Reference: Jonathan
Hastings
1. A Levite, the 'son' of Gershom (wh. see); according to Jg 18:30 he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan up to the Captivity. Jonathan was taken into the service of Micah as 'father and priest' (Jg 17:10); but, not long after he had taken up his abode there, six hundred Danites came that way and induced Jonathan to leave Micah and join them as their priest (Jg 18:11-31). 2. The eldest son of Saul; he appears, in the first instance, as a brave and successful leader in battle. 1Sa 13; 14 contain a graphic account of the way in which the Israelites threw off the Philistine yoke; in this campaign Jonathan took a leading part. He first of all, at the head of a thousand men, smote the Philistine garrison in Geba; this was the signal for the outbreak of war. The Philistine army gathered together and encamped in Michmash. Jonathan, accompanied only by his armour-bearer, at great risk surprised an advanced post of the Philistines, and slew about twenty men; the suddenness and success of this coup so terrified the Philistines that the whole host of them fled in panic. The popularity of Jonathan is well illustrated by the fact that the people prevented Saul from carrying out a vow which would have cost Jonathan his life (1Sa 14:24-46). The implicit trust which Saul placed in Jonathan is seen in the words of the latter in 1Sa 20:2 : 'Behold my father doeth nothing either great or small, but that he discloseth it unto me.' The faithfulness and trustworthiness of Jonathan as here shown gives an insight into what must have been that friendship for David which has become proverbial. All the characteristics of truest friendship are seen in Jonathan in their full beauty
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And Micah said unto him - Dwell with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and, I, will give thee ten pieces of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy sustenance. So the Levite went.
So there brake up from thence, out of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war. And they went up and encamped in Kiriath-jearim, in Judah, - wherefore they have called that place, Mahaneh-dan - unto this day, lo! it is behind Kiriath-jearim. read more. And they passed on from thence unto the hill country of Ephraim, - and came as far as the house of Micah. Then responded the five men who had been to spy out the land of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Know ye that there are in these houses, an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image, - now, therefore, know what ye will do! So they turned aside thither, and entered into the house of the young man the Levite, the house of Micah, - and asked him of his welfare. Now, the six hundred men, begirt with weapons of war, were standing at the entrance of the gate, - they being of the sons of Dan. Then went up the five men who had been to spy out the land, they came in thither, they took the graven image, and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, - now, the priest, was standing at the entrance of the gate, with the six hundred men who were begirt with weapons of war. But, when, these, had entered the house of Micah, and taken the graven image and the ephod, and the teraphim, and the molten image, the priest said unto them, What are ye doing? And they said unto him - Hold thy peace, lay thy hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and become to us a father and a priest, - is it better that thou be priest to the house of one man, or that thou be priest to a tribe and to a family in Israel? Then was the heart of the priest glad, and he took the ephod, and the teraphim, and the graven image, - and came into the midst of the people. So they turned, and went their way, - and put the little ones, and the cattle, and the goods, before them. They, had gone a good way from the house of Micah, when, the men that were in the houses near to the house of Micah, were called out and overtook the sons of Dan. And they called unto the sons of Dan, who turned their faces, - and said unto Micah, What aileth thee, that thou hast called out thy neighbours? And he said - My gods which I had made, ye have taken away, and the priest, and have departed, and what have I more? How then is it that ye can say unto me, What aileth thee? And the sons of Dan said unto him, Do not let thy voice be heard among us, - lest men embittered in soul fall upon you, and thou gather in thy life and the lives of thy household. And the sons of Dan went on their journey, - and, when Micah saw that they were, too strong, for him, he turned and went back unto his house. They, therefore, took what Micah had made, and the priest that he had, and came upon Laish, upon a people quiet and secure, and smote them with the edge of the sword, - the city also, burned they with fire. And there was no one to rescue, because it was, far, from Zidon, and they had no, dealings, with any one, it, being in the vale that pertaineth to Beth-rehob. Then built they the city, and dwelt therein, and called the name of the city, Dan, by the name of Dan their father, who was born to Israel, - howbeit, Laish, was the name of the city, at the first. And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, - and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land.
