2 Samuel 13:15-25

15 After this, Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that the hatred he hated her with was greater than the love he had loved her with. "Get out of here!" he said.
16 "No," she cried,[a] "sending me away is much worse than the great wrong you've already done to me!" But he refused to listen to her.
17 Instead, he called to the servant who waited on him: "Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!"
18 Amnon's servant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a long-sleeved[b] garment, because this is what the king's virgin daughters wore.
19 Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved garment she was wearing. She put her hand on her head[c] 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[d] in the house of her brother Absalom.

Absalom Murders Amnon

21 When King David heard about all these things, he was furious.[e]
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.
24 Then he went to the king and said, "Your servant has just hired sheepshearers. Will the king and his servants please come with your servant?"
25 The king replied to Absalom, "No, my son, we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you." Although Absalom urged him, he wasn't willing to go, though he did bless him.

2 Samuel 13:15-25 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO SECOND SAMUEL 13

This chapter relates some of the evils that were to arise out of David's house, and which were similar to the evils committed by him; the deflowering of his daughter, and the murder of his eldest son: the story is this; Amnon falls in love with Tamar, his sister, and grew thin upon it, which being observed by a friend of his, inquires the reason of it, which having got out of him, forms a scheme for obtaining his desire, and which succeeded; for by it he had the opportunity of ravishing his sister, 2Sa 13:1-14; the consequences of which were extreme hatred of her, hurrying her out of doors, lamentation and mourning on her part, grief to David, and enmity in the heart of Absalom to Amnon, which put him upon meditating his death, 2Sa 13:15-22; and which was brought about after this manner. Absalom had a sheep shearing, to which he invited the king and all his sons, and to which they all came excepting the king, 2Sa 13:23-27; when Absalom gave orders to his servants to observe Amnon when he was merry, and at his word smite him and kill him, as they did, 2Sa 13:28,29; tidings of which soon came to the ears of David, and these aggravated, that all the king's sons were killed, which threw the king into an agony; but Jonadab endeavoured to pacify him, by assuring him that only Amnon was dead, the truth of which soon appeared by the coming of the king's sons, 2Sa 13:30-36; but Absalom fled to Geshur, where he remained three years, when David's heart began to be towards him, and to long for him, who was to bring more evil against him, 2Sa 13:37-39.

Footnotes 5

  • [a]. Lit she said to him
  • [b]. Or an ornamented; Gn 37:3
  • [c]. Jr 2:37
  • [d]. Isa 54:1; 62:4
  • [e]. 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
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