Skip to main content

Biblical Person · Old · United Monarchy · -1061-01-0 – -1009-01-0

Jonathan

Jonathan

via Wikimedia Commons

Jonathan, son of King Saul, is known for his deep friendship with David and his loyalty, even at the cost of his own royal prospects.

AI-assisted summary — may contain inaccuracies.

From Wikidata

Biographical facts

Born
-1061-01-0
Died
-1009-01-0
More
Wikipedia →

Family

Parents
Saul (father)

Children
Mephibosheth

Where Jonathan appears

105 verses across 8 books.

1Sam60×2Sam23×1Chr10×Jer4×Neh3×1Kgs2×Ezra2×Judg1×

Verses mentioning Jonathan

  • 1Chr 2:32 — And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai; Jether, and Jonathan: and Jether died without children.
  • 1Chr 2:33 — And the sons of Jonathan; Peleth, and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.
  • 1Chr 8:33 — And Ner begat Kish, and Kish begat Saul, and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
  • 1Chr 8:34 — And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begat Micah.
  • 1Chr 9:39 — And Ner begat Kish; and Kish begat Saul; and Saul begat Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.
  • 1Chr 9:40 — And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal: and Meribbaal begat Micah.
  • 1Chr 10:2 — And the Philistines followed hard after Saul, and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.
  • 1Chr 11:34 — The sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,
  • 1Chr 20:7 — But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David’s brother slew him.
  • 1Chr 27:32 — Also Jonathan David’s uncle was a counsellor, a wise man, and a scribe: and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king’s sons:
  • 1Kgs 1:42 — And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.
  • 1Kgs 1:43 — And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.
  • 1Sam 13:2 — Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel; whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and in mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin: and the rest of the people he
  • 1Sam 13:3 — And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, Let the Hebrews hear.
  • 1Sam 13:16 — And Saul, and Jonathan his son, and the people that were present with them, abode in Gibeah of Benjamin: but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.
  • 1Sam 13:22 — So it came to pass in the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people that were with Saul and Jonathan: but with Saul and with Jonathan his son was the
  • 1Sam 14:1 — Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side. But he tol
  • 1Sam 14:3 — And Ahiah, the son of Ahitub, Ichabod’s brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD’s priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.
  • 1Sam 14:4 — And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bo
  • 1Sam 14:6 — And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the L
  • 1Sam 14:8 — Then said Jonathan, Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will discover ourselves unto them.
  • 1Sam 14:12 — And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armourbearer, and said, Come up to us, and we will shew you a thing. And Jonathan said unto his armourbearer, Come up after me: for the LORD hath
  • 1Sam 14:13 — And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him: and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him.
  • 1Sam 14:14 — And that first slaughter, which Jonathan and his armourbearer made, was about twenty men, within as it were an half acre of land, which a yoke of oxen might plow.
  • 1Sam 14:17 — Then said Saul unto the people that were with him, Number now, and see who is gone from us. And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armourbearer were not there.
  • 1Sam 14:21 — Moreover the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time, which went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites that were with
  • 1Sam 14:27 — But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath: wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand, and dipped it in an honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth; a
  • 1Sam 14:29 — Then said Jonathan, My father hath troubled the land: see, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened, because I tasted a little of this honey.
  • 1Sam 14:39 — For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him.
  • 1Sam 14:40 — Then said he unto all Israel, Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side. And the people said unto Saul, Do what seemeth good unto thee.
  • 1Sam 14:41 — Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, Give a perfect lot. And Saul and Jonathan were taken: but the people escaped.
  • 1Sam 14:42 — And Saul said, Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son. And Jonathan was taken.
  • 1Sam 14:43 — Then Saul said to Jonathan, Tell me what thou hast done. And Jonathan told him, and said, I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and, lo, I must die.
  • 1Sam 14:44 — And Saul answered, God do so and more also: for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan.
  • 1Sam 14:45 — And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid: as the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground; for he hath
  • 1Sam 14:49 — Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishui, and Melchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the firstborn Merab, and the name of the younger Michal:
  • 1Sam 18:1 — 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, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
  • 1Sam 18:3 — Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
  • 1Sam 18:4 — And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
  • 1Sam 19:1 — And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
  • 1Sam 19:2 — But Jonathan Saul’s son delighted much in David: and Jonathan told David, saying, Saul my father seeketh to kill thee: now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in
  • 1Sam 19:4 — And Jonathan spake good of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, Let not the king sin against his servant, against David; because he hath not sinned against thee, and because his works have b
  • 1Sam 19:6 — And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.
  • 1Sam 19:7 — And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan shewed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence, as in times past.
  • 1Sam 20:1 — And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? what is mine iniquity? and what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?
  • 1Sam 20:3 — And David sware moreover, and said, Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes; and he saith, Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved: but truly as the LORD liveth, and
  • 1Sam 20:4 — Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee.
  • 1Sam 20:5 — And David said unto Jonathan, Behold, to morrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat: but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at even.
  • 1Sam 20:9 — And Jonathan said, Far be it from thee: for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it thee?
  • 1Sam 20:10 — Then said David to Jonathan, Who shall tell me? or what if thy father answer thee roughly?
  • 1Sam 20:11 — And Jonathan said unto David, Come, and let us go out into the field. And they went out both of them into the field.
  • 1Sam 20:12 — And Jonathan said unto David, O LORD God of Israel, when I have sounded my father about to morrow any time, or the third day, and, behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee,
  • 1Sam 20:13 — The LORD do so and much more to Jonathan: but if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will shew it thee, and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace: and the LORD be with thee, as he hath
  • 1Sam 20:16 — So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David’s enemies.
  • 1Sam 20:17 — And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.
  • 1Sam 20:18 — Then Jonathan said to David, To morrow is the new moon: and thou shalt be missed, because thy seat will be empty.
  • 1Sam 20:25 — And the king sat upon his seat, as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall: and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul’s side, and David’s place was empty.
  • 1Sam 20:27 — And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David’s place was empty: and Saul said unto Jonathan his son, Wherefore cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yest
  • 1Sam 20:28 — And Jonathan answered Saul, David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem:
  • 1Sam 20:30 — Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto t
Voices from the tradition

