This chapter relates some of the evils that were to arise out of David’s house, and which were similar to the evils committed by him; the deflowering of his daughter, and the murder of his eldest son: the story is this; Amnon falls in love with Tamar, his sister, and grew thin upon it, which being…

And it came to pass after this After the sin of David with Bathsheba, his repentance for it, and pardon of it, and the birth of Solomon as a token of reconciliation; yet after all this the divine threatenings must take place; they had begun already in the death of the child begotten in adultery,…

And Amnon was so vexed Distressed, straitened, and perplexed in his mind through unruly and unbridled lusts that raged in him: that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; as Antiochus son of Seleucus did for his mother in law Stratonice, who, to cure him of it, was delivered to him by his father…

But Amnon had a friend Though in the issue his friendship proved his ruin: whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; so that they were own cousins, the same with Shammah, ; and Jonadab was a very subtle man; a very penetrating man into the dispositions of men, and could judge by…

And he said unto him, why art thou, being the king’s son, lean from day today? &c.] Or “morning by morning”, [[21]]; he was the king’s eldest son, heir to the crown, fed at his table, had everything to make him gay and cheerful, and yet pined away; his flesh wasted [[22]], his countenance waxed wan…

And Jonadab said unto him Being a subtle man, he presently formed a scheme to relieve him, and open a way for the enjoyment of what he desired: lay thee down on thy bed, and make thyself sick; feign thyself sick, pretend that thou art so, by lying down on the bed, and making complaints of one kind…

So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick Took the advice of his cousin Jonadab, and acted according to it: and when the king was come to see him; as he quickly did, after he had heard of his illness: Amnon said unto the king; who perhaps inquired of his appetite, whether he could eat anything, and…

Then David sent home to Tamar Who perhaps was not in the king’s palace, but at her brother Absalom’s house, ; saying, go now to thy brother Amnon’s house; who also had a separate house and equipage, being the king’s son, and his eldest son: and dress him meat; such as he may desire, and his stomach…

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house In obedience to the king’s commands, and in affection to her brother, with an innocent breast, having no suspicion of any design upon her chastity: (and he was laid down); upon a couch or bed in his chamber, as being sick as was pretended, into which she…

And she took a pan, and poured them out before him Out of the frying pan, in which they were, into another dish; and all this was done in his presence, that he might see and know of what, and in what manner it was made, that his stomach might not recoil at it: but he refused to eat: for that was…

And Amnon said unto Tamar, bring the meat into the chamber, &c.] An inner chamber, at a greater distance, where they might be more secret, and out of the reach of the hearing of any of his domestics: that I may eat of thine hand; this he pretended, though his design was of another kind: and Tamar…

And when she had brought them unto him to eat Not only into the chamber, but to the side of the bed or couch where he had laid himself, or sat, in a proper position to answer his purpose: he took hold of her; by the arm, or threw his hands about her: and said unto her, come, lie with me, my sister;…

And she answered him, nay, my brother Which carried in it a reason sufficient for her denial, that he was her brother, and she his sister, and therefore should not offer such an indignity to her: do not force me; which was another forbidding expression, signifying she would never freely yield to…

And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? &c.] She desires him to consider hey reputation, which would be lost; was she to go into a corner, into a place the most private and retired, yet she would blush at the thought of the crime committed; and still less able would she be to lift up her face…

Howbeit, he would not hearken unto her voice His lust was so inflamed and enraged, that he could not attend to any arguments, though ever so forcible, that were offered to him: but being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her; whether she cried out or not, as the law directs in such cases,…

Then Amnon hated her exceedingly Having gratified his lust, his conscience stung him for it, that he could not bear the sight of the object that had been the instrument of it; and it may be the sharp words she had used, representing him as one of the fools in Israel, and perhaps she used sharper…

And she said unto him, there is no cause For such treatment as this: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me; not that this was a greater sin, but it was a greater evil or injury to her, that being done secretly, this openly; being turned out in that open…

Then he called his servants that ministered unto him His domestic servants that waited on him: and said, put now this woman out from me; she not willing to depart at once, he ordered her to be put out immediately by force; using her and speaking of her in a very rude and scandalous manner, calling…

And she had a garment of divers colours upon her Of embroidered work, which made her the more observable, and her shame the more manifest. Whether this was interwoven with threads of various colours, or embroidered with figures of flowers, animals and wrought with the needle, or was painted with…

And Tamar put ashes on her head In token of sorrow and distress; see ; and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her; signifying that her virginity was rent from her in a forcible manner, or that she was ravished: and laid her hand on her head; through grief and shame; see ; and went on…

And Absalom her brother said unto her Either meeting her in the street, or rather when come to his house: hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? been rude with thee, and lain with thee, which is the meaning of this modest expression; which he guessed at, having heard of her being sent to his house,…

But when King David heard of all these things Of Amnon’s ravishing Tamar, and turning her out of doors in that inhuman manner he did, and of her distress upon it: he was very wroth; with Amnon; but we read not of any reproof he gave him, nor of any punishment inflicted on him by him.

And Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad, &c.] That is, said nothing at all to him about the rape of his sister; not that he was sulky with him, and would not converse with him at all; for then Amnon would have mistrusted that he was meditating revenge, and therefore would have…

And it came to pass after two full years Two complete years after the rape was committed; so long Absalom kept it in his mind, and was contriving how to avenge it; he let it alone so long, that it might be thought by the king and Amnon, and all the family, that it was quite worn out of his mind,…

And Absalom came to the king At Jerusalem, to invite him in person: and said, behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; persons employed in shearing his sheep: and this being a time of entertainment and joy, let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants, go with thy servant; he invited the king…

And the king said to Absalom, nay, my son, let us not all now go He did not object to the invitation entirely, he was willing some of the family should go, but not all; it seems probable that he particularly excepted himself and his eldest son, the heir to his crown, for the reason following: lest…

Then said Absalom, if not If it is not thy pleasure to go with me, if I cannot have the honour of thy company: I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us; let me have the next mark of honour that can be given me, the presence of the king’s eldest son, and heir to the crown; he seems to express…

But Absalom pressed him Which one would think would have increased his suspicion, if he had any, or have raised it in him; but his mind was blinded, that Amnon’s incest might be punished and the threatening to David and his house be fulfilled on account of the affair of Uriah and Bathsheba: that he…

Now Absalom had commanded his servants Before he and his guests were set down to the entertainment: saying, mark ye now when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; as he was determined to make him if possible, and as he supposed he would be, knowing his inclination to drink: and when I say unto you,…

And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded They smote him, and killed him, when he gave the word: then all the king’s sons arose; from the feast, imagining they were all designed to be slain: and every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled; creatures much used in Judea…

And it came to pass while they were in the way On their road homewards, before they got to Jerusalem: that tidings came to David; perhaps brought by one who was at the entertainment, who upon seeing Amnon smitten, immediately rose up and fled with the news of it to David: saying, Absalom hath slain…

Then the king arose, and tore his garments In token of extreme grief and sorrow, as Jacob did when he was shown the coat of Joseph, supposing him to have been slain, as David thought all his sons were, ; and lay on the earth; on the bare ground, another token of mourning; so Job did on hearing the…

And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother The same that advised Amnon to feign himself sick, to get Tamar sent to him, that he might enjoy her, ; answered and said; said in answer to the report brought to the king, which threw him into such an agony: let not my lord suppose that they have…

Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart Neither suppose it, nor be troubled for it: to think that all the king’s sons are dead: which was not to be thought, nor could any good reason be given for such a supposition for Amnon only is dead; he repeats it again with great…

But Absalom fled He who promised his servants protection could not protect himself, and who no doubt fled with him; he knew what he had done was death by law, and that there was no city of refuge for such sort of murder as this, and he had no reason to hope the king would suffer so foul a crime as…

And Jonadab said to the king, behold, the king’s sons come, &c.] For as they came nearer, it was plainly discovered that they were the king’s sons, seen on the side of the hill: as thy servant said, so it is; he seems to applaud himself, and exult at his penetration and foresight.

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking As soon as the above words were out of his mouth: that, behold, the king’s sons came: into the palace, and into the apartment where the king was: and lifted up their voice and wept; not being able to tell the sorrowful news with their…

But Absalom fled As before related, but here repeated for the sake of what follows: and went to Talmai, the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur: his mother’s father, see , where he might hope for protection and safety: and David mourned for his son every day; or “all the days” [[15]], i.e.

So Absalom fled This is the third time it is mentioned, and the reason of it here Abarbinel thinks is, that when he first fled to his grandfather, he used to stand openly in the court of his palace, and go with him wherever he went from place to place; but when he understood that his father mourned…

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 be used to denote the effeminateness of David’s disposition and carriage on this occasion.