2 Samuel 13:1-22 - The Corrupting Curse of Consequences

2 Samuel 13:1-22

Amnon and Tamar

1 After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her. 3 But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Now Jonadab was a very crafty man. 4 And he said to him, “Why are you, the king’s son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?”

Amnon said to him, “I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”

5 So Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And when your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me food, and prepare the food in my sight, that I may see it and eat it from her hand.’” 6 Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”

7 And David sent home to Tamar, saying, “Now go to your brother Amnon’s house, and prepare food for him.” 8 So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was lying down. Then she took flour and kneaded it, made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the pan and placed them out before him, but he refused to eat. Then Amnon said, “Have everyone go out from me.” And they all went out from him. 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food into the bedroom, that I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them to Amnon her brother in the bedroom. 11 Now when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

12 But she answered him, “No, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing! 13 And I, where could I take my shame? And as for you, you would be like one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, please speak to the king; for he will not withhold me from you.” 14 However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Arise, be gone!”

16 So she said to him, “No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me.”

But he would not listen to her. 17 Then he called his servant who attended him, and said, “Here! Put this woman out, away from me, and bolt the door behind her.” 18 Now she had on a robe of many colors, for the king’s virgin daughters wore such apparel. And his servant put her out and bolted the door behind her.

19 Then Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly. 20 And Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now hold your peace, my sister. He is your brother; do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

21 But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry. 22 And Absalom spoke to his brother Amnon neither good nor bad. For Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

Such incest was unheard of yet happened to David’s children as part of the curse of consequences brought on them by their father’s adultery and murder as pronounced through the prophet Nathan by the LORD.  His son Absalom had a sister Tamar who was desired by another son, Amnon.  These three siblings were the focus of this account.  In 2 Samuel 12:11 we recall the consequences cast on the children of David and their children as well, just as the sins of us all were accounted to the ultimate Seed of David who was sinless yet took the punishment for,our sins on Himself to deliver us from the curse (Galatians 3:13) of sin.  Here the lust of Amnon for his own half sister (2 Samuel 3:2-3) overwhelmed him because it was unchecked by God’s word (Leviticus 18:9, 20:17) prohibiting this deviant behavior.  Then Jonadab, the nephew of David, who was a crafty and skillfully unwise fellow, helped devise a plan for Amnon to entrap and rape his sister.  He pretended to be sick and have her bring him food in bed, alone, and then took her.  She resisted by exclaiming, “no such thing should be done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!”  Her shame would be overwhelming and she pleaded for him to even ask the king to give her to him almost lawfully, yet he forced himself on her and then despised her afterwards with more hate than the earlier desire for her.  He threw her out of his bedroom and bolted the door behind her to cover his obscene behavior.  She lamented the rape by tearing her clothes and putting ashes on her head as a sign of despair and grief over what happened to her.  Absalom her other brother knew what happened when he found her in distress and began planning revenge for his lewd half-brother.  Even David found out what had happened as Absalom hid his anger and hate for Amnon for forcing his sister in bed for the passing pleasures of sin at her expense and was biding his time for the right moment to avenge her while keeping his feelings and plans inside away from everyone, including his brother, sister, and father.  What should have happened was for David to enact the law to hold his son accountable and provide justice for his daughter, but his own shame likely kept him from acting and would bring further damage to his family.  Sin must be held to account, especially in church discipline for repentance and restoration, but also must be dealt with in the law of the land and not covered up for appearances.  The curse of consequences will follow even more if repentance and justice are ignored.