The Church Fathers on Jonathan

Patristic commentary on the Scriptures that name Jonathan.

Jonathan was not knit to David as a whole, but his "soul," the higher parts, which are not cut off when the apparent and visible elements have been cut off from a person and which will not be coerced by any means, for they never move involuntarily. For the soul is free and not imprisoned in any way.… For in its primary sense, it is its…

— Gregory of Neocaesarea (270) on 1Sam 18:1

For that commendable friendship which maintains virtue is to be preferred most certainly to wealth or honors or power. It is not apt to be preferred to virtue indeed, but to follow after it. So it was with Jonathan, who for his affection's sake avoided neither his father's displeasure nor the danger to his own safety.

Who would not have loved him [David], when they saw how dear he was to his friends? For as he truly loved his friends, so he thought that he was loved as much in return by his own friends. No, parents put him even before their own children, and children loved him more than their parents. Therefore Saul was very angry and strove to…

For love "doth nothing unseemly," but as it were with certain golden wings covereth up all the offences of the beloved. Jonathan loved David; and hearing his father say, "Thou son of damsels that have run away from their homes, thou womanly bred," he was not ashamed, though the words be full of great reproach. For what he means is…

I will now cite you from the Scriptures a wonderful instance of friendship. Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved David, and his soul was so knit to him, that David in mourning over him says, "Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women. Thou wast wounded unto death." What then? did he envy David? Not at all, though he had great…

Jonathan tasted of a honeycomb on a rod, and his eyes were enlightened, and his life was in danger because he acted through ignorance. For Scripture testifies to the fact that he did not know that his father had given strict orders that no one was to taste any food until the victory of the Lord was accomplished. However, the Lord was…

And from other things it is easy for us to see the simplicity of the blessed David, who himself also maketh it known when he spake with Jonathan, saying, "There is no wickedness in my heart, and yet thy father hunteth my life to take it."

In this passage it should be noted that the king twice uttered an oath above concerning the killing of Jonathan, whom nevertheless, overcome by the insistence of the people, he did not kill. What does it mean that he swore, and by no means kept the assertion of his oath? But from this matter two lessons come to us, namely that we ought…

What then is the meaning of what is said, "Shall Jonathan then die," unless that another would have died for the same fault? By these words of the people there is surely shown to us the power of great discernment, because in the judgment of the elect, not only must the causes of faults be weighed, but also the merits of persons. This…

And Jonathan answered Saul: He earnestly requested me that he might go to Bethlehem, etc. It indeed seems strange according to the letter, why he should think and inquire about David in this manner, or Jonathan should respond, when the very obvious cause of royal jealousy had occurred, by which David should rightly seek his own safety,…

Jonathan, however, climbed up, crawling on his hands and feet, etc. It is clear indeed that greater obstacles of temptations must be overcome with greater exertion of virtues; which is duly accomplished when, armed against the enemy, a humble spiritual listener follows all the examples of the teacher. But about the situation of this…