The Meaning of 2 Samuel 13:20 Explained

2 Samuel 13:20

KJV: 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 desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

YLT: and Absalom her brother saith unto her, 'Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, keep silent, he is thy brother; set not thy heart to this thing;' and Tamar dwelleth -- but desolate -- in the house of Absalom her brother.

Darby: And Absalom her brother said to her, Has Amnon thy brother been with thee? and now, my sister, be still: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart. And Tamar remained, and that desolate, in her brother Absalom's house.

ASV: And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but now hold thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; take not this thing to heart. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

What does 2 Samuel 13:20 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 13:15-27 - Absalom Executes Judgment
When men yield to irregular passion, they go from one extreme to the other-from wicked love to wicked hate. If women would but realize this, how often it would save them from lives of misery. To yield to a man's impulse is not to secure his loyalty, but to alienate and perhaps destroy it.
Absalom was Tamar's own brother and, since her father had failed her, was therefore her natural protector. Recommending her to hold her peace, Absalom quietly awaited a suitable opportunity for wreaking vengeance; but she, poor girl, had to face a blighted life. The crime of her betrayal would hang over it as a dark cloud which even the vengeance that Absalom was about to take could never remove. How many myriads of girls have had to face the same sad lot!
It was David's duty, as her father, to punish the evildoer. The law enjoined the penalty of death for such an offense, Leviticus 18:9; Leviticus 18:29. But David's hands were not clean. He had himself incurred the same penalty, and could not condemn in another what he had condoned in himself. Besides this, the Septuagint adds, "he loved Amnon, because he was his first-born." How tortuous are the ways of sin! [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Samuel 13

1  Amnon loving Tamar, by Jonadab's counsel feigning himself sick, ravishes her
15  He hates her, and shamefully turns her away
19  Absalom entertains her, and conceals his purpose
23  At a sheep-shearing among all the king's sons, he kills Amnon
31  David grieving at the news, is comforted by Jonadab
37  Absalom flies to Talmai at Geshur

What do the individual words in 2 Samuel 13:20 mean?

And said to her Absalom her brother Amnon your brother Has been with you but now my sister hold your peace your brother He [is] do not take - to heart thing This so remained Tamar and desolate in house of Absalom her brother
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֵלֶ֜יהָ אַבְשָׁל֣וֹם אָחִ֗יהָ הַאֲמִינ֣וֹן אָחִיךְ֮ הָיָ֣ה עִמָּךְ֒ וְעַתָּ֞ה אֲחוֹתִ֤י הַחֲרִ֙ישִׁי֙ אָחִ֣יךְ ה֔וּא אַל־ תָּשִׁ֥יתִי אֶת־ לִבֵּ֖ךְ לַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב תָּמָר֙ וְשֹׁ֣מֵמָ֔ה בֵּ֖ית אַבְשָׁל֥וֹם אָחִֽיהָ

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵלֶ֜יהָ  to  her 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
אַבְשָׁל֣וֹם  Absalom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִישָׁלֹום 
Sense: father-in-law of Rehoboam.
אָחִ֗יהָ  her  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הַאֲמִינ֣וֹן  Amnon 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲמִינׄון 
Sense: oldest son of David, rapist of Tamar, slain by Absalom.
אָחִיךְ֮  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
הָיָ֣ה  Has  been 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
עִמָּךְ֒  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וְעַתָּ֞ה  but  now 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
אֲחוֹתִ֤י  my  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
הַחֲרִ֙ישִׁי֙  hold  your  peace 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: חָרַשׁ 
Sense: to cut in, plough, engrave, devise.
אָחִ֣יךְ  your  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
ה֔וּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
אַל־  do  not 
Parse: Adverb
Root: אַל  
Sense: not, no, nor, neither, nothing (as wish or preference).
תָּשִׁ֥יתִי  take 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לִבֵּ֖ךְ  to  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
לַדָּבָ֣ר  thing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֑ה  This 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב  so  remained 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
תָּמָר֙  Tamar 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: תָּמָר 
Sense: widow of Er, the son of Judah; fiancee of Shelah, another son of Judah; wife of Judah and mother of Pharez and Zerah.
וְשֹׁ֣מֵמָ֔ה  and  desolate 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: שָׁמֵם  
Sense: devastated, deserted, desolate.
בֵּ֖ית  in  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אַבְשָׁל֥וֹם  of  Absalom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִישָׁלֹום 
Sense: father-in-law of Rehoboam.
אָחִֽיהָ  her  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.

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