The Second Book of Samuel, otherwise called the Second Book of the Kings
2 Samuel 13
Chapter XIII · Vol. II, pp. 692–695
1 Amnon loving Tamar, by Jonadab's counsel feigning himself sick, ravisheth her. 15 He hateth her, and shamefully turneth her out of his house. 19 Absalom entertaineth her, and concealeth his purpose. 23 At a sheep-shearing, among all the king's sons, he killeth Amnon. 30 David grieving at the news is comforted by Jonadab. 37 Absalom fleeth to Talmai at Geshur.
1 And it came to pass after this, that aAbsalom the son of David had ba fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David cloved her.
2 And Amnon was so dvexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin: and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.1
3 But Amnon had ea friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother: and Jonadab was a very fsubtile man.
4 And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean2 from day to 3day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, gI love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
5 And Jonadab said unto him, hLay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick:4 and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, I pray thee, 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.5
A.M. 2972. B.C. 1032.
h Ps.50.18. Pr.19.27. Je.9.2-6.
4 Feign thyself sick, a deception in which travellers tell us many Asiatics are still such adepts, that it is often very difficult to detect them.—C.
5 Such childish ideas about particular kinds of food, and its being dressed by particular persons, are common in many kinds of disease, and sometimes remarkably precede convalescence. There was therefore no ground for apprehension of any evil purpose, but, on the contrary, every reason for compliance.—C.
6 So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come and imake me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
7 Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat.
8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. and he was klaid down. And she took flour,6 and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
k ver.5.
6 Or, paste.
9 And she took a pan, and poured them out before him; but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, lHave out all men from me.7 And they went out every man from him.
l Ps.14.1; 50.20,21. Jn.3.20. Je.23.23,24. Job 24.13-17; 34.22.
7 An order exceedingly natural in that peevish irritability that sickness so frequently introduces.—C.
10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he mtook hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me;8 for nno such thing ought to be 9done oin Israel: do not thou this pfolly.1
8 Heb. humble me.
9 Heb. it ought not so to be done.
o Ge.34.7. De.22.21. Ju.19.23,24; 20.6,10. Ps.93.5.
1 Folly is here 'wickedness,' and fools 'wicked men.' There is something exceedingly tender and affecting in her remonstrance, but Amnon was a mere brute, and it was all lost upon him. See how David began to be punished in his ungodly children! Adultery and murder had been his own sins, and these sins among his children form the beginning of his chastisement. He would feel it the more keenly, as no doubt his own example had encouraged them to such enormities.—I.
13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king: for he will not withhold me from thee.2
2 Tamar evidently desired to get away under any pretext, by any means. It must not be concluded from this statement that David would have sanctioned incest.—P.
14 Howbeit he qwould not hearken unto her voice; but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon rhated her3 exceedingly;4 so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her: and Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.5
r Ro.6.21. Je.6.15. Eze.23.17. He.3.13.
3 Heb. with great hatred greatly.
4 An evil and tormented conscience, instead of leading to repentance, very frequently leads the guilty to turn that anger against others that should be turned against his own sin.—C.
5 See what deceitful pleasures those of the flesh are! how soon they pass away and turn into loathing! Inordinate lust ever ends in satiety. Let none ever expect better treatment than Tamar from those who are capable of attempting their seduction.—I.
16 And she said unto him, There is no cause; this evil in sending me away6 is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
A.M. 2972. B.C. 1032.
6 She had come—as is most probable both from her rank and the analogy of eastern customs—not on foot or unattended, but in some covered conveyance, with her servants. Now she is exposed to great indignity, in being sent away without conveyance or attendance.—C.
17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.
18 And she had a sgarment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
19 And Tamar tput 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.
20 And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon7 thy brother been with thee? but uhold now thy peace, my sister, he is thy brother; regard8 not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate9 in her brother Absalom's house.1
7 Heb. Aminon, so called in contempt.
8 Heb. set not thine heart.
9 Heb. and desolate.
1 This awful picture of the evils of polygamy, of divided families, of personal baseness, individual misery, and meditated revenge, forms no argument for the infidel against the Bible, but an illustration of the weakness and wickedness of human nature. In reality, that truth, the whole truth, which is to be found in the Bible alone, constitutes an evidence of its divine origin, that the infidel, if he studied the laws of moral evidence, could neither gainsay nor resist.—C.
22 And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither ygood nor bad:2 for Absalom zhated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.
23 And it came to pass after two full years,3 that Absalom had asheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside bEphraim:4 and Absalom invited all the king's sons.
3 1030.
a Ge.38.12,13. 1 Sa.25.2,4,36. 2 Ki.3.4.
b Ju.7.24; 17.1; 19.1,18, or 2 Ch.13.19; 15.8. Jn.11.54.
4 Not the tribe of Ephraim, but a city so called in the tribe of Benjamin, 2 Ch.13.19, about twelve miles from Jerusalem.—C.
24 And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheep-shearers: clet the king, I beseech thee, and his servants, go with thy servant.
c Ps.12.2; 35.20; 55.21. Je.41.1,2,6,7; 9.3. Mi.7.5. Pr.26.24,25.
