Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, 2 Samuel · Chapter 13
CHAP. XIII.
Verſ. 1. ABſalom the ſonne of David had a fair ſiſter, whoſe name was Tamar; and Amnon the ſonne of David loved her.] Tamar was Amnons ſiſter as well as Abſaloms (for they were all Davids children) but ſhe is called peculiarly Abſaloms ſiſter, becauſe ſhe was his ſiſter both by father and mother; for both Abſalom and Tamar, were born to David of his wife Maacha the daughter of Talmai king of Geſhur; and obſervable it is, how much ſorrow David had in both theſe his children, which he had by the daughter of an heatheniſh idolatrous king, the inceſtuous rape of the one, and the unnaturall rebellion of the other, were a fair evidence to let him ſee that his matching himſelf with ſuch a wife was not pleaſing to God.
Verſ. 2. For ſhe was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.] That is, being a virgin, and ſo ſtrictly kept, and looked to, he thought it would be an impoſſible thing for him, ever to get an opportunity of ſatisfying his luſt with her.
Verſ. 4. Why art thou, being the kings ſonne, lean from day to day?] Two reaſons may be given why Jonadab, wondring that Amnon ſhould ſo droop and pine away as he did, amplified his wonder from this, that he was the kings ſonne: to wit, firſt, becauſe he thought the happineſſe of being the kings ſonne, might eaſily overweigh any cauſe of ſorrow he could poſſibly pretend: and ſecondly, becauſe there was nothing almoſt which he could deſire, which he might not have; Why art thou, being the kings ſonne, lean from day to day? as if he ſhould have ſaid, Being the kings ſonne, thou mayeſt command what thou wilt; and wherefore then doſt thou vex and afflict thy ſelf?
And Amnon ſaid, I love Tamar, my brother Abſaloms ſister.] He calls her here, not his ſiſter, but Abſaloms, thereby ſeeking to palliate, or extenuate his ſinne in luſting after her; by intimating that ſhe was his ſiſter onelyonly by the half-bloud, and not his ſiſter by father and mother, as ſhe was Abſaloms, and yet afterward he calls her his ſiſter, the better to hide his purpoſe from his father, verſ. 6. Amnon ſaid unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my ſiſter come, &c.
Verſ. 6. The king was come to ſee him.] No ſooner did Amnon pretend himſelf ſick; but preſen…ly his father came to ſee him. No doubt his late looſing of his child, that he had by Bathſheba made him the more fearfull of his looſing this ſonne too; and being alſo his eldeſt ſonne, he could not but lay it the more to heart; and yet how well had it been for David, if he had been ſick indeed, yea ſick unto death; conſidering how much b…tter ſorrow, he immediately brought upon him, by that unnaturall villany of his in raviſhing his own ſiſter.
Verſ. 7. Then David ſent home to Tamar, ſaying Go now to thy brother Amnons houſe. &c.] This doubtleſſe did afterwards much adde to Davids ſorrow, that himſelf was made an inſtrument to further ſuch an execrable fact and that by his command, he had coſt his poore child into the ſnare of ſo greivous a miſchief.
Verſ 10. And Amnon ſaid unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber &c.] He calls her into a more inward room, that if ſhe ſhould cry out, yet ſhe might not be heard.
Verſ. 12. And ſhe anſwered him, Nay my brother, do not force me, &c.] By many ſeverall arguments Tamar endeavours here to diſſwade Amnon, from ſeeking to ſatisfie his luſt upon her, to wit, firſt, by putting him in mind that he was her brother▪ Nay my brother; for hereby ſhe gives him a hint, what a high degree of wickedneſſe this was which he went about, no leſſe then inceſt in a high degree: being her brother he was bound by the law of nature, to be a refuge to her againſt any other that ſhould ſeek to defile her, and for him therefore to defile her himſelf his own ſiſter, was a moſt hainous wickedneſſe: ſecondly, by preſſing that aggravating circumſtance of humbling her by violence and force, Nay my brother do not force me, though it were bad enough to commit uncleanneſſe with one that conſents to it, yet to force a poore woman, that had rather looſe her life then her puritie, in this regard if ſhe knew how to avoid it, is farre worſe: thirdly, by alledging what a diſhonour ſuch ſinnes brought upon the whole people of God, and the Religion they profeſſed, which is implyed in thoſe words, for no ſuch thing ought to be done in Iſrael, and fourthly by alledging the ſhame that this would bring upon them; And I, ſaith ſhe, whether ſhall I cauſe my ſhame to go? that is, I never ſhall be able to free my ſelf from ſhame and reproch, I ſhall be aſhamed to ſhew my face any where, as long as I live▪ and thou ſhalt be as one of the fools in Iſrael: that is, every body will account thee a graceleſſe wretch, and judge the unworthy to ſucceed thy Father in the throne.
