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
The firstfruits of iniquity. The facts are: 1 . Amnon entertains an improper affection for his half-sister Tamar, and meditates evil. 2 . Making known his secret passion to Jonadab, he is prompted to a device for securing a personal interview with her. 3 . The king, visiting Amnon in his pretended sickness, kindly arranges that Tamar should wait upon him with special focal in his chamber. 4 . Seizing an opportunity in the absence of attendants, he accomplishes his purpose... read more
( JERUSALEM .) The crime of Amnon. The chastisements which David experienced came upon him chiefly through his family. The misconduct of his sons was largely due to his own "in the matter of Uriah," and his defective discipline (lSa 2 Samuel 3:13 ; 1 Kings 1:6 ) in connection with polygamy ( 2 Samuel 3:1-5 ). "This institution is the absolutely irrepressible source of numberless evils of this description. It ever furnishes a ready stimulus to unbounded sensual desire in the... read more
Tamar. A princess; the daughter of David and Maacah (of Geshur), and sister of Absalom; distinguished for her beauty, modesty, domesticity, obedience ( 2 Samuel 13:8 ), tender heartedness, piety, and misfortunes. In her we see an illustration of (what has often occurred): 1 . Purity pursued by licentious desire ( 2 Samuel 13:2 ). 2 . Simplicity beset by wily designs ( 2 Samuel 13:5 ). 3 . Kindness requited by selfish ingratitude ( 2 Samuel 13:9 , 2 Samuel 13:10 ). ... read more
Make me cakes ... a pan - The words here used occur nowhere else, and the etymology is doubtful. Some particular kind of cake or pudding is meant 2 Samuel 13:8, called a לביבה lābı̂ybâh; according to some, it was, from its etymology, shaped like a heart.2 Samuel 13:9The dish into which she poured the לביבה lābı̂ybâh was doubtless borne to him by one of the servants into the chamber where he lay, and from which, the doors being open, he could see the outer room where Tamar prepared the meat. read more
David’s family troubles begin (13:1-14:33)The first of the foretold disgraces that fell on David’s family followed the same pattern as David’s own sin: sexual immorality followed by murder, with the murderer carefully plotting how to get rid of his victim.Amnon, David’s eldest son, tried to seduce his half-sister Tamar, but when Tamar resisted him he raped her (13:1-14). Cruelly, Amnon then drove Tamar away, and the young princess cried bitterly at the loss of her virginity in such... read more
flour = dough, or paste. read more
AMNON'S BRUTAL RAPE OF TAMAR"Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him." So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, where he was lying down. And she took dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. And she took the pan and emptied it out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Send out everyone from before me." So everyone went out from him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Samuel 13:1-20
We have here a particular account of the abominable wickedness of Amnon in ravishing his sister, a subject not fit to be enlarged upon nor indeed to be mentioned without blushing, that ever any man should be so vile, especially that a son of David should be so. Amnon's character, we have reason to think, was bad in other things; if he had not forsaken God, he would never have been given up to these vile affections. Godly parents have often been afflicted with wicked children; grace does not... read more