2Samuel, chapter 13, comments

 

2Samuel 13:1 ¶  And 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. 2  And Amnon was so vexed, 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. 3  But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David’s brother: and Jonadab was a very subtil man. 4  And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister. 5  And Jonadab said unto him, Lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick: 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. 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 make 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 laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes. 9  And 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. 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 took 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; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly. 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. 14  Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her. 15  Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; 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. 16  And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her. 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 garment 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 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. 20  And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

 

And so it begins as David will start to experience the nightmare he has created by his awful sin, taking another man’s wife who had no power to resist his advances and murdering her husband to hide his misdeed. Tamar’s rape by her brother Amnon expresses a fundamental truth about life, that a boy or a man who wants a girl to submit to their immoral advances will hold her in contempt if she does. Passion that results in contempt is a fact of life that most young women seem clueless about. Women as little girls must be taught to demand respect from boys because if they do not they typically won’t get it.

 

Notice that Amnon tries to diminish his guilt by calling her Absalom’s sister, but not his, even though they are David’s offspring and therefore siblings.

 

His cousin, Jonadab, is complicit in his guilt but so is David, in a way, by sending her there.

 

Now Absalom is plotting his revenge.

 

David’s experience should be a lesson to us that being forgiven for a sin against God does not mean you are free from its temporal consequences. We learn that in life as even forgiven sin can create tragic events in our lives and in the lives of others. We need God’s mercy for the consequences of our forgiven sins but David’s sin was so extreme.

 

Note in verse 18 her garment of divers colours. Remember this about Joseph?

 

Genesis 37:3  Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours.

I have read reports that there have been Egyptian tomb paintings showing traders from the area of Canaan wearing such clothing, probably made more valuable by the costly work of dyeing the fabric.

 

2Samuel 13:21 ¶  But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth. 22  And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. 23  And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. 24  And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant. 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, but blessed him. 26  Then said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my 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. 28  Now Absalom had commanded 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? be courageous, and be valiant. 29  And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king’s sons arose, and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.

 

Absalom is not giving up his hand. He doesn’t confront Amnon because his intentions are to kill him. Beware of the wronged person who remains silent. They may be a morally courageous individual showing Christ by not hating in their hearts or they might be an Absalom, silent because revenge is being plotted in their hearts. He waited two years stewing in his wrath. An 1846 French novel says that “revenge is very good eaten cold.” A character in a Star Trek movie put it like this, “revenge is a dish best served cold.”

 

This shows real hate. Absalom is not going to prove anything to Amnon, not confront him, or show him why he must die. He just wants him dead. There is no point to this other than pure revenge. Absalom is a type of the Beast of Revelation and the negative characters of the Bible show you that individual’s character. He is a dangerous man.

 

Did David suspect? Perhaps, but inviting all of his sons was a ruse that maybe threw him off the scent. This is a clever type of move seen all through history in the betrayals and revenge of royalty in every country on earth.

 

2Samuel 13:30 ¶  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, and there is not one of them left. 31  Then the king arose, and tare his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent. 32  And Jonadab, 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 determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar. 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 Absalom 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, so it is. 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 wept very sore. 37  But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38  So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years. 39  And the soul of king David longed to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

 

The first news that comes out of a tragedy, a disaster, whether it be from a person’s mouth or the news on the TV or internet, is typically wrong. Always remember that.

 

Here is the troublemaker, Jonadab, comforting the king and assuring him that only Amnon is dead and that Absalom planned that death from the time that Tamar was raped. He encouraged Amnon’s wicked behavior and informs on Absalom here.

 

Now Absalom will flee to his mother’s family’s land, Geshur.

 

 

2Samuel 3:3  And his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

 

Remember what David did to Geshur.

 

1Samuel 27:8 ¶  And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. 9  And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.

 

Imagine, if you will, Absalom’s seething hatred of Amnon and his anger at King David, his father, not defending Tamar, his sister, from her half-brother’s rape. Imagine what stories would have been told him by his mother’s family, who probably still bore resentment at David’s depredations on their land. Obviously, 1Samuel 27:9 is the typical example of hyperbole and people were left alive. This should give you an understanding of other passages containing absolute statements like this. It is common in ancient histories and the chronicler who wrote this most certainly fits into that category. Keep in mind in the gospels when it says;

 

Matthew 3:5  Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, 6  And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

 

…it doesn’t have to mean that every single person, Jewish, Gentile, or Roman soldier came and was baptized in the Jordan. It is an all without distinction, not all without exception. It is an example of narrative telling in the ancient world.

 

 In any event, Absalom has fled to the safety of his mother’s family’s territory. For three years, King David, who obviously loves his son, longs to see him. As in the baby that resulted from his union with Bathsheba, David accepts Amnon's death.