Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David.
Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. He asked Amnon, “Why do you, the king’s son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won’t you tell me?”
Amnon said to him, “I’m in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.”
“Go to bed and pretend to be ill,” Jonadab said. “When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.’”
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.”
David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.” So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat.
“Send everyone out of here,”Amnon said. So everyone left him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, “Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.” And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, “Come to bed with me, my sister.”
“No, my brother!” she said to him. “Don’t force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don’t do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel. Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you.” But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her.
Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, “Get up and get out!”
“No!” she said to him. “Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.”
But he refused to listen to her. He called his personal servant and said, “Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.” So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.
When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.
Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king’s sons to come there. Absalom went to the king and said, “Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?”
“No, my son,” the king replied. “All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave him his blessing.
Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.”
The king asked him, “Why should he go with you?” But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king’s sons.
Absalom ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.
While they were on their way, the report came to David: “Absalom has struck down all the king’s sons; not one of them is left.” The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by with their clothes torn.
But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David’s brother, said, “My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king’s sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.”
Meanwhile, Absalom had fled.
Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, “I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.”
Jonadab said to the king, “See, the king’s sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said.”
As he finished speaking, the king’s sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly.
Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son.
After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon’s death.

• 2 Samuel 13:1-39

To read 2 Samuel 14, click the link HERE.

To read 2 Samuel 15, click the link HERE.

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

2 Samuel 13:1-2 ‘Tamar’: ” ‘Palm tree.’ She was David’s daughter by Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, King of Geshur (3:3), Absalom’s (David’s third son) full sister and half-sister of Amnon, David’s first son by Ahinoam (3:2). Amnon’s love for her was not filial, but lustful, as became clear in the story. Unmarried daughters were kept in seclusion from men, so that none could see them alone. Amnon had seen Tamar because of their family relationship and had conceived a violent passion for her. This was forbidden by God (see Lev. 18:11), yet with the example of Abraham (Gen. 20:12) and the common practice among the surrounding nations of marrying half-sisters, he felt justified and wanted his passion fulfilled with Tamar.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 13:3 ‘Jonadab’: “The son of David’s brother, called Shammah in 1 Sam. 16:9; 17:3 and Shimea in 1 Chr. 2:13. Jonadab was Amnon’s cousin and counselor who gave Amnon the plan by which he was able to rape Tamar.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 13:12-13 ‘this disgraceful thing’: “Lit. “a wicked thing.” Tamar appealed to Amnon with 4 reasons that he should not rape her. First, it was an utterly deplored act in Israel because it violated the law of God (see Lev. 18:11), and Tamar knew that such action could bring disharmony and bloodshed to the king’s family, as it did. my shame. Second, as a fornicator, Tamar would be scorned as an object of reproach. Even though resistant to the evil crime perpetuated against her, Tamar would bear the stigma of one defiled. like one of the fools in Israel. Third, Amnon would be regarded by the people as a wicked fool, a God-rejecting man without principles who offended ordinary standards of morality, thereby jeopardizing Amnon’s right to the throne. the king …will not withhold me from you. Fourth, Tamar appealed to Amnon to fulfill his physical desire for her through marriage. She surely knew that such a marriage between half-siblings was not allowed by the Mosaic law (Lev. 18:9, 11; 20:17; Deut. 27:22), but in the desperation of the moment, Tamar was seeking to escape the immediate situation.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 13:15 ‘hated her’: “Amnon’s  ‘love’ (v. 1) was nothing but sensual desire that, once gratified, turned to hatred. His sudden revulsion was the result of her unwilling resistance, the atrocity of what he had done, feelings of remorse, and dread of exposure and punishment. All of these rendered her intolerably undesirable to him.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 13:20 ‘do not take this thing to heart’: “Absalom told his sister not to pay undue attention or worry about the consequences of the rape. Absalom minimized the significance of what had taken place only for the moment, while already beginning to plot his revenge in using this crime as reason to do what he wanted to do anyway—remove Amnon from the line of succession to the throne (note also v. 32, where Jonadab knew of Absalom’s plans). desolate. She remained unmarried and childless. Her full brother was her natural protector and the children of polygamists lived by themselves in different family units.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 13:21 ‘David … was very angry’: “Fury and indignation were David’s reactions to the report of the rape (Gen. 34:7). Because he did not punish Amnon for his crime, he abdicated his responsibility both as king and as father. The lack of justice in the land would come back to haunt David in a future day (15:4).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 13:28-29 ‘killed him’: ”Absalom murdered Amnon through his servants (cf. 11:15–17), just as David had killed Uriah through others (11:14–17). Though rape was punishable by death, personal vengeance such as this was unacceptable to God. Due course of law was to be carried out.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 14:2-3 ‘Joab put the words in her mouth’: “Joab used a story, as Nathan had (12:1–12), to show David the error of his ways and to encourage him to call Absalom back to Jerusalem.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 14:11 ‘avenger of blood’: “This is a specific term identifying the nearest relative of the deceased who would seek to put to death the murderer (Num. 35:6–28; Deut. 19:1–13; Matt. 27:25). not one hair. This is an expression meaning that no harm will come to the son of the widow in the story.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 14:28 ‘two full years’: “Whatever were David’s errors in recalling Absalom, he displayed great restraint in wanting to stay apart from Absalom to lead his son through a time of repentance and a real restoration. Rather than produce repentance, however, Absalom’s non-access to the royal court and all its amenities frustrated him so that he sent for Joab to intercede (v. 29).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 14:29-31 ‘God calls us and we must obey’: “Absalom had fled from Jerusalem under fear of David’s anger; he was after a time permitted to return, but he was not admitted into the presence of the king. Earnestly desiring to be restored to his former posts of honor and favor, he tried to get Joab to come to him, intending to ask him to act as mediator. Joab, having lost much of his liking for the young prince, refused to come; and, though he was sent for repeatedly, he declined to respond to Absalom’s desire. Absalom, therefore, thought of a most wicked but most effective plan of bringing Joab into his company. He told his servants to set Joab’s field of barley on fire. This brought Joab down in burning wrath. This was all Absalom wanted-he wished an interview-and he was not scrupulous as to the method by which he obtained it. The burning of the barley field brought Joab into his presence, and Absalom’s ends were accomplished. Omitting the sin of the deed, we have here a picture of what is often done by our gracious God with the wisest and best design. Often he sends for us not for his profit but for ours. He would have us come near to him and receive a blessing at his hands, but we are foolish and coldhearted and wicked, and we will not come. He, knowing that we will not come by any other means, sends a serious trial-he sets our barley field on fire, which he has a right to do, seeing our barley fields are far more his than they are ours. In Absalom’s case it was wrong; in God’s case he has a right to do as he wills with his own. He takes away from us our most choice delight on which we have set our heart, and then we inquire at his hands, ‘Why do you contend with me? Why am I struck with your rod? What have I done to provoke you to anger?’ And thus we are brought into the presence of God, and we receive blessings of infinitely more value than those temporary mercies the Lord had taken from us.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

