Shmuel Bais 13:2

2 And Amnon was so distressed, that he fell ill for his achot Tamar; for she was betulah; but Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her.

Shmuel Bais 13:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 13:2

And Amnon was so vexed
Distressed, straitened, and perplexed in his mind through unruly and unbridled lusts that raged in him:

that he fell sick for his sister Tamar;
as Antiochus son of Seleucus did for his mother in law Stratonice, who, to cure him of it, was delivered to him by his father ^F19:

for she [was] a virgin;
and so kept very recluse from the company of men, that he could not come at her; so Philo ^F20, speaking of the Jewish women, and particularly virgins, says, that they were shut up in their chambers, and through modesty shun the sight of men, even those of their own house; hence they are called (twmle) , from a word which signifies to hide; and Phocylides ^F21 the poet advises to the shutting of them up in like manner:

and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her;
that it was difficult to have access to her, almost impossible, what he despaired of, and what, if attained to, would be wonderful and amazing; he was at his wits' end how to contrive any scheme to get at her, and obtain his desire.

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FOOTNOTES:

F19 See the Universal History, vol. 3. p. 519. Ed. fol.
F20 In Flaccum, p. 977.
F21 Poem. admon. v. 203, 204.

Shmuel Bais 13:2 In-Context

1 3 And it came to pass after this, that Avshalom Ben Dovid had an achot yafeh (beautiful sister), whose shem was Tamar; and Amnon Ben Dovid loved her.

2 And Amnon was so distressed, that he fell ill for his achot Tamar; for she was betulah; but Amnon thought it impossible for him to do anything to her.

3 But Amnon had a re’a, shmo Yonadav Ben Shime’ah Achi Dovid; and Yonadav was an ish chacham (shrewd man).

4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being Ben HaMelech, becoming dal (weak, wretched) from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, Ani ohev (I love) Tamar achot Avshalom achi.

5 And Yonadav said unto him, Lay thee down on thy mishkav, and make thyself sick; and when avicha cometh to see thee, say unto him, now, let my achot Tamar come, and cause me to eat lechem, and prepare the briyah (food) in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it from her yad.