Jonathan, Michal and Saul's Jealousy

"The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." Jonathan makes a covenant with David and gives him "the robe that was upon him… and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle."

The women come out singing: "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands." "And Saul was very wroth… what can he have more but the kingdom? And Saul eyed David from that day and forward." Next day, as David plays, Saul hurls his javelin twice; David escapes. "Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him."

Saul promises his elder daughter Merab, "only be thou valiant for me," thinking "let the hand of the Philistines be upon him"; then gives her to Adriel. "Michal Saul's daughter loved David." Saul's price: "an hundred foreskins of the Philistines." David kills two hundred and brings them. "And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife… and Saul was yet the more afraid of David."

Jonathan and David

Their bond is described with covenant language ("love" was also treaty language for political loyalty) and with deep personal affection; David's lament says Jonathan's love was "wonderful, passing the love of women" (2 Samuel 1:26). Readers have understood the relationship as covenant friendship, political alliance, or as romantic; the text does not define it beyond what it says, and the site does not flatten it into one reading. Jonathan, the heir, hands over the symbols of his position.

Michal

Michal is the only woman in the Bible said to love a man. She is used as a pawn by her father, will save David's life (19:11–17), be given to another man (25:44), be taken back (2 Samuel 3:13–16), and finally despise him (2 Samuel 6:16). Her story shows women's lives bent to royal politics.

What the short Greek lacks

The library's Greek lacks 18:1–5 (Jonathan's covenant), 18:10–11 (the first spear), 18:17–19 (Merab) and 18:30. Without them Saul's hostility grows more gradually and Jonathan's covenant first appears in chapter 20. See the passage page on the two editions.