(21) Jonathan the son of Shimeah.—Hence he was the nephew of David (1Chronicles 20:7), and was either the wily Jonadab mentioned in 2Samuel 13:3, or, more probably, his brother. David’s family connections seem to have constituted a clan of heroes.

21:15-22 These events seem to have taken place towards the end of David's reign. David fainted, but he did not flee, and God sent help in the time of need. In spiritual conflicts, even strong saints sometimes wax faint; then Satan attacks them furiously; but those who stand their ground and resist him, shall be relieved and made more than conquerors. Death is a Christian's last enemy, and a son of Anak; but through Him that triumphed for us, believers shall be more than conquerors at last, even over that enemy.The Hebrew text is manifestly very corrupt. First, for "Jaare-oregim," 1 Chronicles 20:5 gives us the reading Jair. "Oregim" has evidently got in by a transcriber's error from the line below, where "oregim" is the Hebrew for "weavers." Again, the word the "Bethlehemite" is very doubtful. It is supported by 2 Samuel 23:24, but it is not found in the far purer text of 1 Chronicles 20:5, but instead of it we find the name of the Philistine slain by Elhanan, "Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite." It is probable, therefore, that either the words "the Bethlehemite," are a corruption of "Lahmi," or that the recurrence of "Lahmi," and the termination of "Beth-lehemite" has confused the transcriber, and led to the omission of one of the words in each text. 15-22. Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel—Although the Philistines had completely succumbed to the army of David, yet the appearance of any gigantic champions among them revived their courage and stirred them up to renewed inroads on the Hebrew territory. Four successive contests they provoked during the latter period of David's reign, in the first of which the king ran so imminent a risk of his life that he was no longer allowed to encounter the perils of the battlefield. No text from Poole on this verse.

And when he defied Israel,.... The armies of Israel, as Goliath had done some years ago, 1 Samuel 17:10,

Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him; this brother of David is called Shammah, 1 Samuel 16:9; and Shimma, 1 Chronicles 2:13; this son of his is another man from Jonadab his son, who was famous for his subtlety as this was for his valour, 2 Samuel 13:3. The Jews say (d) this was Nathan the prophet, a son of Shammah.

(d) Hieron. Trad. Heb. fol. 76. D.

And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimeah the brother of David slew him.