The Meaning of 2 Samuel 13:4 Explained

2 Samuel 13:4

KJV: And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

YLT: and saith to him, 'Wherefore art thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, 'Tamar -- sister of Absalom my brother -- I am loving.'

Darby: And he said to him, Why dost thou, the king's son, get thinner from morning to morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

ASV: And he said unto him, Why, O son of the king, art thou thus lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he said  unto him, Why [art] thou, [being] the king's  son,  lean  from day  to day?  wilt thou not tell  me? And Amnon  said  unto him, I love  Tamar,  my brother  Absalom's  sister. 

What does 2 Samuel 13:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Samuel 13:1-14 - Sin In David's Household
The law of Moses clearly forbade the union which Amnon sought, Leviticus 18:11. It was an infamous passion, and the suggestion of Jonadab, if it was any reflection of his father's character, would show why the Lord had said of Shammah, "Neither hath the Lord chosen this," 1 Samuel 16:9. Passion is deaf to the remonstrances and pleadings of its victim, and strangles pity and honor. Let us walk in the Spirit, that he may save us from ourselves; for there is no knowing to what lengths we may go if not kept by the grace of God.
It seems difficult to believe that this was the home-life of the man that wrote the Psalms. It had been better to remain in the valley of the wild goat than amid the luxury of Jerusalem, which made so great an inroad upon the peace and purity of his home. We prosper better amid the bleak climate of the mountains than in the enervating atmosphere of the plains.
Thus David's sin began to bear the entail of misery to his own household. None of us can limit the far-reaching harvests of the seeds that we drop upon the flowing stream. [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 13:4 mean?

And he said to him why [are] you so becoming poorer son of the king day after day will not you tell me and said to him Amnon - Tamar sister Of Absalom my brother I love
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ מַדּ֣וּעַ אַ֠תָּה כָּ֣כָה דַּ֤ל בֶּן־ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ בַּבֹּ֣קֶר ؟ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר הֲל֖וֹא תַּגִּ֣יד לִ֑י וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אַמְנ֔וֹן אֶת־ תָּמָ֗ר אֲח֛וֹת אַבְשָׁלֹ֥ם אָחִ֖י אֲנִ֥י אֹהֵֽב

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר  And  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
ל֗וֹ  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
מַדּ֣וּעַ  why  [are] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מַדּוּעַ  
Sense: why?, on what account?, wherefore?.
כָּ֣כָה  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כָּכָה  
Sense: like this, thus.
דַּ֤ל  becoming  poorer 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: דַּל  
Sense: low, poor, weak, thin, one who is low.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
בַּבֹּ֣קֶר  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
؟ בַּבֹּ֔קֶר  after  day 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בֹּקֶר 
Sense: morning, break of day.
הֲל֖וֹא  will  not 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
תַּגִּ֣יד  you  tell 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָגַד  
Sense: to be conspicuous, tell, make known.
לִ֑י  me 
Parse: Preposition, first person common singular
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לוֹ֙  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
אַמְנ֔וֹן  Amnon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲמִינׄון 
Sense: oldest son of David, rapist of Tamar, slain by Absalom.
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.
תָּמָ֗ר  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.
אֲח֛וֹת  sister 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אָחֹות  
Sense: sister.
אַבְשָׁלֹ֥ם  Of  Absalom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲבִישָׁלֹום 
Sense: father-in-law of Rehoboam.
אָחִ֖י  my  brother 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: אָח  
Sense: brother.
אֹהֵֽב  love 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.