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Texts -- 2 Samuel 13:1-18 (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 !” 13:12 But she said to him, “No , my brother ! Don’t humiliate me! This just isn’t done in Israel ! Don’t do this foolish thing ! 13:13 How could I ever be rid of my humiliation ? And you would be considered one of the fools in Israel ! Just speak to the king , for he will not withhold me from you.” 13:14 But he refused to listen to her . He overpowered her and humiliated her by raping her. 13:15 Then Amnon greatly despised her . His disdain toward her surpassed the love he had previously felt toward her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and leave !” 13:16 But she said to him, “No I won’t, for sending me away now would be worse than what you did to me earlier !” But he refused to listen to her. 13:17 He called his personal attendant and said to him, “Take this woman out of my sight and lock the door behind her!” 13:18 (Now she was wearing a long robe , for this is what the king’s virgin daughters used to wear .) So Amnon’s attendant removed her and bolted the door behind her.

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Wise, wisdom

    [ebd] a moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless (Ps. 14:1; comp. Judg. 19:23; 2 Sam. 13:13). True wisdom is a gift from God to those who ask it (Job 28:12-28; Prov. 3:13-18; Rom. 1:22; 16:27; 1 ...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • Shimeah

    [ebd] (1.) One of David's brothers (2 Sam. 13:3); same as Shimea (4). (2.) A Benjamite, a descendant of Gibeon (1 Chr. 8:32); called also Shimeam (9:38).

  • 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.

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • 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 ...

  • 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 ...

  • 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 ...

  • Cloak

    [ebd] an upper garment, "an exterior tunic, wide and long, reaching to the ankles, but without sleeves" (Isa. 59:17). The word so rendered is elsewhere rendered "robe" or "mantle." It was worn by the high priest under the ephod (E...

  • 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...

  • 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...

  • BOLT

    [isbe] BOLT - bolt (na`al, "to bind up"): The ancient Hebrews had fastenings of wood or iron for the doors of houses (2 Sam 13:17,18; Song 5:5), city gates (Neh 3:3,6,13-15), prison doors, etc. (Isa 45:2), which were in the form of...

  • 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. ...

  • APPAREL

    [isbe] APPAREL - a-par'-el: The English equivalent of six Hebrew and three Greek words, variously signifying all kinds of raiment, chiefly garments costly and beautiful: ornamental (2 Sam 1:24); royal, as of Ahasuerus (Est 6:8), of...

  • ABSALOM (1)

    [isbe] ABSALOM (1) - ab'-sa-lom ('abhshalom, "father is peace," written also Abishalom, 1 Ki 15:2,10): David's third son by Maacah, daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur, a small territory between Hermon and Bashan. 1. A General Favor...

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Resources/Books

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 faithfully served his father even bringing back a bad report of his brothers' behavior to him for which Jacob expressed his love by giving Joseph preferential treatment. However his brothers envied and hated him. God c...
  • 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...
  • While Joab was continuing to subdue the Ammonites the following spring by besieging Rabbah (modern Amman, the capital of Jordan; cf. 10:7), David was residing in Jerusalem (11:1). By mentioning the fact that normally kings le...
  • 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...
  • Ahimaaz wanted to be the first to tell David the news of his victory since messengers often received a reward for bringing good news. Joab discouraged him thinking he would also report that Absalom was dead. David would not h...
  • "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 ...
  • 4:16 The Shulammite invited Solomon to take her completely. She called on the winds to carry the scents to which Solomon had referred so he would find full satisfaction (cf. vv. 13-14).5:1 Solomon exulted in the joy that unio...
  • 13:1-3 The Lord gave Ezekiel a message for the prophets who were devising messages for the Jews from their own hearts and calling them prophecies from Yahweh. He was using the word "prophet"ironically; these were not true pro...
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