References (13)
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar. [She was the daughter of Maacah, see .] Amnon, David's [eldest] son [], loved her.
And Amnon was so unhappy that he felt sick because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin and it seemed impossible for Amnon to do anything with her. [They were half-siblings and incest was forbidden, see .]
And he said to him, "Why, son of the king, have you become so thin (skinny) from day to day? Won't you tell me?"
And Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Avshalom's sister."
And Jonadav said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend to be sick, and when your father comes to see you, say to him, 'Let my sister Tamar come, I beg you, and give me bread to eat, and prepare the food before my eyes so that I may see it and eat it from her hand.
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came and saw him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make some cakes in my presence, so that I may eat from her hand."
And David sent word to Tamar's house, saying, "Go, I beg you, to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him."
And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house, and he was lying down. And she took dough and kneaded it and made cakes in his sight, and she baked the cakes.
And Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the bedroom so that I may eat from your hand." Then Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the bedroom to Amnon, her brother.
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the garment of many colors that she was wearing, and she put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.
And her brother Avshalom said to her, "Has Aminon [diminutive form of Amnon] your brother been with you? Now, calm down, my sister, he is your brother, do not take this to heart." [The diminutive form is probably used to emphasize how the meaning of Amnon's name, "faithful," did not match his actions. So Tamar remained abandoned (devastated, alone) in her brother Avshalom's house. ]
And Avshalom spoke neither good nor bad to Amnon, for Avshalom hated Amnon because he had raped his sister Tamar.
But Jonadab, a son of David's brother Shimeah [], answered and said, "Let not my lord believe that they have killed all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon is the only one who is dead, for Absalom has determined this and has been determined from the day he raped his sister Tamar.
These were all David's sons, besides the sons of his concubines. Tamar was their sister. [Tamar was the daughter of Maacah, see .]