And the sons of Dan set up for themselves the graven image, - and, Jonathan, son of Gershom, son of Moses, he and his sons, became priests to the tribe of the Danites, until the day of the captivity of the land. So they set up for themselves the graven image of Micah, which he had made, - and let it remain all the days that the house of God was in Shiloh.
Now, the men of Israel, were tired out on that day, - yet had Saul bound the people by an oath, saying - Cursed, be the man that eateth food until the evening, and I be avenged upon mine enemies. So none of the people had tasted food. And, all the land, had entered into the forest, - and there was honey upon the face of the ground. read more. So the people came into the forest, and lo! there were streams of honey, - but no man reached his hand to his mouth, because the people revered the oath. But, Jonathan, heard not his father putting the people on oath, so he reached forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in the honey-copse, - and brought back his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were brightened. Then responded one from among the people, and said - With an oath, did thy father charge the people, saying - Cursed, be the man that eateth food to-day! And so the people were faint. Then said Jonathan: My father hath afflicted the land, - See, I pray you, how my own eyes have been brightened, because I tasted a little of this honey. How much more if haply the people had, eaten freely, to-day of the spoil of their enemies, which they found? for, now, would not the smiting of the Philistines have been, mighty? Howbeit they smote the Philistines on that day from Michmash to Aijalon, - but the people became exceeding faint. And the people darted greedily upon the spoil, and took sheep, and oxen, and calves, and felled them to the ground, - and the people did eat, with the blood. And they told Saul, saying, Lo! the people, are sinning against Yahweh, by eating with the blood. And he said - Ye have dealt treacherously, roll unto me, here, a great stone. And Saul said - Disperse yourselves among the people, and say unto them - Bring near unto me every man his ox,, and every man his lamb, and slay them here, and then eat, so shall ye not sin against Yahweh, by eating with the blood. And all the people brought near - every man that which was in his hand, that night, and they slew them there. And Saul built an altar unto Yahweh, - the same, was the first altar that he built unto Yahweh. Then said Saul - Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and make of them a prey until the morning light, and let us not leave of them, a man. And they said, All that is good in thine eyes, do! Then said the priest, Let us draw near hither unto God. So Saul asked of God, Shall I go down after the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into the hand of Israel? But he answered him not, that day. Then said Saul, Come near hither, all ye chiefs of the people, - and get to know and see, wherein, hath been this sin, to-day. For, by the life of Yahweh, who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, yet shall he, die. But there was none ready to answer him, of all the people. Then said he unto all Israel - Ye, shall be on one side, and, I and Jonathan my son, will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, What is good in thine eyes, do! And Saul said unto Yahweh - O God of Israel! now set forth the truth. Then were, Jonathan and Saul, taken, and, the people, escaped. And Saul said, Cast lots between me, and Jonathan my son. Then was, Jonathan, taken. And Saul said unto Jonathan, Come tell me, what thou hast done. So Jonathan told him, and said, I, just tasted, with the end of the staff that was in my hand, a little honey, here I am - I must die! Then said Saul: So, may God do, and, so, may he add, surely thou must, die, Jonathan! But the people said unto Saul - Shall, Jonathan, die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? Far be it! By the life of Yahweh, there shall not fall a hair of his head to the ground, for, with God, hath he wrought this day. So the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not. Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, - and, the Philistines, departed unto their own place.
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that, the soul of Jonathan, was knit with, the soul of David, so that Jonathan loved him, as his own soul.
And he said unto him - Far be it! thou shalt not die. Lo! my father doeth nothing, great or small, without unveiling mine ear, - wherefore, then, should my father hide from me, this thing? There is, nothing, in this.
And he said unto him - Far be it! thou shalt not die. Lo! my father doeth nothing, great or small, without unveiling mine ear, - wherefore, then, should my father hide from me, this thing? There is, nothing, in this.
Then said Jonathan unto David - Witness be Yahweh God of Israel, that I will sound my father about this time to-morrow or the third day, and lo! if there he good towards David, will I not, then, send unto thee, and unveil thine ear?
