2 Samuel 13:18

18 The servant put her out and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves, the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.

2 Samuel 13:18 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 13:18

And [she had] a garment of divers colours upon her
Of embroidered work, which made her the more observable, and her shame the more manifest. Whether this was interwoven with threads of various colours, or embroidered with figures of flowers, animals and wrought with the needle, or was painted with different colours, or made up of pieces of various colours, is not certain. (See Gill on Genesis 37:3); but according to Braunius ^F3 it was neither, and so the coat of Joseph, but was a garment with sleeves, reaching down to the ankles, and pieced at the borders with fringe; and, indeed, garments of flowers and various colours were such as in other nations, as in Athens, harlots wore ^F4 and not virgins, as follows:

for with such robes were the king's daughters [that were] virgins
apparelled;
which they wore to distinguish them both from common people, and from married persons of the same quality:

then the servants brought her out, and bolted the door after her;
laid hold on her, and brought her out by main force; thrust her out of doors, and turned the key upon her.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 De Vest. Sacerdot. Heb. l. 1. c. 17. sect. 21.
F4 Suidas in voce (etairan) .

2 Samuel 13:18 In-Context

16 "No," she answered. "To send me away like this is a greater crime than what you just did!" But Amnon would not listen to her;

17 he called in his personal servant and said, "Get this woman out of my sight! Throw her out and lock the door!"

18 The servant put her out and locked the door. Tamar was wearing a long robe with full sleeves, the usual clothing for an unmarried princess in those days.

19 She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying.

20 When her brother Absalom saw her, he asked, "Has Amnon molested you? Please, sister, don't let it upset you so much. He is your half brother, so don't tell anyone about it." So Tamar lived in Absalom's house, sad and lonely.

Footnotes

• [a]. long robe with full sleeves; [or] decorated robe [(see Gn 37.3).]
• [b]. [Probable text] in those days; [Hebrew] garments.