Jonathan יְהוֹנָתָן
Scribe with a house used as prison
Who is Jonathan in the Bible?
Jonathan was a scribe in Jerusalem during the reign of King Zedekiah of Judah, around the time of the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC. His house served as a prison where the prophet Jeremiah was held captive (Jeremiah 37:15), and Jeremiah desperately pleaded with King Zedekiah not to be returned there, fearing he would die in that confinement (Jeremiah 37:20). When questioned by the king's officials, Jeremiah again referenced Jonathan's house as the place he had begged the king to spare him from (Jeremiah 38:26). Jonathan's role as a scribe and his use of his home as a royal prison indicate he was a person of considerable influence in Jerusalem's final years before the Babylonian exile. His brief appearance in Jeremiah's account illustrates the political pressures and dangers prophets faced during Judah's collapse.
Biography
Jonathan was a scribe in Jerusalem during the time of King Zedekiah of Judah. His house was used as a prison where the prophet Jeremiah was confined (Jer.37.15). Jeremiah appealed to King Zedekiah not to send him back to Jonathan's house, fearing he would die there (Jer.37.20). Later, Jeremiah told the king's officials that he had only petitioned the king not to send him back to Jonathan's house to die when they questioned him (Jer.38.26). Jonathan's role as a scribe and the use of his house as a prison suggest he was a person of some importance in Jerusalem just prior to the Babylonian conquest in 586 BC.
In Scripture
1 biblical book ; 1 with study contentJeremiah 3 verses
- Jeremiah 37:15
"The officials were angry with Jeremiah, and they beat him and placed him in jail in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for it had been made into a prison."
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 37:20
"But now please listen, O my lord the king. May my petition come before you. Do not send me back to the house of Jonathan the scribe, or I will die there.”"
Study Jeremiah → - Jeremiah 38:26
"then tell them, ‘I was presenting to the king my petition that he not return me to the house of Jonathan to die there.’”"
Study Jeremiah →
Names & Aliases
| Form | Language | Script |
|---|---|---|
| Named | Hebrew | יְהוֹנָתָן |