2 Samuel13chapter 13

2 Samuel 13:15

“Hated her exceedingly - Amnon’s conduct to his sister was not only brutal but inexplicable. It would be easy to form conjectures concerning the cause, but we can arrive at no certainty.”

2 Samuel 13:15

“In Amnon's case the sudden revulsion is easily accounted for; the atrocity of his conduct, with all the feelings of shame, remorse, and dread of exposure and punishment, now burst upon his mind, rendering the presence of Tamar intolerably painful to him.”

2 Samuel 13:16

“The sense of the passage probably is, “And she spake with him on account of this great wrong in sending me away, greater than the other wrong which thou hast done me (said she), but he hearkened not unto her.” The Hebrew text is probably corrupt, and the writer blends Tamar’s words with his own narrative.”

2 Samuel 13:17

“Then he called his servants that ministered unto him,.... His domestic servants that waited on him: and said, put now this woman out from me; she not willing to depart at once, he ordered her to be put out immediately by force; using her and speaking of her in a very rude and scandalous manner, calling her this, leaving it to be supplied, as they would understand it, this base woman, this strumpet, &c. and bolt the door after her; that she might not return; this was more disgraceful still.”

2 Samuel 13:18

“And she had a garment of divers colours upon her,.... Of embroidered work, which made her the more observable, and her shame the more manifest. Whether this was interwoven with threads of various colours, or embroidered with figures of flowers, animals, &c. and wrought with the needle, or was painted with different colours, or made up of pieces of various colours, is not certain.”

2 Samuel 13:18

“A garment of divers colors - See Gen 37:3. Some prefer here (and there) “a tunic with sleeves,” a tunic reaching to the extremities, i. e. the hands and feet, and worn over the common tunic, in room of a robe.”

2 Samuel 13:19

“And Tamar put ashes on her head,.... In token of sorrow and distress; see Jos 7:6, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her; signifying that her virginity was rent from her in a forcible manner, or that she was ravished: and laid her hand on her head; through grief and shame; see Jer 2:37, and went on crying; from Amnon's house to her brother Absalom's, as one abused and injured.”

2 Samuel 13:20

“So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house--He was her natural protector, and the children of polygamists lived by themselves, as if they constituted different families.”

2 Samuel 13:21

“But when King David heard of all these things,.... Of Amnon's ravishing Tamar, and turning her out of doors in that inhuman manner he did, and of her distress upon it: he was very wroth; with Amnon; but we read not of any reproof he gave him, nor of any punishment inflicted on him by him.”

2 Samuel 13:21-29

“Withhold - This she spoke, because she thought her royal father would dispense with it, upon this extraordinary occasion, to save his first-born son's life: 15. Hated her - By the just judgment of God both upon Amnon and David, that so the sin might be made publick, and way for the succeeding tragedies.”

2 Samuel 13:21

“But was it enough for him to be angry? He ought to have punished his son for it, and have put him to open shame; both as a father and as a king he had power to do it. But the LXX. here adds these words: But he saddened not the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, because he was his first-born.”

2 Samuel 13:22

“Spake - That is, he said nothing at all to him, about that business. He neither debated it with him, nor threatened him for it; but seemed willing to pass it by with brotherly kindness.”

2 Samuel 13:22

“If Absalom had reasoned the matter with Amnon, he might have convinced him of his sin and brought him to repentance; but, saying nothing, Amnon's heart was hardened, and his own more and more embittered against him; therefore rebuking our neighbour is opposed to hating him in our hearts, Lev. xix.”

2 Samuel 13:23-27

“Absalom had sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim--A sheep-shearing feast is a grand occasion in the East. Absalom proposed to give such an entertainment at his estate in Baal-hazor, about eight miles northeast of Jerusalem near a town called Ephraim (Jos 11:10).”

2 Samuel 13:23

“Two years - This circumstance of time is noted, as an aggravation of Absalom's malice, which was so implacable: and as an act of policy, that both Amnon and David might more securely comply with his desires.”

2 Samuel 13:24

“And Absalom came to the king,.... At Jerusalem, to invite him in person: and said, behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; persons employed in shearing his sheep: and this being a time of entertainment and joy: let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants, go with thy servant; he invited the king and the whole royal family to go with him to Baalhazor, and partake of the sheepshearing feast; for by "his servants" are not meant the king's domestic servants, his guard and retinue, but his sons, as appears by what follows.”

2 Samuel 13:24

“If the sun going down once upon the wrath gives such place to the devil (as is intimated, Eph. iv. 26, 27 ), what would the sunsets of two full years do?”

2 Samuel 13:26

“Let Amnon - For the king designed (as the following words shew) to keep him at home with him, as being his eldest son, and heir of his kingdom: otherwise Absalom would never have made particular mention of him; which now he was forced to do.”

