Jonadab is a figure in the

Hebrew Bible The Hebrew Bible or Tanakh (;"Tanach"
. '' 2 Samuel The Book of Samuel () is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Samuel) in the Old Testament. The book is part of the Deuteronomistic history, a series of books (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings) that constitute a theological ...

13. He is described in verse 3 as the son of Shimeah, who was the brother of David, making Jonadab a cousin to

Amnon Amnon ( ''’Amnōn'', "faithful") was, in the Hebrew Bible, the oldest son of King David and his second wife, Ahinoam of Jezreel. He was born in Hebron during his father's reign in Judah. He was the heir apparent to the throne of Israel until ...

as well as his friend. He is called "very wise" (''ḥākām mĕ'ōd''), usually translated as "very shrewd" ( NIV) or "very crafty" ( ESV).

2 Samuel 13 2 Samuel 13 is the thirteenth Chapters and verses of the Bible, chapter of the Second Book of Samuel in the Old Testament of the Christianity, Christian Bible or the second part of Books of Samuel in the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition ...

describes how

wanted to have Tamar, despite the fact that she was his half-sister. Jonadab advised Amnon to pretend to be sick, and then ask

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

to send Tamar to him to make him some food. Amnon followed Jonadab's advice, and ended up raping Tamar. Jonadab appears again at the end of the chapter, when he tells David of

Absalom Absalom ( , ), according to the Hebrew Bible, was an Israelite prince. Born to David and Maacah, who was from Geshur, he was the only full sibling of Tamar. He is described in the Hebrew Bible as being exceptionally beautiful, as is his siste ...

's grudge against Amnon. Pamela Tamarkin Reis notes that he was "privy to the confidence of both brothers", and suggests that he "told Absalom about Amnon's scheme simply because he was a busybody, stirring his spoon in every pot." According to the

Babylonian Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the centerpiece of Jewi ...

: "And Thou should not associate with a sinner:....And so we find with Amnon, who associated with Jonadab, the son of Shim'ah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very sensible man--sensible in wickedness, as it is written er. Iv .22 Wise are they to do evil." According to others, it is meant that one shall not associate with the wicked, even to study the Torah." Keith Bodner suggests that "among the numerous minor characters in 2 Samuel 11–19, Jonadab remains among the most enigmatic, and his malignancy marks a key juncture in the story."

References

External links

* {{Authority control 10th-century BCE Hebrew people Family of David