Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
Amnon does violence to Tamar: wherefore, invited to a banquet by Absalom the brother of Tamar, verse 23, he is killed at it. Then, verse 34, Absalom flees to his maternal grandfather the king of Geshur.
Vulgate Text: 2 Kings 13:1-39
1. Now it came to pass after this, that Amnon the son of David fell in love with the most beautiful sister of Absalom the son of David, named Tamar, 2. and he was so passionately in love with her that he fell sick on account of his love; because since she was a virgin, it seemed difficult to him to do anything improper with her. 3. But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, a very clever man. 4. Who said to him: Why do you grow so thin, O son of the king, day after day? 5. Jonadab answered him: Lie upon your bed, and pretend to be ill. 6. And when Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill, the king came to visit him; and Amnon said to the king: Let Tamar my sister come, I pray, and make a couple of cakes before my eyes, and let me eat from her hand. 7. So David sent home to Tamar, saying: Come to the house of your brother Amnon, and prepare food for him. 8. And Tamar came to the house of Amnon her brother; but he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes before his eyes, and cooked the cakes. 9. And taking what she had cooked, she poured it out and set it before him, but he would not eat; and Amnon said: Put everyone out from me. And when they had all gone out, 10. Amnon said to Tamar: Bring the food into the chamber, that I may eat from your hand. So Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them to her brother Amnon in the chamber. 11. And when she offered him the food, he seized her and said: Come, lie with me, my sister. 12. She answered him: No, my brother, do not force me, for this is not lawful in Israel. 13. Speak to the king, and he will not refuse me to you. 14. But he would not yield to her entreaties; but prevailing by strength he violated her. 15. And Amnon hated her with an exceedingly great hatred. 16. She answered him: This evil of sending me away is greater than what you did to me before. But he would not listen to her; 17. but called the boy who served him, and said: Put this woman out from me, and close the door after her. 18. Now she was wearing a long tunic, for the king's virgin daughters wore such garments. So his servant put her out and closed the door after her. 19. And she sprinkled ashes on her head and tore the long tunic, and putting her hands on her head, went away crying out. 20. And Absalom her brother said to her: Be silent: he is your brother. 21. But when king David heard these things, he was very sorrowful. 22. Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor evil; for Absalom hated Amnon. 23. Now it came to pass after two years that Absalom's sheep were being shorn in Baal-hazor. 24. And Absalom came to the king and said: Behold, your servant's sheep are being shorn; let the king, I pray, with his servants come to your servant. 25. And the king said to Absalom: No, my son, do not ask that we all come and be burdensome to you. And when he pressed him and he would not go, he blessed him. 26. And Absalom said: If you will not come, let my brother Amnon come with us, I pray. And the king said to him: It is not necessary that he should go with you. 27. But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon go with him, and all the king's sons. 28. And Absalom commanded his servants, saying: Watch, and when Amnon shall be merry with wine, and I say to you: Strike Amnon, kill him. Do not be afraid; for it is I who command you. Be courageous, and be valiant men. 29. So the servants of Absalom did to Amnon as Absalom had commanded them. And all the king's sons arose and mounted their mules and fled. 30. And while they were still on the way, a rumor came to David, saying: Absalom has slain all the king's sons, and not one of them remains. 31. So the king arose, and tore his garments and fell upon the ground, and all his servants who were standing by him tore their garments. 32. But Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said: Let not my lord the king suppose that all the young men the king's sons have been killed; Amnon alone is dead, for this was determined by Absalom from the day he violated his sister Tamar. 33. Now therefore let not my lord the king take this to his heart, thinking all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon alone is dead. 34. But Absalom fled. And the young man who was the watchman lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold many people were coming by the way of the hillside. 35. And Jonadab said to the king: Behold, the king's sons are coming; as your servant said, so it has happened. 36. And when he had finished 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 with very great weeping. 37. But Absalom fleeing, went to Talmai king of Geshur. 38. And Absalom was there three years. 39. And king David ceased to pursue Absalom.
