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2 Samuel 13:19

in 2 Samuel 13

And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV

ASV

And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

KJV

And 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 verse in 2 Samuel 13

Commentary

3 notes on this verse
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.

This site's exposition

for with such robes were

on 2 Samuel 13:18-19

Tamar's garment of divers colours marks her as a king's daughter still a virgin, and the phrase occurs in only one other place in Scripture, the coat Jacob made for Joseph at Genesis 37:3. She tears it herself, the garment meant to mark her standing now torn to mark her ruin, and puts ashes on her head, the plain sign of mourning used throughout Israel's story. The narrator lingers on the robe long enough that its tearing reads as testimony spoken in cloth, where her own household refuses to speak.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

(2.) She retired to her brother Absalom's house, because he was her own brother, and there she lived in solitude and sorrow, in token of her modesty and detestation of uncleanness.

The words behind it

17 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • וַתִּקַּ֨חand she took

    vatikachH3947966 times

  • תָּמָ֥רTamar

    tamarH855925 times

  • אֵ֙פֶר֙ash[es]

    ʾeferH665

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H59215755 times

  • רֹאשָׁ֔הּhead her

    roshahH7218599 times

  • וּכְתֹ֧נֶתand [the] long garment of

    ukhetonetH380129 times

  • הַפַּסִּ֛יםthe palms and soles

    hapasimH6446

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH8345497 times

  • עָלֶ֖יהָ[was] on her

    ʾaleihaH59215755 times

  • קָרָ֑עָהshe tore

    karaahH716763 times

  • וַתָּ֤שֶׂםand she put

    vatasemH7760584 times

  • יָדָהּ֙hand her

    yadahH30271618 times

  • עַל־on

    ʾal-H59215755 times

  • רֹאשָׁ֔הּhead her

    roshahH7218599 times

  • וַתֵּ֥לֶךְand she went

    vatelekhH19801546 times

  • הָל֖וֹךְcontinuously <to go>

    halokhH19801546 times

  • וְזָעָֽקָה׃and she cried out

    vezaakahH219973 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Joshua 7:6

    Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.

    it leads to

    • Genesis 37:29

      When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes,

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Genesis 37:34

      Then Jacob tore his clothes, put sackcloth around his waist, and mourned for his son many days.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 1:11

    Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.

    it leads to

    • 2 Samuel 13:31

      Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground; and all his servants stood by with their clothes torn.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • 2 Samuel 3:31

      Then David ordered Joab and all the people with him, “Tear your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.” And King David himself walked behind the funeral bier.

  • Through

    Esther 4:1

    When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

    it leads to

    • Daniel 9:3

      So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

    • 2 Samuel 1:11

      Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.

    • Ezekiel 27:30–31

      They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes.

  • Through

    2 Samuel 1:2

    On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 4:12

      That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.

Where this verse is studied

About 2 Samuel

David Mourns the Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain
David Mourns the Death of Absalom — Gustave Doré, Doré's English Bible (1866), public domain

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.