Verſ. 13. I pray thee, ſpeak unto the king, for he will not with-hold me from thee.] When nothing elſe would prevail with him, being in a ſtreight, ſhe adviſeth him to deſire her of his father for his wife, not as thinking that this could be done; but onelyonly as deſiring by any means to put him off for the preſent, from the proſecuting of this his wicked purpoſe.
Verſ. 15. Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, &c.] Thoſe pangs of grief and remorſe of conſcience, which men uſually feel after an act of uncleanneſſe committed, do naturally alienate the affections of men, from thoſe that have been the occaſions of their ſinne, and make them oft-times to loath them more then before they loved them: and ſo it ſeems it was with Amnon, but then beſides there was no doubt a ſpeciall hand of God in this, whereby way was made to the publiſhing of this ſinne for the puniſhment of David.
And Amnon ſaid unto her, Ariſe, be gone.] It is a wonder that Amnon ſhould thus put her forth, even becauſe of the reſpect he might have had to his own credit and ſafety; had he kept her a while with him, by many entreaties, and tendring what ſatisfaction could be made her, he might have perſwaded her to conceal what he had done, whereas her blubber'd eyes, and ſuch other ſignes of the force done to her, being preſently thruſt out of doors, muſt needs make that wickedneſſe which had been ſecretly done, either vehemently ſuſpected, or manifeſtly known, and ſo expoſe him to the wrath of his father, the puniſhment of the law, (which in caſe of a rape was death) and ſhame amongſt all that ſhould heare of it: but God infatuated him, and why? he meant by this inceſt of Amnon, and Abſaloms murthering his brother in revenge of this rape, to puniſh David for his adultery with Bathſheba, and murther of Uriah, and therefore by occaſion of this mad rage of Amnon, it muſt be publiſhed and known.
Verſ. 16. This evil in ſending me away, is greater then the other that thou didſt unto me.] To wit, becauſe this turning her our in ſuch a condition, would expoſe her to ſo much ſhame and reproch, and not onelyonly diſcover that ſhe had been defiled, but perhaps alſo raiſe an opinion in ſome, that ſhe had conſented, and thereupon was hated and caſt off by Amnon, as ſtrumpets uſe to be by thoſe whom they have inveigled to commit folly with them; and withall becauſe hereby the name of God would be blaſphemed amongſt his enemies, when they ſhould heare of ſuch a fact committed amongſt his people, the people of God would be ſcandalized, and the heart of their father deeply and ſorely wounded. It is true indeed, that if by evil here, onelyonly ſinne be meant, ſhe might well ſay in that ſenſe in ſome regard, that the evil in ſending her away, was greater then that of defiling her: to wit, in regard this was an act ſo full of inhumanity and cruelty, and for which there could not be pleaded ſuch an over-bearing temptation as there was in the other: but yet there is little queſtion I think to be made, that by evil here is meant the evil of injury, or miſchief done to her, and ſo it is no wonder that ſhe ſhould ſay, that the evil in ſending her away, was greater then that of his defiling her: for however the raviſhing her was an incomparable wrong, yet conſidering how grievous the ſhame neceſſarily following the diſcovery hereof, would be to her, ſhe might well judge this, in her paſſion eſpecially, farre worſe then the former evil.
Verſ. 18. And ſhe had a garment of divers colours upon her, &c.] That is, a garment of wrought, or embroidered work; and that which is added, that with ſuch robes were the kings daughters, that were virgins apparelled, is to ſhew, that the rending of her virgin attire, verſ. 19. And Tamar put aſhes on her head and rent her garment of divers coulours: did as it were ſecretly diſcover, that her virginity had been by force rent from her.
Verſ. 19. And Tamar put aſhes on her head.] See the note, Joſh. 7.6.
And laid her hand on her head, and went on, crying.] Which was the uſuall cuſtome of women in extremitie of ſorrow, ſeeking as it were to cover and hide themſelves, Jer. 2.37. Thou ſhalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the Lord hath rejected thy confidences, and thou ſhalt not prosper in them.
Verſ. 20. He is thy brother, regard not this thing.] It ſeems when Tamar was turned out of doors ſhe went not to her father, as being happely moſt aſhamed to ſee him, and ſenſible what an exceeding grief it would be to him, but to her brother Abſalom, who was near and dearer to her then the reſt of her brethren, becauſe he was her brother both by father and mother, who thereupon did what he could to pacifie her: Hold now thy peace, ſaith he, my ſiſter; he is thy brother, regard not this thing, as if he ſhould have ſaid, his ſhame will be the ſhame of us all, and therefore be ſilent: and thus he endeavoured to ſay ſomething to appeaſe her ſorrow for the preſent, though himſelf were even at the ſame time highly enraged at what his brother had done, and fully reſolved to be revenged on him.
Verſ. 21. But when king David heard of all theſe things, he was very wroth.] This is noted, as an inexcuſable weakneſſe in David: when he heard how Amnon had raviſhed his ſiſter, and conſidered that he had made uſe of him to get his ſiſter into his hands, that he might defile her, he was highly enraged at it, but for all this his anger, he let him paſſe unpuniſhed; for what a poore puniſhment was the cheeks or frowns of a father, for ſuch a foul abomination?
