2 Samuel 13

1-6 (Amnon’s Plot)

7-19 (Amnon’s Evil Sin)

20-33 (Absalom’s Revenge)

34-39 (Absalom Flees)

1-6

2 Samuel 12:10–11 ESV

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

Remember the name Jonadab, he plays a part later in the verse. He is a very crafty man with very questionable schemes. He is also David’s nephew and the cousin of Amnon, Absolom, and Tamar.

Amnon was an adult and had his own house and servants, he being David’s first born son, his mother was Ahinoam of Jezreel, had many privileges because he is the rightful heir to David’s throne. Absalom was also an adult and the third son of David, both he and Tamar probably lived in a dwelling near the palace in Jerusalem.

Amnon from Ahinoam

Kileab (or Daniel) from Abigail of Carmel

Absalom from Maacah daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur

Adonijah from Haggith

Shephatiah from Abital

Ithream from Eglah

Infant boy that dies from Bathsheba

Shimea or Shammua from Bathsheba

Shobab from Bathsheba

Nathan from Bathsheba, Luke 3:21 names him as an ancestor of Jesus

Luke 3:31 ESV

the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David,

Solomon also called Jedidah from Bathsheba, also an ancestor of Jesus through Joseph’s line Matthew 1:6-16

Matthew 1:6–16 ESV

and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

7-19

David not thinking that Amnon will do any harm to Tamar as they are half-siblings indulges Amnon his first born son.

Amnon clears everyone and gets Tamar alone with him in his chambers and begins to force himself on her.

Tamar does protest and tries to reason with Amnon, even trying to get him to go to David so that he can give Tamar to Amnon as his wife. This was forbidden in Israel but she was probably trying everything she could to get Amnon not to force himself on her.

Afterwards Amnon realizing what he has done, but instead of being ashamed and contrite begins to hate Tamar, she was probably crying very loudly and in quite the state of shock. Amnon yells to her to get out. To this Tamar further breaks down and begs him not to send her away as she thinks that would bring her even greater shame. But Amnon instructs his servants to throw her out of the house and lock the door behind her so she could not return.

The bible mentions her long robe with sleeves the JKV calls it a garment of divers colors that the virgin daughters of the king wear. She tears her robe and covers herself with ashes perhaps as a symbol of morning her stolen virginity.

20-33

When Absolom sees Tamar he guesses as what has happened, perhaps even knowing about Amnon’s lust for Tamar them living in the same house probably knew where David has sent her. But Absolom does not cry out against Amnon, he tells her to hold her peace and not to tell anyone of what has happened. Going even further reminding her that Amnon is her brother. Absolom seems here to not be so concerned for Tamar’s welfare and sanity but may already be laying the plans to take over the kingdom. He goes about normal relations with Amnon as if nothing happened.

It does say that David did find out what Amnon did and was very angry but his anger goes nowhere and he indulges his first born with seemingly no punishment. But Tamar becomes a desolate woman living in Absalom's house and no more is said about her.

After two full years Absolom puts his plan of killing Amnon into action.

Absalom initially invites David and all of his sons, Absalom’s brothers to celebrate with him. David does reject his invitation not wanting all of the entourage that always accompanies David to be a burden on him. Absolom obviously has land and sheep but he is the third born and was not as well off as Amnon would have been. Absalom then ask that Amnon come in his place. David perhaps thinking that there is still strife with Absalom and Amnon over Tamar questions Absalom but ultimately David agrees to send Amnon and all of his other sons.

Absalom does not kill Amnon himself but instructs his servants to do it when he has gotten Amnon drunk, even asuring them and telling them to be courageous and valiant and telling them that since he has commanded them to kill Amnon they would not be at fault.

So Amnon, David’s first born son and heir to the thrown is killed by Absalom’s servants in front of all of their half-brothers. Seeing Amnon being killed they scatter and leave the scene. The ESV hays that they arose and mounted their mules and fled. I’m sure that there was more haste in their leaving that “they arose”

Before they get back to Jerusalem someone with a faster mule gets to David first and tells him that all of his son’s had been killed by Absalom. David and all of his servants that heard this cried out and tore their garments as was the custom for their grief. But Jonadab, the same Jonadab that gave Amnon the idea to feign being sick to get Tamar alone and with him, tells David not to think that all of his son’s are dead, just Amnon. Absalom has been planning on killing Amnon since Tamar was raped by Amnon. Does his knowledge of Absalom’s determination to kill Amnon mean that Jonadab was complicit in it? The bible does not say he was but it does say he was a very crafty man.

34-39

The phrase Absalom fled is mentioned three times in the final six verses of this chapter. As soon as the deed is done he flees even before the rest of his half-brothers get back within site of Jerusalem, again saying he fled to his grandfather Talmai the king of Geshur, and again to hammer home the point that he left for three years.

Tense of Longed to go forth is feand might should have included wife meaning Maacah was longing and comforting David being the mother of both Absalom and Tamar.

An Exposition of the Old Testament, Vols. I–VI Chapter 13

Ver. 39. And the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom, &c.] In like manner it is supplied and paraphrased in the Targum, because the word rendered longed is feminine; though it may he used to denote the effeminateness of David’s disposition and carriage on this occasion. Aben Ezra thinks the word wife should be supplied, and then the sense is, that the wife of King David, the mother of Absalom, made supplication to him to send forth one of the young men to fetch Absalom, and that by her importunity to him she stirred up a longing desire in David after him. Abarbinel observes, from another writer of theirs, that all the three years David was mourning for his son, he went out continually to seek to take vengeance on Absalom; but after that time, the mother of Absalom, or Tamar his sister, or his daughter, was importunate with the king, and restrained him from going forth to seek vengeance on A bsalom; and when he was comforted concerning Amnon, that woman found means to restrain him from going out, and he restrained his servants from going forth against Absalom; and so he observes the word is used for withholding or restraining in Psal. 40:10 and this agrees with several ancient versions, as the Vulgate Latin, “King David ceased to persecute Absalom and the Septuagint, “King David ceased to go out to Absalom and the Syriac version, “and King David abstained from going out after Absalom:” for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead; and could not be brought back from the grave, though Absalom might be from his exile, to which he had an inclination; but he knew not how to do it, consistent with justice and his own honour.