King David: Bisexual Icon
David was the shepherd boy who was chosen by God to slay the giant Goliath and become king of Judah and Israel. King David was also Bisexual. King David had 8 wives in his lifetime. His first love was Jonathan, King Saul’s son. The story of King David can be found in the first and second book of Samuel.
Here is the story of David that is found in the Bible, beginning with his first love Jonathan, the son of King Saul:
David and Jonathan vowed to be together forever: “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. 4 Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armour, and even his sword and his bow and his belt. “(1 Samuel 18:3–4 NRSV).
Over the years this story of David and Jonathan has been portrayed as a friendship or a “bromance” but I see the love in this story not as brotherly love but more like romantic love. Jonathan and David called each other beloved; beloved means dearly loved, and while you can love friends, for me beloved is reserved for those I love on a romantic level.
When Jonathan is killed David sings a lament:
“I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
greatly beloved were you to me;
your love to me was wonderful,
passing the love of women.” 2 Samuel 1: 26 NRSV
It is that line “your love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women” is one of the reasons that I believe that the relationship between Jonathan and David is deeper than friends or brothers; the other reason is that David and Jonathan loved each other as their own souls.
David is a passionate person who loves deeply whether it is Jonathan or Bathsheba, Bathsheba was married to Uriah when she caught David’s eye. David got rid of Uriah so he could marry Bathsheba who by this time was pregnant with their first child.
David also loves in faith, when David became the King of Judah and Israel, he was called to bring the ark of the covenant to the newly built city of Jerusalem. As he is leading the procession into the city, David takes his clothes off and puts on a linen ephod (an apron with gold thread) and dances into Jerusalem.
“David danced before the Lord with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod. 15 So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.” 2 Samuel 6:14 NRSV
Even though he disgusted others: “David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, ‘How the king of Israel honoured himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants’ maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself” 2 Samuel 6: 20 NRSV
David is quite an icon, David loves deeply, a free spirit who danced. No wonder David was chosen by God to be the Chosen Family of the Christian faith along with Judaism and Islam, Jesus is a descendant of David. Jesus who also had two loves: Mary Magdelene and John.
Christianity has been used to oppress many when it really should liberate.
It is heartening to know that there are people chosen by God like David, a passionate Bisexual icon who is the descendent of Jesus. God is love.
I know it sounds cliché, but love is love!
