2 Samuel 13:1-23

Amnon and Tamar

1 Now it was after this that 1Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was 2Tamar, and 3Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her.
3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of 4Shimeah, David's brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man.
4 He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
5 Jonadab then said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill; when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and give me some food to eat, and let her prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat from her hand.' "
6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and 5make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."
7 Then David sent to the house for Tamar, saying, "Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him."
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.
9 She took the pan and dished them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "6Have everyone * go out from me." So everyone * went out from him.
10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand." So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the bedroom to her brother Amnon.
11 When she brought them to him to eat, he 7took hold of her and said to her, "Come, lie with me, my sister."
12 But she answered him, "No, my brother, do not violate me, for 8such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this 9disgraceful thing!
13 "As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king, for 10he will not withhold me from you."
14 However, he would not listen to her; since he was stronger than she, he 11violated her and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for 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 away!"
16 But she said to him, "No, because this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you have done to me!" Yet he would not listen to her.
17 Then he called his young man who attended him and said, "Now throw this woman out of my presence, and lock the door behind her."
18 Now she had on 12a long-sleeved garment; for in this manner the virgin daughters of the king dressed themselves in robes. Then his attendant took her out and locked the door behind her.
19 13Tamar put ashes on her head and 14tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and 15she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.
20 Then Absalom her brother said to her, "Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart." So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom's house.
21 Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry.
22 But Absalom did not speak to Amnon 16either good or bad; for 17Absalom hated Amnon because * * he had violated his sister Tamar.
23 Now it came about after two full years that Absalom 18had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

2 Samuel 13:1-23 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 18

  • 1. 2 Samuel 3:2, 3; 1 Chronicles 3:2
  • 2. 1 Chronicles 3:9
  • 3. 2 Samuel 3:2
  • 4. 1 Samuel 16:9
  • 5. Genesis 18:6
  • 6. Genesis 45:1
  • 7. Genesis 39:12
  • 8. Leviticus 20:17
  • 9. Judges 19:23; Judges 20:6
  • 10. Genesis 20:12
  • 11. Leviticus 18:9; Deuteronomy 22:25; Deuteronomy 27:22; 2 Samuel 12:11
  • 12. Genesis 37:3, 23
  • 13. 1 Samuel 4:12; Esther 4:1
  • 14. Genesis 37:29; 2 Samuel 1:11
  • 15. Jeremiah 2:37
  • 16. Genesis 31:24
  • 17. Leviticus 19:17; 1 John 2:9, 11; 1 John 3:10, 12, 15
  • 18. 1 Samuel 25:7

Footnotes 10

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