1 Samuel 18:4
in 1 Samuel 18And Jonathan removed the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, his sword, his bow, and his belt.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
KJV
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
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This verse in 1 Samuel 18
Commentary
6 notes on this verseJonathan stripped himself - Presents of clothes or rich robes, in token of respect and friendship, are frequent in the East. And how frequently arms and clothing were presented by warriors to each other in token of friendship, may be seen in Homer and other ancient writers.
This site's exposition
the souls of Jonathan and David were knit together
on 1 Samuel 18:1-4
Jonathan is heir to Saul’s throne, and his love falls on the man Samuel has anointed to take it. He gives David his robe, tunic, sword, bow and belt, the king’s son handing over the tokens of a throne. Older writers read the scene as a figure of self-emptying love, a reading that belongs to the commentators, and the covenant sworn here holds through 20:14 to 15 and beyond.
This site's exposition
removed the robe he was wearing
At 17:38 and 39 David removed the armor Saul gave him. Here he accepts the robe, sword and bow of Saul's son. Matthew Henry reads the gift as showing all Israel that David was Jonathan's second self.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
When Saul put these marks of honour on David he put them off again, because he would first earn them and then wear them; but, now that he had given proofs of the spirit of a prince and a soldier, he was not ashamed to wear the habits of a prince and a soldier. David is seen in Jonathan's clothes, that all may take notice he is a Jonathan's second self.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David--To receive any part of the dress which had been worn by a sovereign, or his eldest son and heir, is deemed, in the East, the highest honor which can be conferred on a subject (see on Es 6:8).
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיִּתְפַּשֵּׁ֣ט | vaiyitpashet | and he stripped himself | H6584 → | 43 times |
| יְהוֹנָתָ֗ן | yehonatan | Jonathan | H3083 → | 81 times |
| אֶֽת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַמְּעִיל֙ | hameil | the robe | H4598 → | 28 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָלָ֔יו | ʾalav | [was] on him | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖הוּ | vaiyitenehu | and he gave it | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לְדָוִ֑ד | ledavid | to David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וּמַדָּ֕יו | umadav | and garments his | H4055 → | 11 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| חַרְבּ֥וֹ | charbo | sword his | H2719 → | 413 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| קַשְׁתּ֖וֹ | kashto | bow his | H7198 → | 76 times |
| וְעַד־ | vead- | and to | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| חֲגֹרֽוֹ׃ | chagoro | belt his | H2290 → |
וַיִּתְפַּשֵּׁ֣טand he stripped himself
vaiyitpashetH6584 →43 times
יְהוֹנָתָ֗ןJonathan
yehonatanH3083 →81 times
אֶֽת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַמְּעִיל֙the robe
hameilH4598 →28 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָלָ֔יו[was] on him
ʾalavH5921 →5755 times
וַֽיִּתְּנֵ֖הוּand he gave it
vaiyitenehuH5414 →2011 times
לְדָוִ֑דto David
ledavidH1732 →999 times
וּמַדָּ֕יוand garments his
umadavH4055 →11 times
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
חַרְבּ֥וֹsword his
charboH2719 →413 times
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
קַשְׁתּ֖וֹbow his
kashtoH7198 →76 times
וְעַד־and to
vead-H5704 →1261 times
חֲגֹרֽוֹ׃belt his
chagoroH2290 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Isaiah 61:10I will rejoice greatly in the LORD, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom…
it leads to
- Revelation 19:7–8
Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him the glory. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.
- Psalms 132:9
May Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and Your saints shout for joy.
- Philippians 3:9
and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.
- Psalms 132:16
I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints will sing out in joy.
- Revelation 21:2
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
- Revelation 19:7–8
Through
Luke 15:22But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.
it leads to
- Esther 8:2
The king removed the signet ring he had recovered from Haman and presented it to Mordecai. And Esther appointed Mordecai over the estate of Haman.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Esther 3:10
So the king removed the signet ring from his finger and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of the Jews.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 41:42
Then Pharaoh removed the signet ring from his finger, put it on Joseph’s finger, clothed him in garments of fine linen, and placed a gold chain around his neck.
- Esther 8:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Samuel

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonUnited MonarchyDavidSecond king of united Israel, shepherd-turned-monarch, ancestor of the Messiah, and traditional author of many Psalms.
- PersonEarly monarchyJonathanSon of King Saul who climbed a cliff to rout a garrison on the conviction that nothing restrains Jehovah; cut a covenant of steadf…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
