Lives of Scripture

Jonathan was the son of Shimeah, David's brother, making him David's nephew. He appears in the closing notices of 2 Samuel 21, which record four skirmishes against Philistine giants descended from "the giant" (the Rapha) in Gath -- including the giant Goliath's kin. In the last of these encounters, "a man of great stature who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot... also had been born to the giant" defied Israel, and "Jonathan the son of Shimeah, David's brother, killed him" (2 Samuel 21:20-21; 1 Chronicles 20:6-7). Coming at the close of a chapter listing warriors who struck down these giants when even David himself had grown too weary for combat, Jonathan's victory stands alongside the exploits of David's mightiest men. Jonathan is also named among David's court in 1 Chronicles 27:32, described as "a counselor, a man of understanding, and a scribe" -- a role of trusted wisdom rather than only battlefield strength, distinguishing him from the other listed officials responsible for property and armies. Together the two brief notices present Jonathan as a man valued both for courage against Israel's enemies and for sound judgment at his uncle's court, a minor but real presence within David's inner circle of family and advisors.