Q Y¹ 13:1-14:33. Ammon's sin. Y² 15:1-19:43. Absalom's rebellion. Y³ 20:1-22. Sheba's revolt.
Y¹ A 13:1-4. Ammon's desire for sister's love.
B a 13:5-10. Stratagem. Ammon's sin.
b 13:11-18. Crime. "
c 13:19-22. Emotions. "
B a 13:23-27. Stratagem. Absalom's revenge.
b 13:28-29-. Crime. "
c 13:-29-14:27. Commotions. "
A 14:28-33. Absalom's desire for father's love.
938 B.C.
2 Samuel 13)
1: And it came to pass after this (i.e. 938 B.C. David, 53: Amnon,22; Absalom,20; Tamar,15; Solomon,2), that Absalom (= father of peace. Son of Maacah, daughter of king of Geshur [see 3:3]) the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar (= palm tree); and Amnon (= faithful) the son of David loved her.
2: And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar (= love sick, lust); 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 Shammah David's brother (see 1 Sam. 16:9): and Jonadab (= who Yehovah impels) was a very subtle man. (= wise. Looks like a Kenite = Sons of Cain, who brought down Jehu. Check out his spirit. Kenite advice can divide.)
4: And he said to him, “Why are you, being the king's son, lean from day to day? will you not tell me?” And Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.” (His half-sister)
5: And Jonadab said to him, “Lay you down on your bed, and feign yourself sick: and when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I pray you, let my sister Tamar come, and give me heart-shaped cakes (occ. only here and in vv.6,7,8,10), and dress the heart-shaped cakes in my sight, that I may see it, and eat it at her hand.’ ” (Here we see the subtlety of a trouble-maker. See v.3)
6: So Amnon lay down, and feigned himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said to the king, ‘I pray you, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of heart-shaped cakes in my sight (see Ezek. 4:9-17), that I may eat at her hand.’ ”
7: Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Go now to your brother Amnon's house, and dress him heart-shaped cakes.’ ”
8: So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was laid down. And she took dough (or paste), and kneaded it, and made heart-shaped cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.
9: And she took the pan (in Ezek. pan was the wall of separation), and put them down 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 to Tamar, “Bring the heart-shaped cakes into the chamber, that I may eat of your hand.” And Tamar took the heart-shaped cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11: And when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her, and said to her, “Come lie with me, my sister.”
12: And she answered him, “No, my brother, do not humble me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do you not this folly. (forbidden. Lev. 18:6,17)
13: And I, to which place shall I cause my shame to go? and as for you, you shall be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray you, speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” (she's trying to buy time)
14: However he would not listen to 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 (He hated her more than he had lusted after her). And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone.” (she went from a virgin to a widow)
16: And she said to him, “There is no cause (Heb. ’al "Give no ground for talk"): this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me.” But he would not listen to her.
17: Then he called his servant that ministered to him, and said, “Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.”
18: And she had a garment of a long tunic with sleeves upon her: for with such robes were the king's daughters that were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
c d 19. Grief of Tamar.
e 20. Absalom's dissimulation.
d 21. Anger of David.
e 22. Absalom's hatred.19: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of a long tunic and sleeves that was on her, and laid her hand on her head (Fig., put for grieving), and went on crying. (This had destroyed her)
20: And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? but hold now your peace, my sister: he is your brother; regard not this thing (he's telling her, don't worry about the disgrace, I will take care of him. The Law and penalty for rape was death). So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house. (a widow. Cp. 1 Tim. 5:5)
21: But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.
22: And Absalom spoke to 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 sheep-shearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. (time for celebration)
24: And Absalom came to the king, and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheep-shearers; let the king, I beseech you, and his servants go with your servant.”
25: And the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be burdensome to you.” And he pressed him: however he would not go, but blessed him. (Absalom is trying to convince him the place is not big enough for all of us)
26: Then said Absalom, “If not, I pray you, let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?”
27: But Absalom pressed him, that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. (Sept. and Vulg. add here "and Absalom made a banquet, like the banquet of a king". He [David], probably thought that 2 years was long enough for the remembrance of the rape to go away)
28: Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, ”Mark you all 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 sons of valor.”
29: And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon according as Absalom had commanded.
c C¹ 13:-29-39. Absalom's flight. C² 14:1-33. Absalom's recall.
C¹ f¹ -29. Flight of kings son.
g¹ 30-33. David. Anxiety.
f² 34-. Flight of Absalom.
g² -34-36. David. Mourning.
f³ 37,38. Flight of Absalom.
g³ 39. David. Comforted.Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got him up upon his mule (first occ. Not Gen. 36:24. See note there), and fled. (The word got out that Absalon was going to kill everyone)
30: And it came to pass, while they were in the way (always moving in on the inside. Wise up to the ways of the Kenites = sons of Cain. Be aware and alert to reality), that tidings came to David, saying, “Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left.” (How could this be that the word got there before them?)
31: Then the king arose, and tore his garments (he remembered what Nathan said), and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by and tore their clothes.
32: And Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother (he claimed to be), 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 has 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.” (How would he know that far ahead? There was a spy in his own camp making points by giving the good news. A mark of the Kenite)
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 to the king, “Behold, the king's sons come: as your servant said, so it is.” (How did this word get out before them. He planned it from the start. See v.5)
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 with a great weeping.
37: But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud (or Ammihur), king of Geshur. And David the king mourned for his son every day.
938 to 936 B.C.
38: So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.
39: And the soul of king David (cp. the omission of nephesh [soul] in Ps. 16:2) longed to go forth to Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead. (He wasn't man enough to say you are forgiven, come home. Guilt was a heavy burden.)