Jonadab

About Jonadab

Jonadab, also referred to as Jonathan, was the son of Shimeah, King David's brother, making him David's nephew (2Sa.13.3; 21.21; 1Ch.20.7). He is primarily mentioned in the context of the tragic story of Amnon and Tamar, David's children.

Jonadab is described as a very shrewd man and a close friend of Amnon (2Sa.13.3). When Amnon became infatuated with his half-sister Tamar and was distressed about how to approach her, Jonadab devised a plan for Amnon to be alone with Tamar (2Sa.13.5). This plan ultimately led to Amnon raping Tamar, an act that had severe consequences for the royal family (2Sa.13.11-14).

After Amnon's actions were discovered, Jonadab was the one who informed David that only Amnon had been killed by Absalom, Tamar's full brother, contrary to the initial report that all of David's sons had been slain (2Sa.13.32-33). This suggests that Jonadab was well-informed about the events and dynamics within the royal family.

In 1Ch.27.32, Jonadab is mentioned as King David's counselor, described as a wise man and a scribe. This indicates that he held a position of influence and trust within the royal court, despite his role in the events surrounding Amnon and Tamar.

The story of Jonadab highlights the complex relationships and conflicts within David's family and the far-reaching consequences of sin and poor judgment. It also demonstrates the importance of wise counsel and the potential for even trusted advisors to contribute to negative outcomes when their wisdom is misused.

Description from STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0, lightly reformatted. This is background reference material, not Scripture and not a FaithGraph editorial claim.