Jonathan

Jonathan, King Saul’s son, loved David from their first conversation: “the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David.” They made a covenant, and Jonathan gave David his robe, his sword and his bow. When Saul wanted David killed, Jonathan warned his friend and spoke good of him to his father, and for a time Saul listened and swore that David would not be slain. Jonathan later died with Saul in battle against the Philistines, and 2 Samuel 4 mentions the young son he left behind, who was lame in his feet. Other men in Scripture share the name. Begin with 1 Samuel 18:1-4, then chapter 19.

29 verses

Judges

Judges 17:7

And there was a young man out of Bethlehemjudah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

Judges 17:8

And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehemjudah to sojourn where he could find a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

Judges 17:9

And Micah said unto him, Whence comest thou? And he said unto him, I am a Levite of Bethlehemjudah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place.

Judges 17:10

And Micah said unto him, Dwell with me, and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel, and thy victuals. So the Levite went in.

Judges 17:11

And the Levite was content to dwell with the man; and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

Judges 17:12

And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

Judges 17:13

Then said Micah, Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite to my priest.

1 Samuel

1 Samuel 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.

1 Samuel 18:2

And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house.

1 Samuel 18:3

Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

1 Samuel 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.

1 Samuel 19:1

And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

1 Samuel 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 a secret place, and hide thyself:

1 Samuel 19:3

And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father of thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee.

1 Samuel 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 been to thee-ward very good:

1 Samuel 19:5

For he did put his life in his hand, and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel: thou sawest it, and didst rejoice: wherefore then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?

1 Samuel 19:6

And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain.

1 Samuel 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.

1 Samuel 31:2

And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan, and Abinadab, and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

1 Samuel 31:6

So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.

2 Samuel

2 Samuel 4:4

And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son that was lame of his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up, and fled: and it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell, and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

2 Samuel 15:27

The king said also unto Zadok the priest, Art not thou a seer? return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

2 Samuel 15:28

See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness, until there come word from you to certify me.

2 Samuel 21:21

And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

2 Samuel 23:32

Eliahba the Shaalbonite, of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

1 Chronicles

1 Chronicles 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.

Jeremiah

Jeremiah 37:15

Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.

Jeremiah 37:20

Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.

Jeremiah 40:8

Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1.) A Levite descended from Gershom (Judg. 18:30). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30. The Rabbins changed this name into Manasseh “to screen the memory of the great lawgiver from the stain of having so unworthy an apostate among his near descendants.” He became priest of the idol image at Dan, and this office continued in his family till the Captivity.

(2.) The eldest son of king Saul, and the bosom friend of David. He is first mentioned when he was about thirty years of age, some time after his father’s accession to the throne (1 Sam. 13:2). Like his father, he was a man of great strength and activity (2 Sam. 1:23), and excelled in archery and slinging (1 Chr. 12:2;2 Sam. 1:22). The affection that evidently subsisted between him and his father was interrupted by the growth of Saul’s insanity. At length, “in fierce anger,” he left his father’s presence and cast in his lot with the cause of David (1 Sam. 20:34). After an eventful career, interwoven to a great extent with that of David, he fell, along with his father and his two brothers, on the fatal field of Gilboa (1 Sam. 31:2, 8). He was first buried at Jabesh-gilead, but his remains were afterwards removed with those of his father to Zelah, in Benjamin (2 Sam. 21:12-14). His death was the occasion of David’s famous elegy of “the Song of the Bow” (2 Sam. 1:17-27). He left one son five years old, Merib-baal, or Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 4:4; comp. 1 Chr. 8:34).

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(3.) Son of the high priest Abiathar, and one who adhered to David at the time of Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam. 15:27, 36). He is the last descendant of Eli of whom there is any record.

(4.) Son of Shammah, and David’s nephew, and also one of his chief warriors (2 Sam. 21:21). He slew a giant in Gath.

From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

that is, "the gift of Jehovah, " the eldest son of King Saul. (B.C. about 1095-1056.) He was a man of great strength and activity. (2 Samuel 1:23) He was also famous as a warrior, (1 Chronicles 12:2) as is shown by the courage he showing in attacking the garrison of the Philistines, in company with is armor-bearer only, slaying twenty men and putting an army to flight. (1 Samuel 14:6-16) During the pursuit, Jonathan, who had not heard of the rash curse, ch. (1 Samuel 14:24) which Saul invoked on any one who ate before the evening, tasted the honey which lay on the ground. Saul would have sacrificed him; but the people interposed in behalf of the hero of that great day, and Jonathan was saved. ch. (1 Samuel 14:24-45) The chief interest of Jonathan’s career is derived from the friendship with David, which began on the day of David’s return from the victory over the champion of Gath, and continued till his death. Their last meeting was in and forest of Ziph, during Saul’s pursuit of David. (1 Samuel 23:16-18) From this time forth we hear no more till the battle of Gilboa. In that battle he fell. (1 Samuel 31:2,8) (B.C. 1056.) his ashes were buried first at Jabesh-gilead, ch. (1 Samuel 31:13) but were afterward removed with those of his father to Zelah in Benjamin. (2 Samuel 21:12) The news of his death occasioned the celebrated elegy of David. He left a son, Mephibosheth. [MEPHIBOSHETH]

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(1.) A nephew of David. (2 Samuel 21:21; 1 Chronicles 20:7) He engaged in single combat with and slew a gigantic Philistine of Gath. (2 Samuel 21:21) (B.C. 1018.)

(2.) The son of Abiathar, the high priest, is the last descendant of Eli of whom we hear anything. (2 Samuel 15:36; 17:15-21; 1 Kings 1:42,43) (B.C. 1023.)

(3.) One of David’s heroes. (2 Samuel 23:32; 1 Chronicles 11:34)

(4.) The son or descendant of Gershom the son of Moses. (Judges 18:30) [MICAH] (B.C. about 1425.)

(5.) One of the Bene-Adin. (Ezra 8:6)

(6.) A priest, the son of Asahel, in the time of Ezra. (Ezra 10:15) (B.C. 459.)

(7.) A priest of the family of Melieu. (Nehemiah 12:14)

(8.) One of the sons of Kareah, and brother of Johanan. (Jeremiah 40:8) (B.C. 587.)

(9.) Son of Joiada, and his successor in the high priesthood. (Nehemiah 12:11,22,23) (B.C. before 332.)

(10.) Father of Zechariah, a priest who blew the trumpet at the dedication of the wall. (Nehemiah 12:35)

(11.) 1 Esdr. 8:32. [See No. 6] (B.C. 446.)