The meaning of Jehonadab in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
je-hon'-a-dab (yehonadhabh, either "Yahweh is noble" or "liberal," or "Yahweh has impelled") = Jonadab (yonadhabh, same meaning):
(1) Jehonadab in the Hebrew of II Samuel 13:5; but Jonadab in English Versions of the Bible, and in Hebrew and English Versions of the Bible of II Samuel 13:3, II Samuel 13:12, II Samuel 13:35; son of Shimeah, King David's brother. He was friendly with Amnon his cousin, and is said to be "a very shrewd (the Revised Version (British and American) "subtle") man." He planned to get Tamar to wait upon Amnon. Two years after, when Absalom had murdered Amnon, and David had heard that all the king's sons were assassinated, Jehonadab assured him that only Amnon was killed; and his reassuring tone is justified (II Samuel 13:35); possibly he knew of Absalom's intentions. Septuagint, Lucian, has "Jonathan" in II Samuel 13:3 ff.; and in II Samuel 21:21 parallel I Chronicles 20:7, there is mentioned a son of Shimei (= "Shimca," I Chronicles 2:7 = "Shammah," I Samuel 16:9), whose name is Jonathan.
See JONATHAN, (4).
(2) Jehonadab in II Kings 10:15, II Kings 10:23; in Hebrew of Jeremiah 35:8, Jeremiah 35:14, Jeremiah 35:16, Jeremiah 35:18 = Jonadab in Jeremiah 35:6, Jeremiah 35:10, Jeremiah 35:19, and English Versions of the Bible of Jeremiah 35:8, Jeremiah 35:14, Jeremiah 35:16, Jeremiah 35:18, "son" of Rechab, of the Kenite clan (I Chronicles 2:55). Jehonadab is described in 2Ki. 10 as an ally of Jehu in the olition of Baal-worship in Samaria. Jehu met him after slaying the son of Ahab (II Kings 10:15); the second part of the verse should probably be translated "And he greeted him and said to him, Is thy heart upright (with me) as my heart is with thee? And Jehonadab answered, Yes. Then spake Jehu (so the Septuagint), If so, give me thy hand. In Jer. 35 (where English Versions of the Bible has Jonadab throughout), he is called the "father" of the Rechabites, who derived from him their ordinances for their nomadic life and abstention from wine.
See RECHAB, RECHABITES.
David Francis Roberts
See more on the meaning of Jehonadab in the Bible:
Jehonadab {Easton's Bible Dictionary}
Jehonadab {Hitchcock's Bible Name}
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