2 Samuel 13:31-39

31 Therefore the king rose up, and rent his clothes, and felled down on the earth (and fell down on the ground); and all his servants that stood nigh to him, rent their clothes.

32 But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, brother of David, answered and said, My lord the king, guess thou not, that all the young men, and sons of the king, be slain; Amnon alone is dead, for he was set in hatred to Absalom, from the day in which he oppressed Tamar, his sister. (But Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, My lord the king, think thou not, that all of the king's sons be killed; no, only Amnon is dead, for Absalom hath hated him, from the day that he oppressed his sister Tamar.)

33 Now therefore, my lord the king, set not this word on his heart, and say, All the sons of the king be slain; for Amnon alone is dead. (And so now, my lord the king, put not this thing upon thy heart, and say, All the king's sons be killed; for only Amnon is dead.)

34 Forsooth Absalom fled. And a young man, (an) espyer, raised [up] his eyes, and beheld, and lo! much people came by a way out of the common way, by the side of the hill. (And so Absalom fled away. And a young man, a watchman, raised up his eyes, and looked, and lo! a crowd of people came by the road, on the side of the hill behind him.)

35 And Jonadab said to the king, Lo! the sons of the king come; after the word of thy servant, so it is done (yea, so it is done, just as thy servant hath said).

36 And when he had ceased to speak, also the sons of the king appeared; and they entered, and raised up their voice, and wept; but also the king and all his servants wept with full great weeping.

37 Forsooth Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. Therefore David bewailed his son Amnon in many days (And so David bewailed his son Amnon for many days).

38 Forsooth Absalom, when he had fled, and had come into Geshur, was there (for) three years.

39 And [king] David ceased to pursue Absalom, for he was comforted upon the death of Amnon. (And after King David resigned himself to Amnon's death, he longed for his son Absalom.)

2 Samuel 13:31-39 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.