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Texts -- 2 Samuel 13:1-11 (NET)

Context
The Rape of Tamar
13:1 Now David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar . In the course of time David’s son Amnon fell madly in love with her. 13:2 But Amnon became frustrated because he was so lovesick over his sister Tamar . For she was a virgin , and to Amnon it seemed out of the question to do anything to her. 13:3 Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab , the son of David’s brother Shimeah . Jonadab was a very crafty man . 13:4 He asked Amnon, “Why are you , the king’s son , so depressed every morning ? Can’t you tell me?” So Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom .” 13:5 Jonadab replied to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick . When your father comes in to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can fix some food for me. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I can watch . Then I will eat from her hand .’” 13:6 So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick . When the king came in to see him, Amnon said to the king , “Please let my sister Tamar come in so she can make a couple of cakes in my sight . Then I will eat from her hand .” 13:7 So David sent Tamar to the house saying , “Please go to the house of Amnon your brother and prepare some food for him.” 13:8 So Tamar went to the house of Amnon her brother , who was lying down . She took the dough , kneaded it, made some cakes while he watched , and baked them. 13:9 But when she took the pan and set it before him, he refused to eat . Instead Amnon said , “Get everyone out of here!” So everyone left . 13:10 Then Amnon said to Tamar , “Bring the cakes into the bedroom ; then I will eat from your hand .” So Tamar took the cakes that she had prepared and brought them to her brother Amnon in the bedroom . 13:11 As she brought them to him to eat , he grabbed her and said to her, “Come on! Get in bed with me, my sister !”

Pericope

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Bible Dictionary

  • David

    [ebd] beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother's name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25. As to his personal ...
    [isbe] DAVID - da'-vid (dawidh, or dawidh, "beloved"; Daueid, also in New Testament, Dauid, Dabid; see Thayer's Lexicon): I. NAME AND GENEALOGY II. EARLY YEARS 1. Shepherd 2. Slinger 3. Harpist 4. Poet 5. Psalmist 6. Tribesman III....
    [nave] DAVID 1. King of Israel. Genealogy of, Ruth 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:11; 17:12; 1 Chr. 2:3-15; Matt. 1:1-6; Luke 3:31-38. A shepherd, 1 Sam. 16:11. Kills a lion and a bear, 1 Sam. 17:34-36. Anointed king, while a youth, by the ...

  • Tamar

    [ebd] palm. (1.) A place mentioned by Ezekiel (47:19; 48:28), on the southeastern border of Palestine. Some suppose this was "Tadmor" (q.v.). (2.) The daughter-in-law of Judah, to whose eldest son, Er, she was married (Gen. 38:6)....
    [smith] (palm tree). The wife successively of the two sons of Judah, Er and Onan. (Genesis 38:8-30) (B.C. about 1718.) Her importance in the sacred narrative depends on the great anxiety to keep up the lineage of Judah. It seemed as...
    [nave] TAMAR 1. Wife of the sons of Judah, Gen. 38:6-24; Ruth 4:12; 1 Chr. 2:4. Called Thamar, Matt. 1:3. 2. Daughter of David, 2 Sam. 13:1-32; 1 Chr. 3:9. 3. Daughter of Absalom, 2 Sam. 14:27. 4. A city of unknown location, Ez...

  • Amnon

    [isbe] AMNON - am'-non ('amnon, "faithful"; compare 'aminon, 2 Sam 13:20, which is probably a diminutive. Wellhausen (IJG, II, 24, note 2) resolves 'amiynown into 'immi, and nun, "my mother is the serpent"; compare NUN): (1) The el...
    [smith] (faithful). Eldest son of David. (B.C. 1052.) He dishonored his half-sister Tamar, and was in consequence murdered by her brother. (2 Samuel 13:1-29) Son of Shimon. (1 Chronicles 4:20)
    [nave] AMNON 1. Son of David, 2 Sam. 3:2; 1 Chr. 3:1. Incest of, and death, 2 Sam. 13. 2. Son of Shimon, 1 Chr. 4:20.