25 And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him: howbeit he would not go, dbut blessed him.
d ch.14.22. Ru.2.4.
26 Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let emy brother Amnon go with us. And the king said unto him, Why should he go with thee?
27 But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.5
5 David must have exercised an extraordinary surveillance over his family, when none of them dared leave the city without special permission. This is a state of things we can scarcely conceive—but it can be easily comprehended, by recollecting that such was the unsettled state of the surrounding countries, that the whole community was under a strict military discipline. Common safety required this vigilance.—C.
28 Now Absalom had fcommanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you?6 be courageous, and be valiant.7
f Ex.1.17,22. 1 Sa.22.17. Ja.1.14. Ac.4.19; 5.29.
A.M. 2974. B.C. 1030.
6 Or, will you not, since I have commanded you!
7 Heb. sons of valour.
29 And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded: then all the king's sons arose, and every man gat8 him up upon his gmule,9 and fled.
8 Heb. rode.
g Ge.36.24. 1 Ki.1.33, with Le.19.19.
9 The first time that mules are certainly mentioned in Scripture; for in Ge.36.24 the meaning is matter of dispute. Le. 19. 19 forbade the breeding of such animals—but the Jews did not consider this prohibition as forbidding their use.—C.
30 And it came to pass, while they were in the way, that tidings came to David, saying, Absalom hath slain all the king's sons,1 and there is not one of them left.
1 The very exaggerated form in which rumour still continues to deliver her reports. Passion always exaggerates, and is therefore to be dreaded, whether in historian or judge.—C.
31 Then the king harose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.
h ver.19; ch.12.16. Jos.7.6. Ge.37.29,34. Job 1.20.
32 And iJonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother, answered and said, Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men the king's sons; for Amnon only is dead: for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been kdetermined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.2
i ver.3-5.
k Or, settled, Ge.27.41. Ps.7.14. Pr.24.11,12; 17.14.
2 Scott thinks it is not likely that Absalom would have made Jonadab his confidant because he had been Amnon's friend, ver. 3; but a man of his character could betray a friend without scruple, and lend himself to the designs of his enemy.—I.
33 Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead.
34 But lAbsalom fled. And the young man that kept the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came much people by the way of the hill-side behind him.
35 And Jonadab said unto the king, Behold, the king's sons come! as thy servant said,3 so it is.
3 Heb. according to the word of thy servant.
36 And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that, behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept: and the king also and all his servants wept4 very sore.5
4 Heb. with a great weeping, greatly.
5 Both on account of the family sin, and that Amnon was the first-born. Whether the servants wept out of compassion or compliment to David does not appear certain. Most probably it was sincere, and that both on account of the king whom they loved, and Amnon who was killed. Amnon was a bad man; but may, notwithstanding, have been a popular favourite.—C.
Notes
[Ver. 38. Geshur was a small kingdom on the north-eastern border of Palestine, beyond Jordan. It appears to have been in part at least identical with the present province of Lejah, formerly called Trachonitis. The Geshurites maintained friendly relations with the Israelites east of the Jordan; probably from community of interest, both being extensive cattle-owners. The community of occupation may have led to the alliance between David and the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur. Absalom was the fruit of this marriage; and the wild acts of his life were doubtless to some extent the results of maternal training. P.]
Reflections.—Righteous, but awful, are the judgments of God; especially when he punishes sin with sin, and that remarkably similar! Children are apt to imitate their parents' sins without imitating their repentance. And near relatives should be cautious that their tender affection does not degenerate into lawless lust. How unbridled is lust when once indulged! the body often suffers through vile affections: and no station can render the man happy whose lusts rage within him. A wicked and subtile friend, who leads to or flatters in sin, is a dreadful curse. Such as harbour no ill designs themselves, are often made instruments of iniquity by the crafty sinner, as they are most unsuspicious. Deeds of filthiness seek for secrecy. It is therefore extremely dangerous for those who have youth and beauty to be alone with the wanton. But nothing can be more barbarous and foolish than, for a momentary gratification, to ruin a character, render a companion infamous and miserable, and rush into everlasting ruin. Yet where lust rages, men are insensible of fear or shame, and deaf to all the remonstrances of reason and religion; though the pleasures of lust are quickly turned into loathing and hatred; and nothing is reckoned too shameful or cruel to be done to the object of it. The neglect of magistrates to punish, infallibly occasions more if not worse crimes; and yet how hard for them to punish, in their children, crimes copied after their own! Revenge is often deep rooted, and masked with pretences of friendship; yea, the longer it is concealed, it often burns the more fiercely: and drunkenness remarkably exposes sinners to death, and ripens them for hell. None are more ready to imbrue their hands in our blood than our companions in luxury. What certain griefs, but uncertain comforts, are the children of the best and greatest! How kind is it to sympathize with the afflicted, and to comfort them the best way we can! and how strong is parental affection, which cannot be extinguished by the most horrid and unnatural crimes.