Verse 1: Amnon's Passion for Tamar
1. NOW IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THIS THAT AMNON THE SON OF DAVID FELL IN LOVE WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SISTER OF ABSALOM. -- "Tamar" was a half-sister of Amnon, from the same father David, but from a different mother; for Amnon was born of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess. The same Tamar was a full sister of Absalom from the same father David and the same mother, namely the daughter of Talmai the king of Geshur; and therefore Absalom avenged the violation of his full sister by killing his brother Amnon. Now Tamar in Hebrew means the same as palm tree: Absalom means the father's equal; Amnon means faithful and stable: but these names fit the said persons only by antiphrasis. For Amnon was unfaithful and unstable: Absalom disturbed David's kingdom, Tamar suffered a violation, which the unconquered palm does not suffer.
Verse 2: The Sickness of Love
2. SO THAT HE FELL SICK ON ACCOUNT OF HIS LOVE. -- This disease of love is called by physicians eros, that is love, by which a man wholly languishes, wastes away, withers, and pines from the intensity of love.
SINCE SHE WAS A VIRGIN -- who was kept at home by her father David in the women's quarters, among the other virgins and daughters of the king, with great care and guard.
Verse 13: Tamar's Plea
13. SPEAK TO THE KING, AND HE WILL NOT REFUSE ME TO YOU. -- The simple girl, ignorant of the law, thought this could be done; for she believed marriage between brother and sister was permitted if she were only a half-sister from a different mother. But she erred. For the law of Leviticus XVIII expressly forbids under penalty of death all marriage between brothers and sisters, even from only one parent.
Verse 14: The Violation
14. HE VIOLATED HER. -- God permitted this to punish the adultery of his father David. For Amnon was David's firstborn son, and most beloved by him, who following his father's lust violated his own sister. Let parents learn from this to be chaste, that they may teach their children chastity by example more than by word. For if they are unchaste, their children will imitate their unchastity.
Verse 15: Love Turned to Hatred
15. AND AMNON HATED HER WITH AN EXCEEDINGLY GREAT HATRED. -- The natural reason for this hatred, says Cajetan, is given by the philosophers, namely that in so great a love there is a great expenditure, which greatly alters the disposition and temperament; and consequently changes the affections to their opposite, namely love into hatred.
Abulensis adds that this happened by God's particular providence and chastisement, namely that to love which is excessively irrational, an excessive hatred follows; so that a fitting punishment is given to the sinner through opposites. For it is God's decree that those who act very wickedly should be their own punishment. Whence St. Augustine in the Confessions: "You have ordained, O Lord, and so it is, that every disordered soul should be its own punishment."
Verse 16: The Greater Evil of Expulsion
16. SHE ANSWERED HIM: THIS EVIL THAT YOU NOW DO AGAINST ME IS GREATER THAN WHAT YOU DID BEFORE, EXPELLING ME -- both because this expulsion was public and infamous, while the violation had been secret; and because the disgraceful expulsion increased the pain; and because Tamar hoped that Amnon would cover the wrong done to her, either by concealing it or by taking her as his wife: but now, expelled, she saw both the wrong being made public and her marriage being refused.
Verse 21: David's Failure to Punish
21. HE WOULD NOT GRIEVE THE SPIRIT OF HIS SON AMNON. -- David sinned by not correcting or punishing his son Amnon for this most infamous crime, especially since the law commands it. Therefore by God's just judgment so many and such great evils followed: for Amnon was killed and lost his life, David nearly lost both his kingdom and his life, as Absalom avenged the violation of his sister. So Abulensis, who holds that David should have punished Amnon with death, although Cajetan excuses him, on the grounds that the crime was secret and could not be proven by any witness.
Verse 23: Amnon's Death After Two Years
23. NOW IT CAME TO PASS AFTER TWO YEARS. -- From this it is clear that the death of Amnon occurred two years after the violation he had inflicted on Tamar: so quickly did God's vengeance pursue the wicked and incestuous man, and deprived him of life and kingdom.
Verse 37: Absalom's Flight to Geshur
37. ABSALOM FLEEING WENT TO TALMAI THE SON OF AMMIHUD, KING OF GESHUR. -- He therefore fled to his maternal grandfather; for he was the son of the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur. For the grandfather received his grandson and protected him, because he himself had avenged the violation of his granddaughter Tamar by the killing of Amnon the violator.
38. HE WAS THERE THREE YEARS. -- From this is clear the chronology of the events, which I assigned at chapter XII, verse 25.