2 Samuelchapter 13

A.Amnon's sickness and Jonadab's cunningvv. 1-14

1 After some time, David’s son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David’s son Absalom. 2 Amnon was sick with frustration over his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed implausible for him to do anything to her. 3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, 4 so he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the son of the king, so depressed morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?” Amnon replied, “I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.” 5 Jonadab told him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you are ill. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare it in my sight so I may watch her and eat it from her hand.’” 6 So Amnon lay down and feigned illness. When the king came to see him, Amnon said, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.” 7 Then David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare a meal for him.” 8 So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked them. 9 Then she brought the pan and set it down before him, but he refused to eat. “Send everyone away!” said Amnon. And everyone went out. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, so that I may eat it from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon’s bedroom. 11 And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said, “Come lie with me, my sister!” 12 “No, my brother!” she cried. “Do not humiliate me, for such a thing should never be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! 13 Where could I ever take my shame? And you would be like one of the fools in Israel! Please speak to the king, for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 But Amnon refused to listen to her, and being stronger, he violated her and lay with her.

B.Hatred greater than the love — Tamar left desolatevv. 15-22

15 Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!” 16 “No,” she replied, “sending me away is worse than this great wrong you have already done to me!” But he refused to listen to her. 17 Instead, he called to his attendant and said, “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!” 18 So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore. 19 And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly. 20 Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom. 21 When King David heard all this, he was furious. 22 And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for disgracing his sister Tamar.

C.Two years, a sheepshearing, and murder at the tablevv. 23-29

23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king. 24 And he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired shearers. Will the king and his servants please come with me?” 25 “No, my son,” the king replied, “we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he was not willing to go, but gave him his blessing. 26 “If not,” said Absalom, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked. 27 But Absalom urged him, so the king sent Amnon and the rest of his sons. 28 Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!” 29 So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule.

D.A rumor, a lament, and Absalom gone to Geshurvv. 30-39

30 While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king; not one of them is left!” 31 Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. 32 But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the sons of the king, for only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar. 33 So now, my lord the king, do not take to heart the report that all the sons of the king are dead. Only Amnon is dead.” 34 Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.” 35 So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.” 36 And as he finished speaking, the sons of the king came in, wailing loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly. 37 Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day. 38 After Absalom had fled and gone to Geshur, he stayed there three years. 39 And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he had been consoled over Amnon’s death.

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Chapter summary

The sword arrives on schedule.

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The sword arrives on schedule. Amnon, David's firstborn, is sick with desire for his half-sister Tamar; his cousin Jonadab, a very subtle man, coaches him into feigning illness and asking that she come make cakes in his sight. She pleads with him not to do this folly in Israel (whither shall I carry my shame?) and he forces her, then hates her with a hatred greater than the love, and bolts the door behind her. Tamar puts ashes on her head, rends her garment of many colors, and remains desolate in Absalom's house. David is very wroth and does nothing. Two years later Absalom has Amnon struck down at a sheepshearing feast, and flees to Geshur for three years.

Drawn from Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory, Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary and John Wesley, Notes on the Old Testament.

Context

History · Nathan, Gad — 2 Samuel overview

A. 1–14 Amnon's sickness and Jonadab's cunning
B. 15–22 Hatred greater than the love — Tamar left desolate
C. 23–29 Two years, a sheepshearing, and murder at the table
D. 30–39 A rumor, a lament, and Absalom gone to Geshur

Top cross-references8 chapters ▾

Judges 196 verses
- Judges 19:6So they sat down and the two of them ate and drank together. Then the girl’s father said to the man, “Please agree to stay overnight and let your heart be merry.”
- Judges 19:7The man got up to depart, but his father-in-law persuaded him, so he stayed there that night.
- Judges 19:9When the man got up to depart with his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the girl’s father, said to him, “Look, the day is drawing to a close. Please spend the night. See, the day is almost over. Spend the night here, that your heart may be merry. Then you can get up early tomorrow for your journey home.”
- Judges 19:22While they were enjoying themselves, suddenly the wicked men of the city surrounded the house. Pounding on the door, they said to the old man who owned the house, “Bring out the man who came to your house, so we can have relations with him!”
- Judges 19:23The owner of the house went out and said to them, “No, my brothers, do not do this wicked thing! After all, this man is a guest in my house. Do not commit this outrage.
- Judges 19:24Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
- Read Judges 19 →
Genesis 374 verses
- Genesis 37:3Now Israel loved Joseph more than his other sons, because Joseph had been born to him in his old age; so he made him a robe of many colors.
- Genesis 37:32They sent the robe of many colors to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe or not.”
- Genesis 37:34Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.
- Genesis 37:35All his sons and daughters tried to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. “No,” he said. “I will go down to Sheol mourning for my son.” So his father wept for him.
- Read Genesis 37 →
2 Samuel 123 verses
- 2 Samuel 12:11This is what the LORD says: ‘I will raise up adversity against you from your own house. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to another, and he will lie with them in broad daylight.
- 2 Samuel 12:16David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted and went into his house and spent the night lying in sackcloth on the ground.
- 2 Samuel 12:21“What is this you have done?” his servants asked. “While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate.”
- Read 2 Samuel 12 →
2 Samuel 133 verses
- 2 Samuel 13:3Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man,
- 2 Samuel 13:15Then Amnon hated Tamar with such intensity that his hatred was greater than the love he previously had. “Get up!” he said to her. “Be gone!”
- 2 Samuel 13:37Now Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But David mourned for his son every day.
- Read 2 Samuel 13 →

4 more chapters this one speaks with

1 Chronicles 32 verses
- 1 Chronicles 3:2the third was Absalom the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; the fourth was Adonijah the son of Haggith;
- 1 Chronicles 3:9These were all the sons of David, besides the sons by his concubines. And Tamar was their sister.
- Read 1 Chronicles 3 →
Genesis 382 verses
- Genesis 38:12After a long time Judah’s wife, the daughter of Shua, died. When Judah had finished mourning, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite went up to his sheepshearers at Timnah.
- Genesis 38:20Now when Judah sent his friend Hirah the Adullamite with the young goat to collect the items he had left with the woman, he could not find her.
- Read Genesis 38 →
2 Samuel 142 verses
- 2 Samuel 14:23So Joab got up, went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.
- 2 Samuel 14:32“Look,” said Absalom, “I sent for you and said, ‘Come here. I want to send you to the king to ask: Why have I come back from Geshur? It would be better for me if I were still there.’ So now, let me see the king’s face, and if there is iniquity in me, let him kill me.”
- Read 2 Samuel 14 →
2 Samuel 32 verses
- 2 Samuel 3:2And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel;
- 2 Samuel 3:3his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur;
- Read 2 Samuel 3 →

Cross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and OpenBible.info.