2 Samuel 13:1-22

2 Samuel 13:1-22

[1] And it came to pass after  this, that Absalom  the son  of David  had a fair  sister,  whose name  was Tamar;  and Amnon  the son  of David  loved  [2] And Amnon  was so vexed,  that he fell sick  for his sister  Tamar;  for she was a virgin;  and Amnon  thought  it hard  for him to do  any thing  to her. [3] But Amnon  had a friend,  whose name  was Jonadab,  the son  of Shimeah  David's  brother:  and Jonadab  was a very  subtil  man.  [4] And he said  unto him, Why art thou, being the king's  son,  lean  from day  wilt thou not tell  me? And Amnon  said  unto him, I love  Tamar,  my brother  Absalom's  sister.  [5] And Jonadab  said  unto him, Lay thee down  on thy bed,  and make thyself sick:  and when thy father  cometh  to see  thee, say  unto him, I pray thee, let my sister  Tamar  come,  and give  me meat,  and dress  the meat  in my sight,  that I may see  it, and eat  it at her hand.  [6] So Amnon  lay down,  and made himself sick:  and when the king  was come  to see  him, Amnon  said  unto the king,  I pray thee, let Tamar  my sister  come,  and make  me a couple  of cakes  in my sight,  that I may eat  at her hand.  [7] Then David  sent  home  to Tamar,  saying,  now to thy brother  Amnon's  house,  and dress  him meat.  [8] So Tamar  to her brother  Amnon's  house;  and he was laid down.  And she took  flour,  and kneaded  it, and made cakes  in his sight,  and did bake  the cakes.  [9] And she took  a pan,  and poured them out  before  him; but he refused  to eat.  And Amnon  said,  Have out  all men  from me. And they went out  every man  [10] And Amnon  said  unto Tamar,  Bring  the meat  into the chamber,  that I may eat  of thine hand.  And Tamar  took  the cakes  which she had made,  and brought  them into the chamber  to Amnon  her brother.  [11] And when she had brought  them unto him to eat,  he took hold  of her, and said  unto her, Come  lie  with me, my sister.  [12] And she answered  him, Nay, my brother,  do not force  me; for no such thing ought  to be done  in Israel:  do  not thou this folly.  [13] And I, whither shall I cause my shame  and as for thee, thou shalt be as one  of the fools  in Israel.  Now therefore, I pray thee, speak  unto the king;  for he will not withhold  [14] Howbeit he would  not hearken  unto her voice:  but, being stronger  than she, forced  her, and lay  [15] Then Amnon  hated  her exceedingly;  so that the hatred  wherewith he hated  her was greater  than the love  wherewith he had loved  her. And Amnon  said  unto her, Arise,  [16] And she said  unto him, There is no cause:  this evil  in sending me away  is greater  than the other  that thou didst  unto me. But he would  not hearken  unto her. [17] Then he called  his servant  that ministered  unto him, and said,  Put  now this woman out  from me, and bolt  the door  after  [18] And she had a garment  of divers colours  upon her: for with such robes  were the king's  daughters  that were virgins  apparelled.  Then his servant  brought  her out,  and bolted  the door  after  [19] And Tamar  put  ashes  on her head,  and rent  her garment  of divers colours  that was on her, and laid  her hand  on her head,  on  crying.  [20] And Absalom  her brother  said  unto her, Hath Amnon  thy brother  been with thee? but hold now thy peace,  my sister:  he is thy brother;  regard  not this thing.  So Tamar  remained  in her brother  Absalom's  house.  [21] But when king  David  heard  of all these things,  he was very  wroth.  [22] And Absalom  spake  unto his brother Amnon  neither good  nor bad:  for Absalom  hated  Amnon,  because  he had forced  his sister  Tamar. 

What does 2 Samuel 13:1-22 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Maacah bore Absalom ("father is peace") while David was reigning in Hebron ( 2 Samuel 3:3). He was David"s third-born. Amnon, his first-born, was also born in Hebron but by Ahinoam ("my brother is delight"; 2 Samuel 3:2). Both sons may have been in their late teens or early twenties at this time. Tamar ("palm tree," cf. Song of Solomon 7:7-8) was evidently born in Jerusalem ( 1 Chronicles 3:4-9), so she would have been younger than both of these brothers. The event described in this chapter probably occurred about987 B.C. [1]
The story that unfolds is a tale of frustrated teenage lust. Evidently Amnon had no desire to marry Tamar, which he probably could have done with David"s consent (cf. Genesis 20:12). [2] The grisly episode is very contemporary and requires little clarification.
"The dialogue in the story of Amnon and Tamar ... looks like a conscious allusion to the technique used in the episode of Joseph and Potiphar"s wife. Amnon addresses to his half-sister exactly the same words with which Potiphar"s wife accosts Joseph-[3]-adding to them only one word, the thematically loaded "sister" ( 2 Samuel 13:11). She responds with an elaborate protestation, like Joseph before her." [4]
David had violated God"s will by "sleeping" (Heb. skb "m) with Bathsheba, evidently with her consent. Amnon, however, violated God"s will by "laying" (Heb. skb "t) Tamar, forcing her against her will ( 2 Samuel 13:14; cf. 2 Samuel 11:4). [5]
Jonadab may have been trying to secure his own political future with Absalom ( 2 Samuel 13:3-5; 2 Samuel 13:32-35). [6]
Quite clearly Amnon"s attraction to Tamar was only selfish infatuation. When he had satisfied himself, he hated her and wanted no more contact with her ( 2 Samuel 13:15). Contrast Amnon"s attitude toward Tamar after the rape with that of pagan Shechem toward Dinah in a similar incident ( Genesis 34:2-3). Amnon hated Tamar, but Shechem loved Dinah. Likewise, David continued to love Bathsheba after their affair.
Absalom consoled Tamar with a view to taking vengeance for her and gaining his own advantage. He probably saw in this incident an opportunity to bring Amnon down and advance himself as a candidate for the throne. The writer did not mention Chileab, David"s second-born son ( 2 Samuel 3:3), in the Court History. Perhaps he had already died. Tamar remained "desolate" ( 2 Samuel 13:20), a term in Hebrew that means unmarried and childless, which was a living death for a Jewish woman (cf. 2 Samuel 20:3). [7]
David may have taken no action against Amnon because he was the crown prince. Perhaps, too, he realized that people would regard him as a hypocrite for punishing Amnon since he himself had been guilty of a similar crime. Nevertheless Amnon deserved to die ( Leviticus 20:17).
"The results of David"s sin with Bathsheba became evident in his relations with his sons, for how can a father discipline his children when he knows that he has done worse than they? When David"s son Amnon rapes Tamar ... David is very angry ( 2 Samuel 13:21), and yet David takes no action, for Hebrews , too, has committed his own sexual offense. The upshot is that Tamar"s brother, Absalom, murders Amnon ( 2 Samuel 13:29), but David again does nothing, for Hebrews , too, has a murder on his head." [1]
"David is as clearly unable to control his sons" passions as he is his own." [9]
"If David had exerted himself as the situation required, he might have prevented that initial estrangement between himself and Absalom which was finally to plunge the nation into civil strife." [10]