2 Samuel 13:32
in 2 Samuel 13But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the sons of the king, for only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have killed all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
KJV
And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king’s sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.
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This verse in 2 Samuel 13
Commentary
7 notes on this verseIt is well if Jonadab was not as guilty of Amnon's death as he was of his sin; such friends do those prove who are hearkened to as counsellors to do wickedly: he that would not be so kind as to prevent Amnon's sin would not be so kind as to prevent his ruin, when, it should seem, he might have done both.
This site's exposition
tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground
on 2 Samuel 13:31-33
The king “tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground”, mourning a household that is still alive. Jonadab, the cousin who designed Amnon's trap at verse 5, corrects him: “only Amnon is dead”. He adds that “Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar”.
This site's exposition
only Amnon is dead
Jonadab assures the king that only Amnon is dead, and he says Absalom had planned it from the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar. Adam Clarke notes how coolly Jonadab speaks of a killing his own advice set in motion. He knew the plan.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother,....
Amnon's character, we have reason to think, was bad in other things; if he had not forsaken God, he would never have been given up to these vile affections. Godly parents have often been afflicted with wicked children; grace does not run in the blood, but corruption does.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
And Jonadab - said - Amnon only is dead - This was a very bad man, and here speaks coolly of a most bloody tragedy, which himself had contrived.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The history supplies another (compare 2Sa 13:3) instance of Jonadab’s subtlety and sagacity. He at once gave the true explanation of the catastrophe at Baal-hazor, in spite of the false rumour. By the appointment of Absalom ... - Meaning that Absalom’s resolution to slay Amnon had been formed at the time, and only waited an opportunity to give expression to it.
The words behind it
31 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּ֡עַן | vaiyaan | and he answered | H6030 → | 331 times |
| יוֹנָדָ֣ב׀ | yonadav | Jonadab | H3122 → | 7 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שִׁמְעָ֨ה | shimah | Shimeah | H8093 → | 3 times |
| אֲחִֽי־ | ʾachi- | [the] brother of | H251 → | 630 times |
| דָוִ֜ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| וַיֹּ֗אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אַל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| יֹאמַ֤ר | yomar | he say | H559 → | 5305 times |
| אֲדֹנִי֙ | ʾadoni | lord my | H113 → | 333 times |
| אֵ֣ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַנְּעָרִ֤ים | hanearim | the young men | H5288 → | 239 times |
| בְּנֵֽי־ | benei- | [the] sons of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הֵמִ֔יתוּ | hemitu | they have killed | H4191 → | 839 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַמְנ֥וֹן | ʾamnon | Amnon | H550 → | 28 times |
| לְבַדּ֖וֹ | levado | to only him | H905 → | 200 times |
| מֵ֑ת | met | he has died | H4191 → | 839 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פִּ֤י | pi | [the] mouth of | H6310 → | 498 times |
| אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙ | ʾavshalom | Absalom | H53 → | 110 times |
| הָיְתָ֣ה | hayetah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שׂוּמָ֔ה | sumah | determined | H7760 → | 584 times |
| מִיּוֹם֙ | miyom | from [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| עַנֹּת֔וֹ | anoto | humbled he | H6031 → | 82 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| תָּמָ֥ר | tamar | Tamar | H8559 → | 25 times |
| אֲחֹתֽוֹ׃ | ʾachoto | sister his | H269 → | 114 times |
וַיַּ֡עַןand he answered
vaiyaanH6030 →331 times
יוֹנָדָ֣ב׀Jonadab
yonadavH3122 →7 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
שִׁמְעָ֨הShimeah
shimahH8093 →3 times
אֲחִֽי־[the] brother of
ʾachi-H251 →630 times
דָוִ֜דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
וַיֹּ֗אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
אַל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
יֹאמַ֤רhe say
yomarH559 →5305 times
אֲדֹנִי֙lord my
ʾadoniH113 →333 times
אֵ֣ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַנְּעָרִ֤יםthe young men
hanearimH5288 →239 times
בְּנֵֽי־[the] sons of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הֵמִ֔יתוּthey have killed
hemituH4191 →839 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אַמְנ֥וֹןAmnon
ʾamnonH550 →28 times
לְבַדּ֖וֹto only him
levadoH905 →200 times
מֵ֑תhe has died
metH4191 →839 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פִּ֤י[the] mouth of
piH6310 →498 times
אַבְשָׁלוֹם֙Absalom
ʾavshalomH53 →110 times
הָיְתָ֣הit was
hayetahH1961 →3559 times
שׂוּמָ֔הdetermined
sumahH7760 →584 times
מִיּוֹם֙from [the] day
miyomH3117 →2304 times
עַנֹּת֔וֹhumbled he
anotoH6031 →82 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
תָּמָ֥רTamar
tamarH8559 →25 times
אֲחֹתֽוֹ׃sister his
ʾachotoH269 →114 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 7:14Behold, the wicked man travails with evil; he conceives trouble and births falsehood.
it leads to
- James 1:15
Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
- Job 15:35
They conceive trouble and give birth to evil; their womb is pregnant with deceit.”
- Isaiah 33:11
You conceive chaff; you give birth to stubble. Your breath is a fire that will consume you.
- Job 15:20
A wicked man writhes in pain all his days; only a few years are reserved for the ruthless.
- Isaiah 59:4–5
No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case honestly. They rely on empty pleas; they tell lies; they conceive mischief and give birth to iniquity.
- James 1:15
Through
Genesis 27:41Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him. And Esau said in his heart, “The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will…
it leads to
- 1 John 3:12–15
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- Genesis 37:4
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
- Genesis 50:3–4
taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.
- 1 John 3:12–15
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 2 Samuel
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.