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
See Verses Found in Dictionary
And Micah said unto him, "Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest. And I will give thee ten silverlings by year and raiment of all sorts, and thy meat and drink."
And there departed thence of the kindred of the Danites, out of Zorah and Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with instruments of war. And they went and pitched in Kiriathjearim in Judah. Wherefore the place is called Mahanahdan unto this day, which is on the back side of Kiriathjearim. read more. And they went thence unto mount Ephraim, and came to the house of Micah. Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, "Know ye not that there is in these houses an ephod and images; and a graven image and an image of metal? Now therefore consider what ye have to do." And they turned thitherward and came to the house of the young man the Levite in the house of Micah, and saluted him peaceably. And the six hundred men girded with weapons of war, which were of the children of Dan, stood in the entering of the gate. And the five men that went to spy out the land, went in thither and took the carved image and the ephod, the graven image, and the image of metal. And the priest stood in the entering of the gate with the six hundred men that were armed unto battle, while the other went to Micah's house, and fetched the carved image, the ephod, the graven image and the image of metal. Then said the priest unto them, "What do ye?" And they answered him, "Hold thy peace, and put thine hand upon thy mouth, and come with us, and be unto us a father and a priest. Whether is it better for thee to be a priest? Unto the house of one man, or to be priest unto a tribe or a kindred in Israel?" And the priest was glad and took the ephod and the images, and the graven image, and went with the people. And they turned and departed, and put the children, the cattle and their costly things before them. When they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men that were in the houses that were by Micah's house, made an outcry, and followed after the children of Dan and called unto them. And they turned their faces, and said unto Micah, "What aileth thee, that thou makest an outcry?" And he said, "Ye have taken away my gods which I made, and also the priest, and go your ways with them! And what have I more? How then say ye unto me, 'What aileth thee?'" And the children of Dan said unto him, "Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee, and thou lose thy life, with the lives of all thine household too." And so the children of Dan went their ways. And when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house again. And they took the things which Micah had made, and the priest which he had, and went unto Laish, even unto a people that were at rest and without mistrust, and smote them with the edge of the sword and burnt the city with fire. And there was no man to help, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no meddling with any other nation. And the city stood in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built the city and dwelt therein. And called it Dan, after the name of Dan their father which was born unto Israel. Howbeit in very deed the name of the city was Laish at the beginning. And the children of Dan set them up the graven image. And Jonathan the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh and his sons were the priests unto the tribe of the Danites, until they were carried away out of the land captive.
And the children of Dan set them up the graven image. And Jonathan the son of Gershon, the son of Manasseh and his sons were the priests unto the tribe of the Danites, until they were carried away out of the land captive. And they set them up the carved image which Micah made, all the while that the house of God was in Shiloh.
And the men of Israel joined themselves together that day: and Saul adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be he that eateth any food until night, that I may be avenged of mine enemies." And so there was none of the people that tasted any sustenance. And all the land came to a wood where honey lay upon the ground. read more. And when the people were come into the wood: Behold, the honey dropped. Howbeit, there was no man that moved his hand to his mouth, because that the people feared the curse. But Jonathan heard not when his father adjured the people, wherefore he put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and dipped it in a honey comb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes received sight. Then spake one of the people, and said, "Thy father adjured the people, saying, 'Cursed be the man that eateth any sustenance this day.'" And yet the people were fainty. Then said Jonathan, "My father hath troubled the land: for see, mine eyes hath received sight, because I tasted a little of this honey. How then, if all the people had eaten of the spoil of their enemies which they found, had there not been then a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?" And they laid on the Philistines that day, from Michmash to Aijalon. And the people were exceeding fainty. Then the people gat them to the spoil and took sheep oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground and did eat with the blood. Then men told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the LORD, in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have trespassed. But roll a great stone unto me now, and go abroad among the people and bid them bring every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here, and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood." And the people brought every man his ox in his hand by night and slew them there. And Saul made an altar unto the LORD. And that was the first altar that he made unto the LORD. And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and let us make havoc among them until it be day in the morning, and let us not leave one of them." And the people answered, "Do whatsoever thou thinkest best." Then said the priest, "Let us come hither unto God." And Saul asked of God, "Shall I go down after the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hands?" But he answered him not at that time. Then said Saul, "Let the people come hither out of all quarters, and know and see, in whom this sin is chanced this day: for as truly as the LORD liveth, which hath saved Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall die for it." But no man answered him of all the people. Then he said unto all Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on another." And the people said unto Saul, "What thou thinkest best, that do." And Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, "Give perfect knowledge." And Saul and Jonathan were caught, and the people escaped free. Then said Saul, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was caught. Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I tasted a little honey upon the end of my staff that was in mine hand, and see, I must die." Then said Saul, "God do so and so to me, except that thou die Jonathan." But the people said unto Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, which hath so mightily helped Israel? God forbid. As truly as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground: for he hath wrought with God this day." And so the people delivered Jonathan, that he died not. And then Saul departed from following the Philistines. And the Philistines went to their own place.
