DANIEL AND ASHPENAZ * Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (KJV) * The Hebrew words which describe the relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz are chesed v'rachamim. V'rachamim is in a plural form which is used to emphasize its relative importance. It has meaning as it is emphasized “physical love”.
1 Samuel 20:41 "After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with is face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together - but David wept the most." (NIV) * 2 Samuel 1:26 "I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women." In the society of ancient Israel, it was not considered proper for a man and woman to have a platonic relationship. Men and women rarely spoke to each other in public. Since David's only relationships with women would have been sexual in nature, then he must be referring to sexual love here. It would not make sense in this verse to compare platonic love for a man with sexual love for a woman; they are two completely different phenomena. It would appear that David is referring to his sexual love for Jonathan.
Passages in 1 Samuel & 2 Samuel describe, among other events, a extremely close bond between David and Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of King Saul, and next in line for the throne. But Samuel anointed David to be the next king. This produced a strong conflict in the mind of Saul. * 1 Samuel 18:1 "…Jonathan became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself." (NIV) * "…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (KJV) * 1 Samuel 18:2 "From that day, Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house." (NIV) * David left his parent's home and moved to Saul's where he would be with Jonathan. This is a strong indication that the relationship was extremely close. It echoes the passage marriage passage in Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." * 1 Samuel 18:3-4 "And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt." (NIV) * Since people in those days did not wear underwear, Jonathan stripped himself naked in front of David. That would be considered extremely unusual behavior (then and now) unless their relationship was physical.
The bible contains three same sex relationships * Ruth and Naomi David and Jonathan Daniel and Ashpenaz * Ruth 1:16-17 and 2:10-11 describe their close friendship Perhaps the best known passage from this book is Ruth 1:16-17 which is often read out during opposite-sex and same-sex marriage and union ceremonies: * "Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (NIV) * Ruth 1:14, referring to the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, mentions that "Ruth clave onto her." (KJV) The Hebrew word translated here as "clave" is identical to that used in the description of a heterosexual marriage in Genesis 2:24: " Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (KJV)
"Romans 1:26-27" Romans 1:26-27 speaks only of heterosexual people who act 'contrary to their nature.' * Reading into the text what Paul did not say (a universal prohibition of homosexuality) is called eisogesis - wrongly interpreting the text. That kind of faulty interpretation is unworthy of Christians who love the word of God.
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Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs" (KJV)
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The Hebrew words which describe the relationship between Daniel and Ashpenaz are chesed v'rachamim. V'rachamim is in a plural form which is used to emphasize its relative importance. It has meaning as it is emphasized “physical love”.
"After the boy had gone, David got up from the south side of the stone and bowed down before Jonathan three times, with is face to the ground. Then they kissed each other and wept together - but David wept the most." (NIV)
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2 Samuel 1:26
"I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother; you were very dear to me. Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women."
In the society of ancient Israel, it was not considered proper for a man and woman to have a platonic relationship. Men and women rarely spoke to each other in public. Since David's only relationships with women would have been sexual in nature, then he must be referring to sexual love here. It would not make sense in this verse to compare platonic love for a man with sexual love for a woman; they are two completely different phenomena. It would appear that David is referring to his sexual love for Jonathan.
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1 Samuel 18:1
"…Jonathan became one in spirit with David and he loved him as himself." (NIV)
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"…the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul" (KJV)
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1 Samuel 18:2
"From that day, Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father's house." (NIV)
*
David left his parent's home and moved to Saul's where he would be with Jonathan. This is a strong indication that the relationship was extremely close. It echoes the passage marriage passage in Genesis 2:24: "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."
*
1 Samuel 18:3-4
"And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt." (NIV)
*
Since people in those days did not wear underwear, Jonathan stripped himself naked in front of David. That would be considered extremely unusual behavior (then and now) unless their relationship was physical.
*
Ruth and Naomi
David and Jonathan
Daniel and Ashpenaz
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Ruth 1:16-17 and 2:10-11 describe their close friendship Perhaps the best known passage from this book is Ruth 1:16-17 which is often read out during opposite-sex and same-sex marriage and union ceremonies:
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"Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." (NIV)
*
Ruth 1:14, referring to the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, mentions that "Ruth clave onto her." (KJV) The Hebrew word translated here as "clave" is identical to that used in the description of a heterosexual marriage in Genesis 2:24: " Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." (KJV)
Romans 1:26-27 speaks only of heterosexual people who act 'contrary to their nature.'
*
Reading into the text what Paul did not say (a universal prohibition of homosexuality) is called eisogesis - wrongly interpreting the text. That kind of faulty interpretation is unworthy of Christians who love the word of God.