What is the meaning of 2 Samuel 13:3? Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab • Scripture presents Amnon, David’s eldest son, as a man already “tormented” by lust for his half-sister Tamar (2 Samuel 13:1-2). The very next sentence introduces his “friend.” • Friendship is a gift, yet this scene warns how the wrong companion can steer a heart in sinful directions. Proverbs 13:20 cautions, “He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed”. • Notice Amnon’s vulnerability: rather than seeking counsel from his father or a godly advisor, he turns to someone who will validate his desires. Compare 1 Kings 12:8, where Rehoboam’s peers coax him into folly. • This moment invites reflection on the voices we allow near our decisions. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 reminds, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good character’”. the son of David’s brother Shimeah • Jonadab is family—Amnon’s cousin—giving him automatic access and influence within the royal household. Family ties can be a blessing, yet they do not guarantee spiritual wisdom; Cain and Abel, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph’s brothers all prove this (Genesis 4; 25; 37). • The verse quietly highlights the tangled dynamics inside David’s polygamous family. Multiple wives produced half-siblings whose relationships were complicated, setting the stage for rivalry and tragedy (cf. Deuteronomy 17:17’s warning to kings). • Even for us, shared blood or long history should never substitute for discernment. Jesus said, “Whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother” (Matthew 12:50). Jonadab was a very shrewd man • “Shrewd” points to sharp insight and tactical skill. Scripture can portray shrewdness positively (Proverbs 12:16) or negatively (Genesis 3:1: “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field”). In Jonadab’s case, the context shows a crafty mind unhindered by moral restraint. • Jonadab quickly devises a scheme for Amnon to satisfy his lust (2 Samuel 13:4-5). His counsel is intelligent yet wicked—earthly “wisdom” described in James 3:15 as “earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” • Jesus urged His disciples to be “shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Jonadab illustrates what shrewdness looks like when innocence is absent. • Lessons: – Talent divorced from truth becomes dangerous. – Advice should be weighed not merely by brilliance but by righteousness (Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 27:17). – God grants insight to build up, never to manipulate or harm. summary The single verse sketches a cautionary triangle: Amnon’s vulnerable heart, Jonadab’s cunning counsel, and the close family bond that grants influence. Friendship, family, and intellect are good gifts, yet each must be governed by God’s truth. When any operate outside His boundaries, tragedy follows—as the rest of 2 Samuel 13 sadly confirms. Choose companions wisely, test every counsel by Scripture, and seek shrewdness wedded to innocence, not separated from it. |
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