And when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David; insomuch that Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
And Jonathan answered him, "God forbid, thou shalt not die. For see, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me. For why should my father hide this thing from me? There shall be no such thing."
And Jonathan answered him, "God forbid, thou shalt not die. For see, my father will do nothing either great or small, but that he will show it me. For why should my father hide this thing from me? There shall be no such thing."
And Jonathan said unto David, "O LORD God of Israel, when I have groped my father's mind, one time or other within this three days, that it stand well with David: and I then send not unto thee and show it thee, the LORD do so and so unto Jonathan.
And so David hid himself in the field. And when the new moon was come, the king sat him down at meat, for to eat. And the king sat him down after the old manner, in his seat by the wall. And Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty. read more. Nevertheless, yet Saul said nothing at all that day. For he thought, 'Something has chanced him that he is not clean.' But on the morrow which was the second day of the moon, when David's place appeared empty, Saul said unto Jonathan his son, "Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor today?" And Jonathan answered unto Saul, "David asked license of me to go to Bethlehem, saying, 'Let me go I pray thee, for our kindred hold an offering in the city, and my brother hath sent for me. Now therefore if I have found favour in thine eyes let me go and see my brother.' And therefore he cometh not unto the table of the king." Then was Saul angry with Jonathan and said unto him, "O froward and rebellious, thinkest thou I know not how thou hast chosen the son of Jesse unto thine own rebuke, and unto the rebuke and shame of thy mother? For as long as the son of Jesse lieth upon the earth, thou shalt not be established, nor yet thy kingdom; wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he is the child of death." But Jonathan answered Saul his father and said to him, "Wherefore should he die? What hath he done?" Then Saul cast a spear at him to hit him, whereby Jonathan wist well, that it was utterly determined of his father to slay David. And so Jonathan arose from the table in a great anger and did eat no meat the second day of the month, for he was sorry for David, because his father had done him shame.
Woe is me for thee, my brother Jonathan! Delectable to me wast thou, exceeding. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.
The king said also unto Zadok the priest, "Thou art a seer; return therefore into the city in peace. And take your two sons with you: Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.
As for Jonathan and Ahimaaz, they stood by the well of Rogel, and a damsel went thither and told them. They went on their way and told King David, for they durst not be seen to come into the city. Nevertheless there was a lad saw them, which told it to Absalom. But they went both of them away quickly and came to a man's house in Bahurim, which had a well in his yard, into which they went down. read more. And the wife took and spread a coverlet on the top of the well and strawed thereon steeped barley to dry. And the thing was not spied. And when Absalom's servants came to the wife to the house and asked where one Ahimaaz and Jonathan were, the wife said unto them, "They be gone over the little brook of water." And when they had sought them and could not find them, then they returned to Jerusalem.
And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai were Jether and Jonathan. But Jether died without children.
Over the king's treasure was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the treasure of the fields, in the cities, villages and castles, was Jonathan, the son of Uzziah.
And Jonathan, David's brother's son, a man of counsel, a man that taught wisdom, and a writer: he and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni waited on the king's sons.
Of the children also of Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty men.
Then were appointed Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah over this matter: And Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levites helped them.
And in the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, were the chief fathers among the Levites and the priests written under the reign of Darius the Persian.
and certain of the priests' children with trumpets, namely Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,
Wherefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, causing him to be beaten, and to be laid in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe. For he was the ruler of the prison. Thus was Jeremiah put into the dungeon and prison, and so lay there a long time. read more. Then Zedekiah the king sent for him and called him, and asked him quietly in his own house, saying, "Thinkest thou this business, that now is in hand, cometh of the LORD?" Jeremiah answered, "Yea, that it doth: and thou, said he, shalt be delivered in to the king of Babylon's power." Moreover, Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, "What have I offended against thee, against thy servants or against this people, that ye have caused me to be put in prison? Where are your prophets which have prophesied unto you, and said that the king of Babylon should not come against you and this land? And therefore hear now, O my lord the king: let my prayer be accepted before thee, and send me no more into the house of Jonathan the Scribe, that I die not there."
See thou give them this answer, 'I have humbly besought the king, that he will let me lie no more in Jonathan's house, that I die not there.'"
They came to Gedaliah unto Mizphah: Namely, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathah the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of Maachathi, with their companions.