Prince Jonathan's Brothers in the Bible
The Bible mentions several individuals named Jonathan [6]. The most prominent is Jonathan, the eldest son of King Saul and a close friend of David [6]. While the biblical narrative frequently highlights Jonathan's relationship with David, it does not explicitly name his brothers. However, the concept of "brothers" in the Old Testament can sometimes refer to kinsmen or fellow countrymen, not exclusively biological siblings [5].
The name Jonathan itself means "given of God" [3]. Other names with similar meanings or components related to brotherhood appear in the Bible, such as Ahiah ("brother of the Lord") [8], Joah ("fraternity; brother of the Lord") [2], and Ahi ("my brother; my brethren") [1]. Achab, for instance, means "brother of the father" [4].
In various biblical contexts, the term "brothers" is used to describe familial relationships. For example, Joseph refers to his siblings as "twelve brothers, sons of our father" [5, 11]. Similarly, the New Testament mentions "the Lord's brothers" [9] and pairs of brothers like Simon and Andrew, and James and John, who were called by Jesus [10, 12]. While these examples illustrate the use of "brothers" in a direct familial sense, the specific names of Jonathan's biological brothers are not provided in the biblical accounts that detail his life and friendship with David [6, 7].
Sources
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Ahi — my brother; my brethren”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Joah — fraternity; brother of the Lord”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Jonathan — given of God”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Achab — brother of the father”
- Genesis “We are twelve brothers, sons of our father; one is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.’ -- Genesis 42:32”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Jonathan — Whom Jehovah gave, the name of fifteen or more persons that are mentioned in Scripture. The chief of these are, (1.) A Levite descended from Gershom (Judg. 18:30). His history is recorded in 17:7-13 and 18:30. The Rabbins changed this name into Manasseh "to screen the memory of the great lawgiver from the stain of having so unworthy an apostate among his near descendants." He became priest of the idol image at Dan, and this office continued in his family till the Captivity. (2.) The eldest son of king Saul, and the bosom friend of David. He is first mentio”
- II Samuel “II Samuel 1:26 (DRC) — I grieve for thee, my brother Jonathan: exceeding beautiful, and amiable to me above the love of women. As the mother loveth her only son, so did I love thee.”
- Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Ahiah — brother of the Lord”
- 1 Corinthians (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Corinthians 9:5: 9:5 the Lord’s brothers: See Mark 6:3 for their names. • Peter: Mark 1:30 also speaks of Peter as married.”
- Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 1:16: 1:16-20 The call of the two pairs of brothers—Simon and Andrew, James and John—followed an earlier encounter with Jesus (John 1:35-42).”
- Genesis (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Genesis 42:28: We be twelve brethren, sons of our father,.... All brethren by the father's side, though not by the mother's, and by one father; they had been twelve, and were so now, though they knew it not, supposing that one was dead, as is next observed: one is not; is not alive, but dead; the Targum of Jonathan is,"what is become of one we know not" and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan; see Gen 42:13.”
- Matthew (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Matthew 4:21: And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship--rather, "in the ship," their fishing boat. with Zebedee their father, mending their nets: and he called them.”