2 Samuel 13:1-39
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 thoughta 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, leanb 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,c 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 forced 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;e 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 Amnonf 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.
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.
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 appointmentg 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 veryh sore.
37 But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud,i 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 longedj to go forth unto Absalom: for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.
2 Samuel 13:2. He fell sick for his sister Tamar. Most young men who have come to ruin, have followed some blind and impetuous passion.
2 Samuel 13:13. The king will not withhold me from thee. In her maternal grandfather's house irregular marriages had been sanctioned, as we see in Tamar's case. She was an Assyrian of Geshur, Genesis xxxviii: yet such a connexion is forbidden in the law of Moses. Leviticus 20.
2 Samuel 13:15. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly. So the tide of Sthenobæ's passion turned against Bellerophon, as also that of Potiphar's wife. Genesis 39:17.
2 Samuel 13:21. David was very wroth. Yea, and so was Eli, but the punishment ended in mere words. Had those wicked sons been punished, an infinitude of mischiefs had been prevented. Abulensis, as well as other rabbins, has censured David for this. The censures seem founded on an adjection in the LXX which reads, that when David heard of all those things he was much afflicted, but would not grieve the mind of Amnon his son, because he loved him, and because he was his firstborn. Excusing one crime produced a thousand others. David, like Eli, was on the very point of losing his own life for sparing an effeminate son.
2 Samuel 13:37. Absalom fled to Talmai; his maternal grandfather, king of Geshur, adjacent to Amalek. 1 Samuel 27:8. He fled not to the altar with his bloody hands; no atonement was to be found there. He fled not to a city of refuge; there he could not be protected; but he fled to a court that had not the law.
REFLECTIONS.
Having reviewed the affecting case of David in the preseding chapter, we now find a complicated tragedy in two of his sons. The storms of passion, like those of the ocean, rise and fall in succession. Parents should form those habits in children from the earliest dawn of reason, which may be cultivated in future life with greater success: he who has no command of his passions, but suffers himself to be precipitated in the foulest crimes, forfeits his claims to the title and dignity of man. It was an additional calamity to Amnon, that he had a friend and a cousin not less wicked, but more artful than himself. This man, instead of consulting the interest and honour of the heir apparent, instructed and emboldened him to the perpetrating of a crime which cost him his life. Happy is that prince who is surrounded by a wise and virtuous council; but as this cannot always be obtained, it would be well for those designated to the throne, to be acquainted with human nature on a full scale from the cottage to the palace, that they be might be able in the issue to be their own ministers. Those have generally made the best kings who have known adversity as well as prosperity.
The moment Amnon had accomplished his wishes, the high tide of criminal passion suddenly ebbed, from frantic love to utter abhorrence. He was overwhelmed with anguish; horror seized his soul, and his heart loaded him with a thousand reproaches. Unable to bear himself, he could no longer bear the sight of Tamar. A moment before, all the wise and weighty arguments of the princess, which had no effect in restraining his impetuous desire, now fell as millstones on his conscience. Auguring that the public odium and punishment about to follow would correspond with his conscience, he basely spurned from his presence the unoffending victim of his crime.
Here is a case indeed worthy of improvement. Draw near then to this chamber, ye gay and guilty circles, who riot in pleasure and despise restraint; who accuse heaven of contraction in the sacred limits of marriage, and who love tragedy, provided it be embellished with lawless love. Here is a tragedy consummate in its characters, and replete with instruction. Here is a prince, who by one frantic passion lost his crown and his life; and for ought we know, lost his soul. Here is a prince, who by one crime covered the princess his sister with shame and tears all her future days; who embittered the life of his Sire with every calamity which can afflict the best of fathers, and the best of kings. Here is the prince who provoked Absalom to revenge; and a revenge followed by rebellion, which caused tears to Israel for an age to come. From the ghastly countenance of Amnon, from the horrid language of that guilty chamber, make the transition to yourselves. Recal the scenes of your intrigues; the oaths, the perjuries, the violence, to accomplish the objects of your desire; read in all the scenery of this chamber, what sort of a place hell will be, when you shall meet with all the accomplices of your crimes, and not be able as Amnon to expel them from your presence. Anticipate what sort of anguish you will feel, when God, the avenger of the wrongs of unprotected innocence, shall pour his vengeance down in full tale for all your sins: and say now, say by the force of reflection, whether the laws of heaven which enjoin mortification and self-denial, be not worthy of the holy character of God, and conducive to the happiness of man.
Absalom, on receiving his sister under his protection, was animated with a disposition widely different from Amnon's, but far more fatal. As though educated in an Indian court, he discovered neither anger nor resentment. The cunning of a long protracted malice, suppressed the rising of indignation and the language of revenge. He made no complaints to the public, nor solicited redress from the throne; he was resolved to take revenge, and in such a way as should leave the throne open for himself. What an argument may hence be drawn for the impartial administration of justice. If man, roaming in hordes and camps in a savage state, have surrendered his rights for the benefit of civilized society and legal protection, and if he fail of redress when greatly wronged, it is natural for him to resume his ancient liberty, by taking vengeance in private war. No one but a christian is superior to revenge, because he believes that God will do it to the impenitent in a time and a way, far above all his wishes. Thus the immortal spirit of Uriah saw inflicted on David's house a series of punishments, better timed, and far more tremendous than any plots he could have formed against his sovereign.
The assassination of Amnon, in slaying the heir apparent, if the real views of Absalom be considered, was, in regard to his malice, hypocrisy, and the intoxication of the unhappy victim, an example of wickedness almost without precedent. Providence nevertheless permitted it to occur, and in great compassion to all Israel: two wicked princes totally disqualified for the throne, were by this means removed. To David, those calamities were peculiarly instructive. By the dishonour of Tamar he would be reminded of Bathsheba; by the plot against Amnon he would recollect his own contrivance to dispatch Uriah, and that he had previously intoxicated him with wine. How mysterious is providence. In time and in eternity, it is a study worthy of angels and of men.