To love someone as one's own soul / To love of a lifetime (one's life)
Loved him greatly as he loves himself. Figuratively: loved him very much.
("And it came to pass, when he had finished speaking to Saul, that Jonathan’s soul was knit with David’s soul, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." – 1 Samuel 18:1; also: "I loved all my beloved as my soul / and my heart—let the liberated find me." – Aharon Hakiman (14th century) / Yonah al Hadas; also: "Blessed is he who shows kindness to the poor in the day of adversity… so shall they go up sixty and descend with them to the market?! – He said to them: sixty, provided they love him as their own soul." – Vayikra Rabbah (Vilna) Parashat Behar 34; also: "A guaranteed affection from childhood. He loves her as his own soul." – Y. Borla / Kisufim, 122; also: "Remember father and his song, indeed, the psalm’s houses were innocent, yet they loved you with their heart, Lior." – Natan Yonatan / Zemer LeBnei)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
אָהַב אוֹתוֹ כְּנַפְשׁוֹ
Definition (Hebrew)
אָהַב אוֹתוֹ מְאוֹד כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא אוֹהֵב אֶת עַצְמוֹ. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: אָהַב אוֹתוֹ מְאוֹד.
("וַיְהִי כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אֶל שָׁאוּל וְנֶפֶשׁ יְהוֹנָתָן נִקְשְׁרָה בְּנֶפֶשׁ דָּוִד וַיֶּאֱהָבֵהוּ יְהוֹנָתָן כְּנַפְשׁוֹ" - שְׁמוּאֵל א יח א; וְכֵן: "אֲנִי כָּל אוֹהֲבֵי אָהַב כַּנַּפְשִׁי / וְלִבִּי-יִמְצָאוּנִי הַמְּשַׁחֲרִים" - אַהֲרֹן חַכִּימָאן (הַמֵּאָה הי"ד)/וְיוֹנָה עַל הֲדַס; וְכֵן: "אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אַל דַּל בְּיוֹם רָעָה יְמַלְּטֵהוּ... אִם כֵן יַעֲלוּ שִׁשִּׁים וְיָרַד עִמָּהֶם לַשּׁוּק?! - אָמַר לָהֶם: שִׁשִּׁים, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּהוּ אָהֳבֵן אוֹתוֹ כְּנַפְשׁוֹ" - וַיִּקְרָא רַבָּה (וִילְנָא) פָּרָשַׁת בָּהָר פָּרָשָׁה לֵד; וְכֵן: "זָהֲרָה מֻבְטַחַת לוֹ מִיַּלְדוּתוֹ. הוּא אוֹהֵב אוֹתָהּ כְּנַפְשׁוֹ" - י. בּוּרְלָא / כִּסּוּפִים, 122; וְכֵן: "אֶת אַבָּא וְשִׁירוֹ זְכֹר תִּזְכֹּר / אָכֵן, תְּמִימִים הָיוּ בָּתָּיו שֶׁל הַמִּזְמוֹר / אַךְ אֲהֵבוּךָ כִּלְבָבָם, לִיאוֹר" - נָתָן יוֹנָתָן / זֶמֶר לִבְנֵי)