2 Samuel 13:1-22

Amnon and Tamar

1 Now ¹Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was ²Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her.

2 And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.

3 But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of ³Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very crafty man.

4 And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

5 Jonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my sister Tamar come and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.'"

6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and ⁴make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."

7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him."

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes.

9 And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, ⁵"Send out everyone from me." So everyone went out from him.

10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand." And Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

11 But when she brought them near him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."

12 She answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate^[a] me, for ⁶such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this ⁷outrageous thing.

13 As for me, where could I carry my shame? And as for you, you would be as one of ⁸the outrageous fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you."

14 But he would not listen to her, and being stronger than she, he violated her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, "Get up! Go!"

16 But she said to him, "No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me."^[b] But he would not listen to her.

17 He called the young man who served him and said, "Put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her."

18 Now she was wearing ⁹a long robe^[c] with sleeves, for thus were the virgin daughters of the king dressed. So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her.

19 And Tamar ¹⁰put ashes on her head and ¹¹tore the long robe that she wore. And ¹²she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

20 And her brother Absalom said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? Now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this to heart." So Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom's house.

21 When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.^[d]

22 But Absalom spoke to Amnon ¹³neither good nor bad, for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.

2 Samuel 13:1-22 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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Samuel 3:2, 3; 1 Chronicles 3:2
• 2. 1 Chronicles 3:9
• 3. 1 Chronicles 2:13; [1 Samuel 16:9; 1 Samuel 17:13]
• 4. Genesis 18:6
• 5. [Genesis 45:1]
• 6. Leviticus 18:9, 11; Leviticus 20:17
• 7. Genesis 34:7; Judges 19:23; Judges 20:6
• 8. [2 Samuel 3:33]
• 9. Genesis 37:3; Judges 5:30; Psalms 45:14
• 10. See Joshua 7:6
• 11. See 2 Samuel 1:11
• 12. Jeremiah 2:37
• 13. Genesis 24:50; Genesis 31:24

Footnotes

• [a]. Or humiliate; also verses 14, 22, 32
• [b]. Compare Septuagint, Vulgate; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
• [c]. Or a robe of many colors (compare Genesis 37:3); also verse 19
• [d]. Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint add But he would not punish his son Amnon, because he loved him, since he was his firstborn