So David hid himself in the field - and, when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat, food, yea the king sat down on his seat, as at other times, by the seat against the wall, and, when Jonathan arose, Abner seated himself by the side of Saul, - but David's place was empty. read more. Saul, however, spake nothing that day, - for he said to himself - It is, an accident, he is, not clean, because he hath not been cleansed. And it came to pass, on the morrow, the second of the month, that David's place was empty, - and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore hath not the son of Jesse come in, either yesterday or to-day, to meat? And Jonathan answered Saul, - David, asked leave, of me, to go as far as Bethlehem; and said - Let me go, I pray thee, for, a family sacrifice, have we in the city, and my brethren have commanded me, now, therefore, if I have found favour in thine eyes, let me slip away, I pray thee, that I may see my brethren. For this cause, hath he not come in unto the table of the king. Then was Saul's anger kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of rebellious perversity! do I not know that thou art, confederate, with the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and to the confusion of the shame of thy mother? For, as long as, the son of Jesse, liveth on the ground, thou wilt not be established, thou nor thy kingdom, Now, therefore, send and fetch him unto me, for, doomed to death, is he! And Jonathan responded to Saul his father, - and said unto him - Wherefore must he be put to death, What hath he done? And Saul hurled his spear at him, to smite him. So Jonathan knew that it was, determined, of his father, to put David to death. Jonathan therefore rose up from the table, in a glow of anger, - and did eat no food on the second day of the month, for he was grieved for David, because his father had reviled him.
I am distressed for thee, my brother, Jonathan! Delightful to me, exceedingly, - Wonderful, was thy love to me, passing the love of women.
And the king said, unto Zadok the priest, Art thou not, a seer? return into the city, in peace, - and Ahimaaz thine own son, and Jonathan son of Abiathar - your two sons, with you.
Now, Jonathan and Ahimaaz, were staying by En-rogel, and a maidservant was to go and tell them, and, they, were to go and tell King David, - for they might not be seen to eater the city. And, though a young man did see them, and told Absolom, yet they both departed quickly, and entered the house of a man in Bahurim, and, he, had a well in his court, into which they went down; read more. and the woman took and spread the cover over the face of the well, and spread thereon her pounded corn, - so nothing was known. Then came the servants of Absolom unto the woman in the house, and said - Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan? And the woman said to them - They have passed over the stream of water. And, when they had searched and not found, they returned to Jerusalem.
but, when he reproached Israel, Jonathan son of Shimeah David's brother, smote, him.
And, the sons of Jada, brother of Shammai, Jether, and Jonathan, - but Jether died without sons.
And, over the treasuries of the king, was Azmaveth, son of Adiel. And, over the treasuries in the fields, in the cities, in the villages and in the castles, was Jonathan, son of Uzziah;
And, Jonathan the relative of David, was a counsellor, a man of understanding and a scribe, was he. And, Jehiel son of Hachmoni, was with the sons of the king.
Only Jonathan son of Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah, made a stand against this, - and, Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite, helped them.
The Levites - in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded as ancestral chiefs, - also the priests, unto the reign of Darius the Persian.
and, of the sons of the priests, with trumpets, Zechariah - son of Jonathan - son of Shemaiah - son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph;
Then were the princes wroth against Jeremiah, and smote him, - and put him in prison, in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for that, had they made the prison. When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon-house and into the cells, and Jeremiah, had remained there many days, read more. then sent King Zedekiah - and fetched him, and the king asked him, in his own house secretly, and said, - Is there a word from Yahweh? And Jeremiah said, - There is, for (said he), Into the hand of the king of Babylon, shalt thou be delivered! And Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, - What sin have I committed against thee, or against thy servants or against this people, that ye have delivered me up into prison? Where, then are your prophets, who prophesied unto you saying, - The king of Babylon shall not come, against you nor against this land? Now therefore, hear I beseech thee, O my lord the king, - Let my, supplication, I pray thee, fall prostrate before thee, and do not cause me to return unto the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there!
Then shalt thou say unto them, - I was causing my supplication to fall prostrate before the king, - that he would not cause me to return to the house of Jonathan, to die there.
then came they in unto Gedaliah in Mizpah, - both Ishmael son of Nethaniah and Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite and Jezaniah son of the Maachathite, they and their men.