2 Samuel 13:3

3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very clever man.

2 Samuel 13:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 13:3

But Amnon had a friend
Though in the issue his friendship proved his ruin:

whose name [was] Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother;
so that they were own cousins, the same with Shammah, ( 1 Samuel 16:9 ) ;

and Jonadab [was] a very subtle man;
a very penetrating man into the dispositions of men, and could judge by their countenances what they were, and the affections of their minds, and had a talent in forming schemes; he was wise to do evil and was wickedly cunning.

2 Samuel 13:3 In-Context

1 David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon loved her.

2 Tamar was a virgin. Amnon made himself sick just thinking about her, because he could not find any chance to be alone with her.

3 Amnon had a friend named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very clever man.

4 He asked Amnon, "Son of the king, why do you look so sad day after day? Tell me what's wrong!" Amnon told him, "I love Tamar, the sister of my half-brother Absalom."

5 Jonadab said to Amnon, "Go to bed and act as if you are sick. Then your father will come to see you. Tell him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Let her make the food in front of me so I can watch and eat it from her hand.'"