The Meaning of 2 Samuel 13:3 Explained

2 Samuel 13:3

KJV: But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man.

YLT: And Amnon hath a friend, and his name is Jonadab, son of Shimeah, David's brother, and Jonadab is a very wise man,

Darby: And Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.

ASV: But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But Amnon  had a friend,  whose name  [was] Jonadab,  the son  of Shimeah  David's  brother:  and Jonadab  [was] a very  subtil  man. 

What does 2 Samuel 13:3 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 13:1-14 - Sin In David's Household
The law of Moses clearly forbade the union which Amnon sought, Leviticus 18:11. It was an infamous passion, and the suggestion of Jonadab, if it was any reflection of his father's character, would show why the Lord had said of Shammah, "Neither hath the Lord chosen this," 1 Samuel 16:9. Passion is deaf to the remonstrances and pleadings of its victim, and strangles pity and honor. Let us walk in the Spirit, that he may save us from ourselves; for there is no knowing to what lengths we may go if not kept by the grace of God.
It seems difficult to believe that this was the home-life of the man that wrote the Psalms. It had been better to remain in the valley of the wild goat than amid the luxury of Jerusalem, which made so great an inroad upon the peace and purity of his home. We prosper better amid the bleak climate of the mountains than in the enervating atmosphere of the plains.
Thus David's sin began to bear the entail of misery to his own household. None of us can limit the far-reaching harvests of the seeds that we drop upon the flowing stream. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 13

1  Amnon loving Tamar, by Jonadab's counsel feigning himself sick, ravishes her
15  He hates her, and shamefully turns her away
19  Absalom entertains her, and conceals his purpose
23  At a sheep-shearing among all the king's sons, he kills Amnon
31  David grieving at the news, is comforted by Jonadab
37  Absalom flies to Talmai at Geshur

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 13:3 mean?

But Amnon had a friend and whose name [was] Jonadab the son of Shimeah brother of David and Jonadab [was] a man crafty very
וּלְאַמְנ֣וֹן רֵ֗עַ וּשְׁמוֹ֙ יֽוֹנָדָ֔ב בֶּן־ שִׁמְעָ֖ה אֲחִ֣י דָוִ֑ד וְי֣וֹנָדָ֔ב אִ֥ישׁ חָכָ֖ם מְאֹֽד

וּלְאַמְנ֣וֹן  But  Amnon  had 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲמִינׄון 
Sense: oldest son of David, rapist of Tamar, slain by Absalom.
רֵ֗עַ  a  friend 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֵעַ  
Sense: friend, companion, fellow, another person.
וּשְׁמוֹ֙  and  whose  name  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
יֽוֹנָדָ֔ב  Jonadab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָדָב  
Sense: a son of Rechab, chief of the Rechabites, in the time of Jehu and Ahab.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
שִׁמְעָ֖ה  of  Shimeah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שִׁמְעָה  
Sense: brother of David, the 3rd son of Jesse.
אֲחִ֣י  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
דָוִ֑ד  of  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וְי֣וֹנָדָ֔ב  and  Jonadab  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄונָדָב  
Sense: a son of Rechab, chief of the Rechabites, in the time of Jehu and Ahab.
אִ֥ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
חָכָ֖ם  crafty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: חָכָם  
Sense: wise, wise (man).
מְאֹֽד  very 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מְאֹד  
Sense: exceedingly, much subst.