2 Samuel
13: 1-20
In a
previous study of Bathsheba, we learned of King David's sin
of adultery and of his plot to have Bathsheba's husband killed. Because of this, in 2 Samuel 12:9-10 Nathan
the prophet, speaking the words of the LORD, tells King David "Wherefore
hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou
hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy
wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Amnon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart
from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of
Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."
And so, we
have the tragic story of Tamar, daughter of David, sister of Absalom,
half-sister to Amnon. 2 Samuel 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.” But this was a not a pure love of a brother
for a sister, no, Amnon according to V2 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." This statement brings out that he lusted after her, but
because she was a virgin, he hesitated to carry through with his emotions. How much better it would have been for Tamar
and for Amnon if he would have listened to his conscience. James 1:14-15 "But every man is tempted,
when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth
forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." But also that, as believers, by the Holy
Spirit we have the power to resist temptations James 4:7-8 "Submit
yourselves therefore to God. Resist the
devil, and he will flee from you. Draw
nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double
minded".
And then
we find in V3 that "Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab, the son of
Shimeah David's brother:". Jonadab was Amnon's cousin, and he possessed
that terrible quality "Jonadab was a very subtil man" As in Genesis 3:1 "Now the serpent was
more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made"
Jonadab notices Amnon's troubled countenance and asks Amnon V4 "why art
thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me?" to which Amnon
admits "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." Rather than being a true friend and helping
Amnon to overcome his obsession for Tamar, Jonadab shows his evil mind by
giving Amnon a plan to fulfill his desires - V5 "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." Not only deceive an innocent maiden, but bolder than that,
involve the King of Israel in the deception!
Truly Jeremiah 17:9 "the heart is deceitful above all things, and
desperately wicked: who can know it?" But
we must also pay close heed to the next verse Jeremiah 17:10 "I the LORD
search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his
ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."
Instead of
rebuking Jonadab for such a terrible plan, Amnon rushes headlong into bringing
it to fruition V6 "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" As King David desired
Bathsheba, and went to great lengths to have her, his own son is following in
his footsteps.
And so,
believing the lie, David in V7 "sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy
brother Amnon's house; and dress him meat." It is well to notice here that
Tamar is living in the king's house at this point, and, as will be pointed out
in V18 "she had a garment of divers colors upon her: for with such robes
were the kings daughters that were virgins appareled" By her clothing all who saw her knew that
this maiden was the daughter of the King, and that she was a virgin.
Tamar is
an obedient daughter, and so, no questions asked, she goes to Amnon V8 "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." We can see her ministering to her supposedly
sick brother, not knowing what is about to befall her.
Amnon
refuses to eat, and sends out everyone V9 “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.” no doubt so there will be no
witnesses either to intervene, or to report what has happened. Tamar still does not realize what he has
planned because she obeys when Amnon tells her V10 to "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." Again it is established that Amnon is her
brother. Now the trap is sprung, V11
"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." Tamar tries valiantly to dissuade him, she
knows that his desire is both against the law in Israel - Leviticus 18:9, 11
"The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of
thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness
thou shalt not uncover. The nakedness of
thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou
shalt not uncover her nakedness", and she knows that she would be greatly
shamed, and that he would be thought very foolish to take his sister this way -
V12-13 "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. 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 speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from thee." Tamar meant that she would
be given to Amnon as his wife, being his half-sister.
But then
the terrible act takes place V14 "Howbeit he would not hearken unto her
voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her". What a terrible scene, the girl is overtaken
by one who is much stronger, and worse than that, her half-brother. Her
mortification must have been complete.
And then,
to worsen the matter, immediately Amnon's so called love for his sister turns
to extreme hatred, V15 "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." Tamar recognized that turning her away compounds his actions, and
so she pleads with him V16 "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" One might think that Amnon
would be remorseful and repent, V16 continues "But he would not hearken
unto her."
Amnon has
fulfilled his desire and now wants nothing more to do with Tamar. His sister is now called "this
woman" as if she is some unknown person he has used for his pleasure and
now wants to leave at his request. V17
"Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now
this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her." He will make sure that Tamar will not be able
to enter his house again.
Now is
mentioned the beautiful garment that Tamar wore. V18 “she had a garment of
divers colors 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.”, She is bodily put out
of the house, and the door is bolted after her
Now where can she go? She cannot in good conscience continue wearing the
garment of a virgin daughter of the king.
V19
"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."
Now Absalom,
her full brother enters the picture. V20 "...Hath Amnon thy brother been
with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not
this thing..." Some would say that Absalom did not think it of much
importance what Amnon did to his sister and that is why he tells her "hold
now thy peace...regard not this thing...", but I strongly believe that in
light of the outcome two years later, Absalom wanted to be the one to avenge
his sister, and by keeping it to herself, he would have that opportunity.
And so the
last we hear of Tamar is in V20 "So Tamar remained desolate in her brother
Absalom's house". We do not know if
she ever returned to the house of the King, or if she ever married.
We do know
that Absalom hated Amnon so much for his actions, that he bided his time for
two years, speaking neither good nor bad to him. And after two years he had opportunity to
have his servants kill Amnon. 2 Samuel
13:22-29.
Truly
Nathan the prophet's words to David came to pass, Tamar is defiled by her
brother, who in turn is murdered by Absalom's servants at his command. Truly James 1:14 - 15 is fulfilled, and 2
Samuel 12:10 continues.
vcg/August 2015
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