It happened, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
". . . when Jonathan took off his robe (a symbol of the Israelite kingdom; cf. 1 Samuel 15:27-28 . . .) and gave it to David (1 Samuel 18:4), he was in effect transferring his own status as heir apparent to him . . ." [Note: Youngblood, p. 707. Cf. Gunn, p. 80.] 