Friendship is nearly as ubiquitous as the air we breathe. It is not as necessary from a physiological perspective but it is needed from a psychological perspective. While this writer does not spend consistent recreational time with a friend aside from his wife, nevertheless, in the fifteen different cities where he has lived, he has always had friends with whom to converse, laugh, pray, and banter.
David, son of Jesse, also had his friends. The most notable friend was, of course, Jonathan, the son of King Saul. Jonathan is mentioned for the first time in 1 Samuel 13. He plays a major role in events recorded in 1 Samuel 14 where we see his bravery and courage in battle. It is in 1 Samuel 18:1 where Jonathan and David are first portrayed as friends: “Now it came about when he [David, p.h.] had finished speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as himself” (NASV). See verses 3 & 4 and 1 Samuel 19:1, 4, 7 for additional notes on their friendship. Jonathan plays a large role in 1 Samuel 20 where he lays his life on the line for his friend, David (see verse 17) and 2 Samuel 1:26).
A key verse on the friendship between David and Jonathan is found in 1 Samuel 23:16. In this context, King Saul is pursuing David to take his life in the wilderness of Ziph at Horesh. The text reads: “And Jonathan, Saul’s son, arose and went to David at Horesh, and encouraged him in God (emph. mine).” Jonathan is eventually killed by the Philistines, along with his father, King Saul, in 1 Samuel 31:2.
While Jonathan was David’s best friend, there are others in David’s life who, it might be said, “encouraged him in God.” We do not know about Abigail’s spirituality but we are informed that she was “intelligent” (1 Samuel 25:3). The word translates two nouns in construct state: “good in prudence” (HALOT). She could easily have been an unofficial advisor to King David. Officially, however, David had spiritual advisors in the prophets Nathan (2 Samuel 7 & 12) and Gad (1 Samuel 22; 2 Samuel 24).
In addition to these, David was advised by Ahithophel (2 Samuel 15-17) and Hushai the Archite. Hushai is specifically called “David’s friend” (2 Samuel 15:37; 16:16-17; 1 Chronicles 27:33; r’h). In addition to these, David had a friend in Hiram, King of Tyre. 2 Kings 5:1 (5:15 in the Hebrew text) says that Hiram “had always been a friend of David.” The Hebrew uses a masculine singular participle form of the verb to love (‘hb) such that the literal translation would be Hiram was one loving David always.
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However, David’s son, King Solomon, does not appear to have had such friends, at least as far as the historical record is concerned. No one serves as a “Jonathan” to Solomon. 1 Kings 4:5 does inform us that Solomon had a friend (r’h) but the historical note is all we have of the relationship between Solomon and Azariah, son of Nathan (David’s prophet?). There is no record of interaction or dialogue between the two nor are there other “friends” (r’h) in Solomon’s life.
Additionally, Nathan serves in his role as prophet at the coronation of King Solomon (1 Kings 1:38ff) but thereafter drops from the historical record. He is only mentioned again at the end of Solomon’s life, along with Ahijah and Iddo, both prophets or seers (2 Chronicles 9:29). Plus, there was no “Abigail” in Solomon’s life.
We have pointed out all this to put some historical perspective on the words of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 4:7-12. We will come back and examine this text more thoroughly later. But, read these words with the above information in mind:
“Then I looked again at vanity under the sun. There was a certain man without a dependent, having neither a son nor a brother, yet there was no end to all his labor. Indeed, his eyes were not satisfied with riches and he never asked, “And for whom am I laboring and depriving myself of pleasure?” This too is vanity and it is a grievous task. Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”
–Paul Holland