2 Samuel 14:30-32 ‘set the field on fire’: “This was an act of aggression by Absalom to force Joab to act in his behalf with David, his father. Such a crime was serious, as it destroyed the livelihood of the owner and workers. It reveals that Absalom’s heart was not repentant and submissive, but manipulative. He wanted an ultimatum delivered to David: accept me or kill me!”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 15:1-6 ‘stole the hearts’: “Public hearings were always conducted early in the morning in a court held outside by the city gates. Absalom positioned himself there to win favor. Because King David was busy with other matters or with wars, and was also aging, many matters were left unresolved, building a deep feeling of resentment among the people. Absalom used that situation to undermine his father, by gratifying all he could with a favorable settlement and showing them all warm cordiality. Thus, he won the people to himself, without them knowing his wicked ambition.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 15:12 ‘Ahithophel’: “A counselor of David whose advice was so accurate that it was regarded as if it were the very ‘oracle of God’ (16:23). This man was the father of Eliam (23:34) and the grandfather of Bathsheba (11:3; 23:24–39), who may have been looking for revenge on David. Giloh. A town in the hill country of Judah (Josh. 15:48, 51), probably located a few mi. S of Hebron.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 15:21 ‘David was a friend’: “Some people have a remarkable power of creating and sustaining friendship in others. David was a man brimming over with affection-a man, notwithstanding all his rough soldier- life, of an exceedingly tender heart. He was all that other men are, had suffered their sorrows and had tasted their joys; and, therefore, I suppose he had a large power of attraction about him and brought others to himself. But there is one Man more than man, whose attracting influence is greater than that of all men put together. In the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, we see gentleness, meekness, and most tender affection. Such a vast heart has the Master that he attracts the sons of Adam to himself; and when he is lifted up, he draws people to him; and afterwards, by the cords of his love, he draws them to himself. [If David could inspire such a resolution from lttai, all the more should Jesus Christ inspire it.] People have been known to give away their lives cheerfully for some great military leader whose genius has commanded their admiration, but they were fools to throw their lives away after all, for these people had done but little or nothing for them to make them their servants and slaves. But this Man, if we had a thousand lives and were to give them all, yet would deserve more of us; for he has redeemed us from going down into the pit, saved us from flames that never will be quenched and from a pit that is darkness itself. By the eternal woe from which the blood of Christ has lifted us, let us, who believe that we have been redeemed from hell, consecrate ourselves forever to follow the Lamb wherever he goes.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

