationship. for Jonathan with a key passing the David’s lament has been omission. There is no love of described as a masterpiece reference whatsoever to the women.” of early Hebrew poetry – a prince’s repeated efforts to (2 Samuel 1:26) heart-felt expression of pure help David, ruling out, in my human emotion without any view, that the lament is merely explicit religious thought. Initially, an expression of political loyalty lost. David laments both the loss of King Saul There is an undeniable homoerotic as well as Jonathan, mentioning both four subtext to David and Jonathan’s relationship. times by name. Just when one might expect The most sensible reading of scripture is the lament to end, David speaks only of consistent, then, with the existence of a Jonathan – as if emotion carried him beyond same-sex attraction and passion between the intended conclusion of the eulogy to a David and Jonathan. It’s for this reason stunning, grief-stricken climax expressed that, when praying Eucharistic Prayer C, in three short lines: “I am distressed for you, which names the patriarchs, I not only add my brother Jonathan; greatly beloved were the names of the spouses of each patriarch you to me; your love to me was wonderful, but also speak of the God of David and passing the love of women” ( 2 Samuel 1:26). Jonathan.
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