And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother
The same that advised Amnon to feign himself sick, to get Tamar sent to him, that he might enjoy her, ( 2 Samuel 13:3 ) ;
answered and said;
said in answer to the report brought to the king, which threw him into such an agony:
let not my lord suppose [that] they have slain all the young men the
king's sons;
he did not believe it himself, and would not have the king entertain such a thought, and distress himself with it:
for Amnon only is dead;
he is very positive, and speaks with great assurance; it looks as if he was in the secret, and knew of the plot against Amnon's life; and, if so, he must be a very wicked man, first to form a scheme whereby Amnon might come at Tamar to ravish her, and then be accessory to the murder of him, as he must, if he knew of the design against his life, and did not acquaint him and the king of it; and this seems to be confirmed by what follows:
for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined, from the
day that he forced his sister Tamar;
that is, the slaying of Amnon; the meaning is, either that Absalom had given orders to his servants to slay him, whenever they had an opportunity; or it was "in the mouth of Absalom" F16, as it may be rendered; he used to declare it to his intimate friends, that it was the purpose and resolution of his heart to kill Amnon some time or another; and this he had taken up from the time of his sister Tamar's being forced, and because of that, of which Jonadab had intelligence by some means or another; and who speaks of this rape without any seeming emotion, as if he had no concern at all in it.