2 Samuel 15:24-29 ‘Zadok … Abiathar’: “They brought the ark to comfort David with assurance of God’s blessing, but he saw that as placing more confidence in the symbol than in God and sent it back. David knew the possession of the ark did not guarantee God’s blessing (cf. 1 Sam. 4:3).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

2 Samuel 15:32 ‘top of the mountain’: “This was the place from which David could look toward the city to the W. Hushai the Archite. Hushai was of the clan of the Archites who lived in Ephraim on the border with Manasseh (Josh. 16:2) and served as an official counselor to David (v. 37; 1 Chr. 27:33). David persuaded Hushai to return to Jerusalem and attach himself to Absalom as a counselor. His mission was to contradict the advice of Ahithophel (17:5–14) and to communicate Absalom’s plans to David (17:21; 18:19).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

Amnon, a son of David desired to take Tamar to bed.  The text said that he was in love with her.  She wanted nothing to do with him.  He was love sick.

One of David’s brothers, Shimeah, had a son Jonadab, who was shrewd.  He suggested that Amnon pretend to be sick and then ask for Tamar to give him something to eat.

Odd, even when I do not have a stomach bug, I do not feel hungry when I am sick.  This should have been a sign.

Tamar lived in a different house.  As Rev. MacArthur points out, with multiple wives, they each have their own home.  King David sends for Tamar, making him unknowingly complicit in this scheme.

Then to lure her into getting close to him, he asked for her to feed him by hand.  Then he blatantly said he wanted to have her in his bed.  She refused.  She would be disgraced and he would be made to be a fool, but he was stronger than she was, and he raped her.

As soon as she was no longer a virgin, he hated her and cast her out.  Tamar again protested that once the deed was done, he should honor her.  She tore her robes and mourned.  Absalom tried to console her, but secretly he hated Amnon.  Tamar remained in Absolom’s chambers, a desolate woman.

Absalom then set up a gathering for the sheep shearing.  He insisted that if King David could not come, Amnon should attend.  Absalom’s friends killed Amnon.  A message was sent that the King’s sons were killed by Absalom, but then Jonadab said that only Amnon had been killed.  David mourned.

Absalom fled to his other grandfather’s home, Talmai, the Geshurite king.  When David went to the Philistines to hide from Saul, he had attacked and virtually destroyed the Geshurites (1 Samuel 27), but the king still reigned and David had taken Maacah, the king’s daughter as one of his wives.

Joab called for a wise woman of Tekoa (where the prophet Amos would be from and near Bethlehem), he gave her a story to tell David and she played her part perfectly.  When David speaks of forgiveness to the woman, she asks why he has not done likewise with Absalom.  It was a trick by Joab to retrieve Absalom.  But even in Absalom returning, David did not invite Absalom to his court.

Absalom tried to get Joab to respond to his pleas to be reinstated, but Joab ignored them.  Then Absalom burned Joab’s barley field.  Absalom is then presented to David and David weeps, indicating that Absalom was forgiven.

