# Jonathan and David lay at each other's feet **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 13, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961 "2004-05-13T14:58:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gtbiehle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f8ce5/32.png) [@gtbiehle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gtbiehle)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961/1 "2004-05-13T14:58:41Z")
I have heard that this quote in the title is in the Hebrew Bible. (That’s the Old Testament for us Christian folks.) Does anyone know where it is? I have searched a concordance, but I must be looking under the wrong words. Also I have heard this is a euphemism for “Jonathan and David performed oral sex on each other.” :eek: Are there any cites on this? Not something I found on the internet one midsummer morning, but something in a published tome by a theology professor, either Jewish or Christian. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961/2 "2004-05-13T15:49:53Z")
[1 Samuel 18](http://unbound.biola.edu/): > [@](#): > > 1 Now it came about when he had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself. > 2 Saul took him that day and did not let him return to his father’s house. > 3 Then Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. > 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor, including his sword and his bow and his belt. Not familiar with a verse saying that they laid down together or that there’s a reference to their having oral sex. The verses have been used as an example of a loving same-sex relationship by gay advocates seeking to counter the perception of anti-gay bias in the Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Anaptyxis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anaptyxis/32/3171_2.png) [@Anaptyxis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaptyxis)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961/3 "2004-05-13T15:52:33Z")
The story of Jonathan and David’s friendship is in 1 Samuel; look especially at chapters 18-20. I checked Strong’s Concordance under “feet” and “foot” but found no quote in either book of Samuel like the one you have given. As for the possible euphemism, I’m not a biblical scholar, but I’d be pretty leery of assigning euphemistic meaning to any text that was written so many centuries ago. It’s hard enough trying to understand the subtleties of texts written _today_, by people who share your cultural background. I see on preview that **Otto** beat me to the reference… ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961/4 "2004-05-13T17:02:01Z")
There is 1 Samuel 20, where David throws himself to the ground… > [@](#): > > And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the South, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed down three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. > > ‘Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of HaShem, saying: HaShem shall be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed, for ever.’ ---
**Author:** ![Tinker\_Grey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tinker_grey/32/8136_2.png) [@Tinker\_Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tinker_Grey)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961/5 "2004-05-13T17:35:06Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > There is 1 Samuel 20, where David throws himself to the ground… It is sometimes helpful to compare versions: Note that it is verse 41: NIV: … David got up from the south side of the stone and 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. KJV: … David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times: and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. NASB: … David rose from the south side and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed three times. And they kissed each other and wept together, but David wept the more. AMP: … David arose from beside the heap of stones and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times. And they kissed one another and wept with one another until David got control of himself. I post the above since sometimes folks want to make something of “exceeded” which, apparently, is the poor translation (or least one that doesn’t hold up to modern english) of the King James. HTH Tinker ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jonathan-and-david-lay-at-each-others-feet/244961/6 "2004-05-13T18:51:31Z")
Maybe you’re looking for this? > [@King James Version;Samuel 2](#): > > [sup]26[/sup] I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant have you been to me; your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. As a Hebrew speaker, I can vouch for the fidelity of the translation in this case - and for those who can read Hebrew, here is the original [in Unicode, so I hope you can see it even without Hebrew installed] > [@The Torah](#): > > צר-לי עליך אחי יהונתן נעמת לי מאד נפלאתה אהבתך לי מאהבת נשים[sup]26[/sup] Dani