CHAPTER 13

(1032 B.C.)

AMNONS SIN AGAINST TAMAR

¹And 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 her. (Tamar was the half-sister of Amnon. She was the daughter of Maacah, a princess of Geshur, one of Davids wives. Amnon was Davids first-born, the son of Ahinoam of Jezreel. Absalom was also the son of Maacah. At this time, Amnon was about 22 years old; Absalom, 20; Tamar, 15; and Solomon, 2. David was 53 years old. This Chapter begins with Absalom, as if the Holy Spirit is warning us that the coming rebellion led by Absalom begins here.)

²And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin (his problem was lust, with the end result being incest; it was all inspired by Satan); and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her (the wives of David had each their own dwelling, and the daughters were kept in strict seclusion).

³But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah Davids brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man (the word subtil, as here used, is not used in a bad sense, but means clever, ready in devising means).

⁴And he (Jonadab) said unto him (Amnon), Why are you, being the kings son, lean from day to day? will you not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absaloms sister.

⁵And Jonadab said unto him, Lay you down on your bed, and make yourself sick: and when your father comes to see you, say unto him, I pray you, 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 (Jonadab was unscrupulous enough to suggest a plan that would make Tamar her brothers victim).

⁶So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick (made as if he was sick): and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray you, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.

⁷Then David (suspecting nothing) sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnons house, and dress him meat. (It would seem that David should have suspected something, but evidently he didnt, not dreaming at all at the evil that was being plotted. Sadly, this evil actually began with David.)

⁸So Tamar went to her brother Amnons house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.

⁹And 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 from him.

¹⁰And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of your hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

¹¹And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister (as stated, this definitely was not love, but rather lust).

¹²And she answered him, No, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not you this folly (literally, do not humble me; all of this bears testimony to the nobleness of the Hebrew women, who regarded their chastity as their crown of honor).

¹³And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel (to call a man a fool in Israel was to attribute to him every possible kind of wickedness [Mat. 5:22]). Now therefore, I pray you, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from you. (Marriages between half-brothers and half-sisters were strictly forbidden according to Levitical Law [Lev. 18:9; Deut. 27:22]. It is certain that Tamar knew this, but possibly she was trying anything to stop the ungodly advances of her half-brother.)

¹⁴Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her (in other words, he raped her).

¹⁵Then Amnon hated her exceedingly (he blamed her for what he had done); so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her (it doesnt mean that he really loved her, but is given in this manner to express the degree of his present hatred; as stated, he falsely blamed her). And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.

¹⁶And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.

¹⁷Then he called his servant who ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. (How ever much we may disapprove of Absaloms conduct in avenging his sister, Amnon richly deserved the punishment which he ultimately got.)

¹⁸And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the kings daughters who were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

¹⁹And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying (this particular garment denoted her as the kings daughter, and her virginity).

²⁰And Absalom her brother said unto her, Has Amnon your brother been with you? but hold now your peace, my sister: he is your brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absaloms house (Absalom now plotted revenge, although every evidence is that he did not relate such to Tamar).

²¹But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth (angry).

ABSALOMS PLOT

²²And Absalom spoke unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad (Absaloms outward demeanor was one of utter indifference, concealing a cruel determination): for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar (had raped her).

²³And it came to pass after two full years (Absalom did bide his time), that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the kings sons.

²⁴And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech you, and his servants go with your servant (Absalom was inviting David, plus all his half-brothers, to the feast).

²⁵And the king said to Absalom, No, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto you. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, but blessed him (David would not himself go).

²⁶Then said Absalom, If not, I pray you, let my brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with you? (It seems that David should have suspected something here, but inasmuch as approximately two years had passed, with Absalom saying nothing about the rape of his sister Tamar, perhaps David thought that the incident had been forgotten.)

²⁷But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the kings sons go with him (Absalom got what he wanted; he really didnt want David to be there in the first place).

THE MURDER OF AMNON

²⁸Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark you now when Amnons heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant (though Tamars wrong was the mainspring of Absaloms conduct, yet, Absalom being the second in line to the throne, neither he nor his men could forget that Amnon, the first-born, stood between him and the crown).

THE CRIME COMMITTED

²⁹And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the kings sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule, and fled.

³⁰And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom has killed all the kings sons, and there is not one of them left (evidently, some of the servants who fled immediately upon Amnons death thought that Absalom was intending to kill all the kings sons, which was not the case; but this is the message that David then received).

³¹Then the king arose, and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent (the bitter payments of sin are now coming due).

³²And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah Davids brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the kings sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this has been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar (evidently, at the time, Jonadab did not reveal his complicity in helping Amnon in the first place, in getting his sister into his evil clutches).

³³Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the kings sons are dead: for Amnon only is dead.

³⁴But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill side behind him (Davids other sons were returning).

³⁵And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the kings sons come: as your servant said, so it is.

³⁶And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the kings sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept very sore (no doubt, at this time, the terrible thought came to Davids mind, which had been told him by the Lord concerning his sin with Bath-sheba, that the sword should never depart from his house).

ABSALOM FLEES

³⁷But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day (mourned for Amnon, his first-born).

³⁸So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

³⁹And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom (longed to have him return): for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.