2 Samuel 13:8

8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed.

2 Samuel 13:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 13:8

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house
In obedience to the king's commands, and in affection to her brother, with an innocent breast, having no suspicion of any design upon her chastity:

(and he was laid down);
upon a couch or bed in his chamber, as being sick as was pretended, into which she was introduced:

and she took flour, and kneaded [it];
made it into a paste:

and made cakes in his sight;
a kind of fritters of them, as in the Talmud F25:

and did bake the cakes:
or fried them in a frying pan, in oil.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 21. 1.

2 Samuel 13:8 In-Context

6 So Amnon took to his bed and acted sick. When the king came to visit, Amnon said, "Would you do me a favor? Have my sister Tamar come and make some nourishing dumplings here where I can watch her and be fed by her."
7 David sent word to Tamar who was home at the time: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare a meal for him."
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. She took dough, kneaded it, formed it into dumplings, and cooked them while he watched from his bed.
9 But when she took the cooking pot and served him, he wouldn't eat.
10 Then he said to Tamar, "Bring the food into my bedroom, where we can eat in privacy." She took the nourishing dumplings she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in his bedroom.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.