2 Samuel 13:21

Absalom Murders Amnon

21 When King David heard about all these things, he was furious.^[a]

2 Samuel 13:21 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 13:21

But when King David heard of all these things
Of Amnon's ravishing Tamar, and turning her out of doors in that inhuman manner he did, and of her distress upon it:

he was very wroth;
with Amnon; but we read not of any reproof he gave him, nor of any punishment inflicted on him by him. Abarbinel thinks the reason why he was not punished was because his sin was not cognizable by a court of judicature, nor was punishable by any way, or with any kind of death inflicted by the sanhedrim, as stoning, burning, &c. nor even by scourging, because there were no witnesses; but the punishment of it was cutting off, i.e. by the hand of God. The Jews say

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 a law was made on this, that virgins or unmarried persons should not be alone; for if this was done to the daughter of a king, much more might it be done to the daughter of a private man; and if to a modest person, much more to an impudent one.

F5 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 21. 1.

2 Samuel 13:21 In-Context

19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved garment she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away weeping.

20 Her brother Absalom said to her: "Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom.

21 When King David heard about all these things, he was furious.

22 Absalom didn't say anything to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon since he disgraced his sister Tamar.

23 Two years later, Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX, DSS add but he did not grieve the spirit of Amnon his son, for he loved him because he was his firstborn; 1 Kg 1:6