Amnon Rapes Tamar - Word Foundations

Here are the main characters in the dramatic and tragic series of events occurring in 2 Samuel 13 and beyond.

- - Amnon, King David’s firstborn son. His mother was Ahinoam.
  - Tamar, a daughter to King David. Tamar was Amnon’s half-sister.
  - Absolom, the third son of King David. His mother was Maacah. Absolom and Tamar were brother and sister.
  - Jonadab, a friend of Amnon. Jonadab gave Amnon some very foolish advice, which he followed.

After the sexual encounter between David and Bathsheba, Nathan’s confronting David, the child’s death, and some other events that included the birth of Solomon to David and Bathsheba, Amnon became infatuated with Tamar and wanted desperately to have sexual intercourse with her. Jonadab advised Amnon to pretend to be ill and to request that Tamar prepare him some food. The implication was clear; Amnon knew what Jonadab was proposing, and he followed his advice.

Hearing that Amnon was ill and was wanting Tamar to fix food for him, David sent Tamar to Amnon’s house. We’ll pick up with verse 8 of 2 Samuel 13.

⁸So 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. ⁹And 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. ¹⁰Then 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. ¹¹Now when she had brought them to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her, “Come, lie with me, my sister.”

¹²But 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! ¹³And 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.” ¹⁴However, he would not heed her voice; and being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her.

After raping Tamar, Amnon hated her and rejected her. David was angry with Amnon but did not hold him accountable. Absolom, therefore took matters in his own hands. Prince Absolom

avenged Tamar by killing their half-brother Amnon, though it resulted in many problems for himself. Absalom lived away from his family for three years after the murder and then lived for an additional period in Jerusalem before seeing his father’s face. Absalom would also later seek to usurp his father’s throne, resulting in his own death.

The wretched, tragic story of Amnon and Tamar highlights some of the problems associated with sexual sin and its aftermath. No one should experience the treatment Tamar endured, and it is important to respond to such situations with integrity and justice. David neglected justice, and Absalom implemented his own standards, creating additional problems in the process.

In part, these events fulfilled Nathan’s prophetic words to David when the prophet confronted the King and conveyed God’s message of judgment.

¹⁰Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ ¹¹Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. ¹²For you did itsecretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun’ ” (2 Sam. 12:10-12).

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