Verſ. 22. And Abſalom ſpake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad, &c.] To wit, concerning this abuſe of his ſiſter, as knowing this to be the beſt way to accompliſh the revenge he intended. Had he quarrelled with Ammon, or ſhown himſelf diſcontented, this would have made Amnon the more jealous and wary of him; whereas now by carrying the matter ſo ſmoothly as he did, Amnon feared nothing, and ſo fell eaſily into the ſnare he had laid.
Verſ. 23. And it came to paſſe after two full years, that Abſalom had ſheepſhearers, &c.] When Abſalom, after two years waiting, ſaw well there would be no courſe taken againſt Amnon, by David their father (the Lord having in this given him up to the inordinate love of his children, that Abſalom provoked hereby, David might be now puniſhed with the ſword alſo) and hoped, that now they might think that Abſalom had forgotten that which Amnon had done to his ſiſter, he reſolved to take this occaſion of his ſheep-ſhearing feaſt, to invite his brother home to his houſe, intending there to kill Amnon.
Verſ. 24. Behold now thy ſervant hath ſheep-ſhearers: Let the king I beſeech thee, and his ſervants, go with thy ſervants.] Doubtleſſe the chief reaſon why Abſalom invited all his brothers to his ſheep-ſhearing feaſt, yea and his father too, was, that Amnon might not ſuſpect any thing; yet it may well be alſo (as ſome expoſitours have noted) that he deſired his father ſhould have been an eye witneſſe of the tragicall execution of his inceſtuous darling, becauſe he had all this while forborn to puniſh him: and yet at this time was David ſo tender over this his ungracious ſonne, that he would not go with his ſervants to his feaſt, onelyonly leſt they ſhould be too chargeable to him, as it is expreſſed in the following words, Nay my ſonne, ſaith he, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee.
Verſ, 25. And he preſſed him, howbeit he would not go, but bleſſed him.] That is, he deſired the Lord to be with him, and ſo ſought to diſmiſſe him.
Verſ. 27. But Abſalom preſſed him, that he let Amnon, and all the kings ſonnes go with him.] It vvas ſtrange, that neither Amnon nor David ſhould ſuſpect any thing▪ vvhen Abſalom vvas ſo earneſt to have Amnon come to his houſe, that he would not take a deniall of his father, but preſſed him till at laſt he conſented to it: but when the Lord means to correct his children, or to puniſh wicked men, he is wont thus to take away their wiſdome and underſtanding from them, ſo that they ſhall not ſee the danger approching, though never ſo evident, but ſhall go on, as blind men into a trap; when any body that had their eyes in their heads, might eaſily diſcern it.
Verſ. 28. Mark ye now, when Amnons heart is merry with wine, and when I ſay unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him, &c.] David by making Uriah drunk, ſought to hide his ſinne, and now Abſalom by cauſing Amnon to drink, ſought to accompliſh the murther of his brother, becauſe he had formerly defiled his ſiſter; for doubtleſſe the revenging of his ſiſter Tamars rape, was the chief thing that drew on Abſalom to this bloudy fact, though withall, his ambitious deſire of the Crown might help forward this reſolution of cutting off his elder brother.
Verſ. 29. And every man gat him up upon his mule, and fled.] Hereby it appears, though the Iſraelites were forbidden to ſuffer the cattel of divers kinds to engender together Lev, 19.19. yet they might uſe the cattel ſo engendred; for ſuch mules were, of which ſee the note Gen. 36.24.
Verſ. 32. And Jonadab the ſonne of Shimeah, Davids brother, anſwered and ſaid, Let not my Lord ſuppoſe, that they have ſlain all the young men the kings ſonnes, &c.] This Jonadab was the main cauſe of Amnons raviſhing his ſiſter, and conſequently alſo of Abſaloms murdering Amnon, as is noted in the beginning of this chapter: yet we ſee here how ſmoothly and impudently he could now talk of Amnons forcing his ſiſter Tamar, which he had plotted and contrived, as if he had no way been concerned in the buſineſſe.
Verſ. 37. And went to Talmai, &c.] His mothers father, chap. 3.3.
Verſ. 39. And the ſoul of king David longed to go forth unto Abſalom, &c.] That is, he began to deſire his return again, and had it not been for ſhame, he could have found in his heart to have gone himſelf, and fetched him home: becauſe his conſcience told him it was not fit he ſhould ſhew ſuch favour to his own child being guilty of ſo foul a murder, he was aſhamed and afraid to do it; but in the mean ſeaſon his heart yearned after him, his grief for his other ſonne▪ time by degrees had worn away, and ſo now he began to wiſh, that he had his Abſalom at home again with him; onelyonly he knew not how he ſhould with his credit bring it about.