  • Adultery

    [nave] ADULTERY. Gen. 20:3; 2 Sam. 12:14; Job 24:15-17 v. 18.; Job 31:1, 9-12; Prov. 2:16, 18, 19 v. 17.; Prov. 5:3, 4 vs. 5-22.; Prov. 6:24-29, 32, 33; Prov. 7:5-23; Prov. 9:13-18; Prov. 22:14; Prov. 23:27, 28; Prov. 29:3; Prov. ...

  • SAMUEL, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] SAMUEL, BOOKS OF - || I. PLACE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL IN THE HEBREW CANON II. CONTENTS OF THE BOOKS AND PERIOD OF TIME COVERED BY THE HISTORY III. SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS 1. Life of Samuel (1 Samuel 1 through 15) 2. Reign and D...

  • CRIME; CRIMES

    [isbe] CRIME; CRIMES - krim, krimz: This. term is used in English as the equivalent of the Hebrew mishpaT, "judgment," "verdict" (Ezek 7:23); zimmah, "a heinous crime" (Job 31:11); 'asham = "a fault," "sin" (Gen 26:10, English Vers...

  • Lasciviousness

    [nave] LASCIVIOUSNESS. Ex. 32:6; Prov. 2:16-18; Prov. 5:3-5, 8-13; Prov. 7:6-27; Prov. 9:13-18; Prov. 20:16; Prov. 30:18-20; Joel 3:3; Mark 7:21-23; Rom. 1:22-29; Rom. 7:8; Rom. 13:13; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10, 13, 15-18; 1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Cor...

  • Seduction

    [nave] SEDUCTION, 2 Tim. 3:6, 13. Laws concerning, Ex. 22:16, 17; Deut. 22:23-29. See: Rape. Instances of Of Dinah, Gen. 34:2. Tamar, 2 Sam. 13:1-14.

  • POLYGAMY

    [isbe] POLYGAMY - po-lig'-a-mi: 1. Meaning of the Term 2. Origin of Polygamy 3. The Old Testament and Polygamy 4. Polygamy Unnatural The Eunuch 5. Weakness of Polygamy 1. Meaning of the Term: Polygamy has been and is the open blazo...

  • Jonadab

    [ebd] =Jehon'adab. (1.) The son of Rechab, and founder of the Rechabites (q.v.), 2 Kings 10:15; Jer. 35:6, 10. (2.) The son of Shimeah, David's brother (2 Sam. 13:3). He was "a very subtil man."
    [smith] (whom Jehovah impels). Son of Shimeah and nephew of David. (B.C. 1033.) He is described as "very subtle." (2 Samuel 13:3) His age naturally made him the friend of his cousin Amnon, heir to the throne. (2 Samuel 13:3) H...
    [nave] JONADAB 1. Nephew of David. His complicity with Amnon in his rape of Tamar, 2 Sam. 13:3-5. Comforts David on death of Amnon, 2 Sam. 13:32-35. 2. Called also Jehonadab. A Rechabite and companion of Jehu, 2 Kin. 10:15-23. H...

  • Rape

    [nave] RAPE Law imposes death penalty for, Deut. 22:25-27. Captives afflicted with, Isa. 13:16; Lam. 5:11; Zech. 14:2. Instances of Of the servant of a Levite, by Benjamites; tribe of Benjamin nearly exterminated by the army of ...

  • Bread

    [isbe] BREAD - bred (lechem; artos): I. DIETARY PREEMINENCE II. MATERIALS 1. Barley 2. Wheat 3. Three Kinds of Flour III. BREAD-MAKING 1. Grinding 2. Kneading 3. Baking (1) Hot Stones (2) Baking Pans 4. Ovens (1) The Bowl-Oven (2) ...
    [smith] The preparation of bread as an article of food dates from a very early period. (Genesis 18:6) The corn or grain employed was of various sorts. The best bread was made of wheat, but "barley" and spelt were also used. (John 6:9...
    [nave] BREAD Called the Staff of Life, Ezek. 4:16; 5:16; 14:13. Kinds of Bread of affliction, 1 Kin. 22:27; Psa. 127:2; Hos. 9:4; Isa. 30:20; made with yeast, Lev. 7:13; 23:17; Hos. 7:4; Amos 4:5; Matt. 13:33; not made with yeast...

