Commentaria in II Regum (II Samuelis)
Amnon violates Thamar in vain: wherefore, being invited by Absalom, Thamar’s brother, to a banquet, verse 23, he is killed at it. Moreover, verse 34, Absalom flees to his maternal grandfather, the king of Gessur.
1. And it came to pass after this, that Amnon the son of David loved the most beautiful sister of Absalom the son of David, whose name was Thamar, 2. And was exceedingly in love with her, so that he fell sick for her love; for as she was a virgin, he thought it hard to do anything dishonestly with her. 3. Now Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of Semmaa the brother of David, a very prudent man. 4. Who said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason? And Amnon said to him: I love Thamar, the sister of my brother Absalom. 5. And Jonadab said to him: Lie down upon thy bed, and feign thyself sick; and when thy father shall come to visit thee, say to him: Let my sister Thamar come, I pray thee, to give me meat, and make me a mess, that I may eat it at her hand. 6. So Amnon lay down, and made as if he were sick; and when the king was come to visit him, Amnon said to the king: Let my sister Thamar come, I beseech thee, and make in my sight two little messes, that I may eat at her hand.
7. David sent therefore home to Thamar, saying: Come to the house of thy brother Amnon, and make him a mess. 8. And Thamar came to the house of her brother Amnon; but he was lying down: and she took meal and tempered it, and dissolving it in his sight, she boiled the little messes. 9. And taking what she had boiled, she poured it out and set it before him, but he would not eat; and Amnon said: Put out all persons from me. And when they had put out all, 10. Amnon said to Thamar: Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat at thy hand. Thamar therefore took the little messes which she had made, and brought them in to her brother Amnon in the chamber. 11. And when she had presented him the meat, he took hold of her, and said: Come, lie with me, my sister. 12. She answered him: Do not so, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel; do not thou this folly. 13. For I shall not be able to bear my shame, and thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel; but rather speak to the king, and he will not deny me to thee.
14. But he would not hearken to her prayers; but being stronger, he forced her, and lay with her. 15. Then Amnon hated her with an exceeding great hatred, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her before. And Amnon said to her: Arise, and be gone. 16. She answered him: This evil which thou dost now against me, in driving me away, is greater than that which thou didst before. And he would not hearken to her; 17. but calling his servant that ministered to him, he said: Thrust this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her. 18. Now she was clothed with a long robe; for the king’s daughters that were virgins used such kind of garments. So his servant thrust her out, and bolted the door after her. 19. And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe, and laying her hands on her head, went on crying. 20. And Absalom her brother said to her: Hath thy brother Amnon lain with thee? but now, sister, hold thy peace, he is thy brother; and afflict not thy heart for this thing. So Thamar remained pining away in the house of Absalom her brother.
21. And when king David heard of these things, he was exceedingly grieved, and he would not grieve the spirit of his son Amnon, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn. 22. But Absalom spoke not to Amnon, either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had ravished his sister Thamar. 23. And it came to pass two years after, that the sheep of Absalom were shorn in Baalhasor, which is near Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king’s sons; 24. And came to the king, and said to him: Behold, thy servant’s sheep are shorn; let the king, I pray, come with his servants to his servant. 25. And the king said to Absalom: Do not, my son, do not ask that we all come, and be burdensome to thee. And when he pressed him, and he would not go, he blessed him. 26. And Absalom said: If thou wilt not come, at least let my brother Amnon, I beseech thee, come with us. And the king said to him: There is no need that he should go with thee. 27. But Absalom pressed him, so he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. And Absalom made a feast like the feast of a king.
28. And Absalom had commanded his servants, saying: Take notice when Amnon shall be drunk with wine, and when I shall say to you: Strike him, and kill him, fear not; for it is I that command you, take courage, and be valiant men. 29. And the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king’s sons arose, and got up every man upon his mule, and fled. 30. And while they were yet in the way, a rumour came to David, saying: Absalom hath slain all the king’s sons, and there is not one of them left. 31. Then the king rose up, and rent his garments, and fell upon the ground; and all his servants that stood about him rent their garments. 32. But Jonadab the son of Semmaa, David’s brother, answering, said: Let not my lord the king think that all the young men the king’s sons are slain; Amnon only is dead, for he was appointed to it by the mouth of Absalom from the day that he ravished his sister Thamar. 33. Now therefore let not my lord the king take this thing into his heart, saying: All the king’s sons are slain, for Amnon only is dead.
34. But Absalom fled away, and the young man that was on the watch lifted up his eyes, and looked; and behold, much people came by a by-way on the side of the hill. 35. And Jonadab said to the king: Behold, the king’s sons are come; as thy servant said, so it is. 36. And when he had made an end of speaking, the king’s sons also appeared; and coming in they lifted up their voice, and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very much. 37. But Absalom fled, and went to Tholomai the son of Ammiud, king of Gessur. And David mourned for his son every day. 38. Now Absalom, when he had fled and was come to Gessur, was there three years. 39. And king David ceased to pursue after Absalom, because he was comforted concerning the death of Amnon.
1. AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS, THAT AMNON THE SON OF DAVID LOVED THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SISTER OF ABSALOM THE SON OF DAVID, WHOSE NAME WAS THAMAR.—Thamar, then, was a half-sister of Amnon on the father’s side, namely by the same father David but a different mother; for Amnon was born of Achinoam the Jezrahelitess. The same Thamar was the full sister of Absalom by the same father David and the same mother, namely Tholmai’s daughter, the king of Gessur’s, as was said in chapter 3, verse 2; and therefore Absalom avenged the violation of his full sister by the killing of his brother Amnon. Furthermore, Thamar is the same as palm; Absalom (whom many briefly and corruptly call Absalon) is “father of peace”; Amnon, faithful and steadfast: wherefore these names fit the persons mentioned only by antiphrasis, as war is called “bellum,” as if it were not at all “bellum,” beautiful. For Amnon was unfaithful and unstable; Absalom troubled the kingdom of David; Thamar suffered a wrong, which the unconquered palm does not suffer.