2 Samuel 13:26-27

“Absalom had so effectually concealed his enmity to Amnon that David saw no reason to suspect any design upon him in that particular invitation: "Let my brother Amnon go;" but this would make the stroke more cutting to David that he was himself drawn in to consent to that which gave the opportunity for it, as before,”

2 Samuel 13:27

“Pressed him - It is strange that his urgent desire of Amnon's company raised no suspicion in so wise a king; but God suffered him to be blinded that he might execute his judgments upon David, and bring upon Amnon the just punishment of his lewdness.”

2 Samuel 13:28

“Merry - When he least suspects, and will be most unable to prevent the evil. I - I who am the king's son, and, when Amnon is gone, his heir: who therefore shall easily obtain pardon for you, and will liberally reward you.”

2 Samuel 13:28-29

“Observe the aggravations of this sin:-- [1.] He would have Amnon slain when his heart was merry with wine, and he was consequently least apprehensive of danger, least able to resist it, and also least fit to go out of the world; as if his malice aimed to destroy both soul and body, not giving him time to say, Lord, have mercy upon me.”

2 Samuel 13:29

“And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded,.... They smote him, and killed him, when he gave the word: then all the king's sons arose; from the feast, imagining they were all designed to be slain: and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled; creatures much used in Judea instead of horses, which, though they might not be bred, might be used (o). (o) Vid. Misn. Celaim, c. 8. sect. 1.”

2 Samuel 13:29

“Upon his mule - So in 1Ki 1:33, 1Ki 1:38 the mule is the royal animal on which David himself rides. In 2Sa 18:9 Absalom rides upon a mule.”

2 Samuel 13:29

“Commanded - Now the threatened sword is drawn in David's house, which will not depart from it. His eldest son falls by it, thro' his own wickedness, and his father by his connivance is accessory to it.”

2 Samuel 13:30

“Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons - Fame never lessens but always magnifies a fact. Report, contrary to the nature of all other things, gains strength by going. Virgil has given, in his best manner, a fine personification of Fame or Evil Report. - Aen. iv., 173. Extemplo Libyae magnas it Fama per urbes; Fama, malum qua non aliud velocius ullum, Mobilitate viget, viresque adquirit eundo, etc. “Now Fame, tremendous fiend! without delay, Through Libyan cities took her rapid way; Fame, the swift plague, that every moment grows, And gains new strength and vigor as she goes,” etc.”

2 Samuel 13:32-33

“It is well if Jonadab was not as guilty of Amnon's death as he was of his sin; such friends do those prove who are hearkened to as counsellors to do wickedly: he that would not be so kind as to prevent Amnon's sin would not be so kind as to prevent his ruin, when, it should seem, he might have done both.”

2 Samuel 13:33

“Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart,.... Neither suppose it, nor be troubled for it: to think that all the king's sons are dead: which was not to be thought, nor could any good reason be given for such a supposition for Amnon only is dead; he repeats it again with great assurance, which seems to confirm the suspicion of him before suggested; though some think he said this not from certain knowledge, but by conjecture.”

2 Samuel 13:34

“Absalom fled - This is the sequel to 2Sa 13:29. The king’s sons rose from table and fled, and Absalom taking advantage of the confusion, also escaped and fled. This information is inserted here to account for the king’s sons returning unmolested.”

2 Samuel 13:35

“The watchman, as his duty was, had sent immediate notice to the king that he saw a crowd approaching (see 2Ki 9:17-20). Jonadab, who was with the king, was prompt to give the explanation.”

2 Samuel 13:36-38

“This is the first introduction of divine punishment; the first but not the only one. A long series of great tribulations followed, and an almost unending succession of misfortunes scarcely left his house. Tamar was corrupted by the madness of Amnon, and Amnon was slain …”

2 Samuel 13:37

“But Absalom fled,.... As before related, but here repeated for the sake of what follows: and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur: his mother's father, see 2Sa 3:3, where he might hope for protection and safety: and David mourned for his son every day; or "all the days" (q), i.e. of the three years Absalom was in Geshur, about the end of which he was comforted concerning Amnon, as the following verses show. Some think it was for Absalom he mourned, but rather for Amnon.”

2 Samuel 13:37

“Absalom fled - As he had committed wilful murder, he could not avail himself of a city of refuge, and was therefore obliged to leave the land of Israel, and take refuge with Talmai, king of Geshur, his grandfather by his mother’s side. See 2Sa 3:3.”

2 Samuel 13:37

“Absalom fled, and went to Talmai--The law as to premeditated murder (Nu 35:21) gave him no hope of remaining with impunity in his own country. The cities of refuge could afford him no sanctuary, and he was compelled to leave the kingdom, taking refuge at the court of Geshur, with his maternal grandfather, who would, doubtless, approve of his conduct.”

2 Samuel 13:39

“And the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom,.... In like manner it is supplied and paraphrased in the Targum, because the word rendered "longed" is feminine; though it may be used to denote the effeminateness of David's disposition and carriage on this occasion.”

2 Samuel 13:39

“Longed to go forth - Rather, “longed after Absalom,” literally, was consumed in going forth, with a sense of disappointed hope.”

2 Samuel 13:39

“At first he could not find in his heart to do justice on him; now he can almost find in his heart to take him into his favour again. This was David's infirmity.”