  • Deception

    [nave] DECEPTION. Instances of By Satan, Gen. 3:4. Abraham, in stating that Sarah was his sister, Gen. 12:13; 20:2. Isaac, in stating that his wife was his sister, Gen. 26:7. Jacob and Rebekah, in imposing Jacob on his father,...

  • JEHONADAB

    [ebd] Jehovah is liberal; or, whom Jehovah impels. (1.) A son of Shimeah, and nephew of David. It was he who gave the fatal wicked advice to Amnon, the heir to the throne (2 Sam. 13:3-6). He was very "subtil," but unprincipled. (2...
    [isbe] JEHONADAB - je-hon'-a-dab (yehonadhabh, either "Yahweh is noble" or "liberal," or "Yahweh has impelled") = Jonadab (yonadhabh, same meaning): (1) Jehonadab in the Hebrew of 2 Sam 13:5; but Jonadab in English Versions of the ...

  • MAKE, MAKER

    [isbe] MAKE, MAKER - mak, mak'-er (`asah, nathan, sum; poieo, tithemi, kathistemi): 1. As Used in the Old Testament: "Make" is a frequently used word, meaning "to create," "construct," "cause," "constitute," etc., and represents di...

  • Shammah

    [ebd] desert. (1.) One of the "dukes" of Edom (Gen. 36:13, 17). (2.) One of the sons of Jesse (1 Sam. 16:9). He is also called Shimeah (2 Sam. 13:3) and Shimma (1 Chr. 2:13). (3.) One of David's three mighty men (2 Sam. 23:11, 12)...
    [isbe] SHAMMAH - sham'-a (shammah): (1) The son of Reuel, the son of Esau, a tribal chief of Edom (Gen 36:13,17; 1 Ch 1:37, Some). (2) The third son of Jesse and brother of David. Together with his two other brothers he fought unde...
    [nave] SHAMMAH 1. Son of Reuel, Gen. 36:13, 17; 1 Chr. 1:37. 2. David's brother, 1 Sam. 16:9; 17:13. Called Shimeah, 2 Sam. 13:3, 32; 21:21; Shimma, 1 Chr. 2:13; Shimea, 1 Chr. 20:7. 3. One of David's mighty men, son of Agee, 2 ...

  • WOMAN

    [ebd] was "taken out of man" (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. "The head of the woman is the man;" but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, "as unto the weaker vessel" (1 Cor. 11:3, 8, 9; 1 Pet. 3:7). Sever...
    [isbe] WOMAN - woom'-an ('ishshah, "a woman" (feminine of 'ish, "a man"]; gune, "a woman" "wife"): I. IN THE CREATIVE PLAN II. IN OLD TESTAMENT TIMES 1. Prominence of Women 2. Social Equality 3. Marriage Laws 4. Inheritance 5. Dome...

  • FEIGN

    [isbe] FEIGN - fan (badha, nakhar; plastos): Occurs (1) in the sense of "to devise," "invent" as the translation of badha', "to form," "to fashion" (Neh 6:8, "Thou feignest them out of thine own heart"; compare 1 Ki 12:33, English ...

  • Cake

    [ebd] Cakes made of wheat or barley were offered in the temple. They were salted, but unleavened (Ex. 29:2; Lev. 2:4). In idolatrous worship thin cakes or wafers were offered "to the queen of heaven" (Jer. 7:18; 44:19). Pancakes a...

  • Beauty

    [nave] BEAUTY Vanity of, Psa. 39:11; Prov. 6:25; 31:30; Isa. 3:24; Ezek. 16:14; 28:17.. Instances of Sarah, Gen. 12:11. Rebekah, Gen. 24:16. Rachel, Gen. 29:17. Joseph, Gen. 39:6. Moses, Ex. 2:2; Heb. 11:23. David, 1 Sam. 16...
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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • After Shechem the Canaanite raped Dinah, Simeon and Levi gained revenge by deceiving the Shechemites into being circumcised as the condition for Dinah's marriage. Then they murdered the incapacitated men of the city."The stor...
  • Joseph emotionally revealed his identity to his brothers. He assured them of God's sovereign control of his life and directed them to bring Jacob to Egypt. He then demonstrated his love for his brothers warmly.This is one of ...
  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • The basic theme in Samuel, that blessing, and in particular fertility of all kinds, follows from faithful commitment to God's revealed will, continues in this section. However another major motif now becomes more prominent. W...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Samuel)V. David's triumphs chs. 1-8A. The beginning of David's kingdom 1:1-3:51. David's discovery of Saul and Jonathan's deaths ch. 12. David's move to Hebron 2:1-4a3. David's overtures to Jabesh-g...
  • The first 20 chapters of 2 Samuel are divisible into four units each of which ends with a list of names that is four verses long (1:1-3:5; 3:6-5:16; 5:17-8:18; 9:1-20:26).2The first two units conclude with lists of David's so...
  • "Saul the king is dead, Jonathan the heir apparent is dead, Abinadab and Malki-Shua (two of Jonathan's brothers) are dead (1 Sam 31:2), Abner the commander of the army is dead--and no other viable claimants or pretenders cont...
  • "As the story of David's accession to kingship over Judah (1:1-3:5) parallels that of his accession to the throne of Israel (3:6-5:16), each concluding with a list of his sons (3:2-5; 5:13-16), so the account of his powerful ...
  • The promises Yahweh made to David here are an important key to understanding God's program for the future.God rejected David's suggestion that he build a temple for the Lord and gave three reasons. First, there was no pressin...
  • Chapters 9-20 contrast with chapters 2-8 in that this later section is negative whereas the earlier one was positive. It records failure; the former records success. Compare the similar narrative of Saul's triumphs (1 Sam. 7-...
  • These chapters form a sub-section within the Court History portion of 2 Samuel.157The phrase "Now it happened"or "Now it was"(10:1; 13:1) always opens a new section.158Descriptions of Israel's victories over the Ammonites (10...
  • At first, David piously tried to salve Joab's conscience for his complicity in Uriah's death (11:25). The Hebrew word translated "displease"literally means "be evil in your sight."David was calling what was sin something othe...
  • This is the longest literary section in the Court History of David (chs. 9-20). It records Absalom's antagonism to David that resulted in the king having to flee Jerusalem, but it ends with David's defeat of his enemy and his...
  • David's disobedience to the Mosaic Covenant resulted in a cutting back of his personal blessing and of his effectiveness as an instrument of blessing to Israel. These chapters record this restriction of blessing even though b...
  • Maacah bore Absalom while David was reigning in Hebron (3:3). He was David's third-born. Amnon, his first-born, was also born in Hebron but by Ahinoam (3:2). Both sons may have been in their late teens or early twenties at th...
  • The writer may have devoted so much text to straightening out the rumor that Absalom had killed all the king's sons to stress God's mercy in not cutting off all of them. At first report David probably thought God had judged h...
  • Two sub-sections each begin with a reference to time (vv. 1, 7) and form a literary "diptych"(i.e., two complementary panals).233The first six verses explain how Absalom undermined popular confidence in the Lord's anointed fo...
  • This is the central unit of chapters 5-20, and its central focus is the judgment that Hushai's advice was better than Ahithophel's (17:14). This advice is the pivot on which the fortunes of David swung in his dealings with Ab...
  • "The account of Sheba's rebellion against David serves as a counterpoise to the story of Absalom's conspiracy (15:1-12) in chapters 15-20, which constitute the major part of the narrative that comprises chapters 13-20 (more p...
  • "With Joab's return to the king in Jerusalem, the grand symphony known as the Court History of David reaches its conclusion for all practical purposes (at least as far as the books of Samuel are concerned . . .). The last fou...
  • Achtemeier, Paul J., and Elizabeth Achtemeier. The Old Testament Roots of Our Faith. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1979.Ackerman, James S. "Knowing Good and Evil: A Literary Ananysis of the Court History in 2 Samuel 9-20 and ...
  • The first segment of the writer's story (1:1-2:12) continues the history of Israel's monarchy where 2 Samuel ended. It records the final events in David's reign that led to Solomon's succession to the throne. It answers the q...
  • David had warned Solomon to keep Shimei under close observation and to put him to death (vv. 8-9). Evidently David realized because of Shimei's past actions that it would only be a matter of time before he would do something ...
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