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.