As a summary and a connection to the prophecy of Nathan, Amnon saw what he wanted in Tamar and he took it – as David had done with Bathsheba.  Absalom had Amnon killed as revenge for his sister – having his friends kill Amnon like David had the enemy soldiers of Ammon kill Uriah.  And with all this, David loved Absalom.  He forgave him and restored him.  Was David being like God is with us, loving Absalom even though he was a sinner?  Or was David blaming himself, seeing the prophecy of Nathan unfold before him?  With either option, David loved and forgave.  And David repented of the evil he had caused.  And David mourned his involvement in the troubles that his sons were going through.  But, the evil was already within Amnon and Absalom.  These two sons of David were not forced to be the evil pawns in a prophecy against their father.  They did so willingly.

Then Absalom, filled with the hubris of getting away with murder, goes to the gate to welcome people to Jerusalem.  With each person, Absalom tells them that David will not help them, but he will.

Through this trickery, Absalom took control of the kingdom.  It is strange how this trickery is done nearly every political campaign.  The old trick of “a chicken in every pot” was a lie one hundred years ago, but politicians wordsmith their promises so that it does not sound like what the people have heard every other year for decades, centuries, millennia considering Absalom, but they still gain votes by those who believe the lie.  Milton Friedman said, “There’s no such thing as a free meal.”  But people continue to believe the lie.

“A Chicken in Every Pot” was said by Henri IV in 1590, meaning that after France had suffered many years of war, he would bring back prosperity.  Herbert Hoover has been accused of reintroducing the saying in his presidential campaign, but there are several historians who deny the claims.  Huey P. Long, the political boss of Louisiana used the phrase often.

David fled Jerusalem.  While those who want a free meal rally around Absalom, David had his loyal men who stayed with him, but David has some stay behind, for various reasons.  Some became spies in Absalom’s midst, reporting back to David what they heard.

Among the conspirators against David is Ahithophel, Bathsheba’s grandfather.  Ahithophel was a very wise advisor.  David prayed that Ahithophel’s advice would become foolishness.  This would become the source of another part of Nathan’s prophecy.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

2 Samuel 13:1-22 Amnon and Tamar 1. In what ways have you been impacted by sexual sins in the past (your past or another’s)? How have you man­ aged to control the damage? To forgive the sinner? To be forgiven?
“2. Who have you ending up ‘hating’ that you started ‘loving’? Why the sudden and total reversal in the relationship? How can you be more reconciled with your past and with this person?
“3. As a parent, or a potential parent, how do you evaluate your present example for the future generation: one that promotes ‘loose living’, or one that deters it? How do you identify with ‘David the dad’ in the passage?
2 Samuel 13:23-39 Absalom kills Amnon 1. What long-term grudges have taken their toll on your family? With whom are you not now on good speaking terms? How can you ‘bury the hatchet’ instead of using it?
“2. From what hurts do you feel like ‘running away’? Where would you go?
2 Samuel 14 1. How do you usually respond when you are alienated from another person? Or from God? What corrective measures right now does this story suggest you take for restoration?
“2. How does physical appearance affect your acceptance of others? Or your acceptance of yourself? How might that acceptance level change if you found your self­ confidence exclusively in God?
“3. How desperate are you these days to get authorities to look favorably upon whatever plight you may be in: (a) Desperate enough to stretch God’s truth to your own defense? (b) To pull heart-strings with a sob story? (c) To burn someone’s fields or bridges behind you? (d) To solicit group prayer? (Why not pray now?)
2 Samuel 15:1-12 Absalom’s Conspiracy 1. When do you feel frustrated in getting an audience with your King? Why?
“2. What campaigns of dis-information to­ day seek to discredit God’s reign or encourage believers to stray from the faith? How might your group counter-act that?
2 Samuel 15:13-37 David Flees 1. Have you made lttai’s promise (‘wherever, whatever’) to your Master? Or have you qualified your allegiance somewhat? How so? Why not make a commitment without reservations to follow your King this week?
“2. David says, ‘Let God do to me whatever seems good to him.’ If you could bring yourself to say that, what are you afraid might happen?
“3. Where do you need to put ‘legs to your prayers’, as David does in sending Hushai to confound Ahithophel’s counsel?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

There are two sets of questions for 2 Samuel 13 and 2 Samuel 15 as noted.  There is one set of questions for 2 Samuel 14.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.