2 Samuel 13:3

3 Now Ammon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise 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 And it came to pass after this that Ammon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.

2 And he was exceedingly fond of her, so that he fell sick for the love of her: for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do any thing dishonestly with her.

3 Now Ammon had a friend, named Jonadab the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very wise man:

4 And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Ammon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.

5 And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick: and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar, I pray thee, come to me, to give me to eat, and to make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand.