Then David sent home to Tamar ,.... Who perhaps was not in the king's palace, but at her brother Absalom's house, 2 Samuel 13:20 , 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 will bear. read more
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 was introduced: and she took flour, and kneaded it ; made it into a paste: and made cakes in his sight ; a kind of fritters of them, as in the Talmud F25 T. Bab. Sanhedrin,... read more
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 not what he wanted: and Amnon said, have out all men from me ; as if company was troublesome to him, and he wanted rest, &c.; and they went out every man from him ; at his... read more
And Amnon said unto Tamar, bring the meat into the chamber ,.... 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 took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother ; being quite innocent herself, and having no suspicion of a brother having any ill design upon... read more
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 ; one would think the relation he observes she stood in to him would have checked him from making so vile a motion. read more
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 his will; and to force her, to defile her against her will, to commit a rape upon her, would be very criminal indeed: for no such thing ought to be done in Israel ; among God's... read more
And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go ?.... 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 in any public company; nor could she ever expect to be admitted into the matrimonial state; in short, her character would be entirely ruined: and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools... read more
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, Deuteronomy 22:25 ; is not said; she might, and nobody hear her and come to her assistance; or she might not choose to expose her brother to his servants. read more
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 words still after he had abused her, filled him with hatred to her: so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her ; a like instance of... read more
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John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Samuel 13:6
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 what: I pray thee let my sister Tamar come ; he calls her sister, as Jonadab had directed, the more to blind his design; though it is much that so sagacious a man as David was... read more