One of the most unflinching chapters in the Hebrew Bible, 2 Samuel 13 records the assault on Tamar by her half-brother Amnon, King David’s silence, and the two years of festering hatred that end in murder. The chapter is the direct fulfillment of Nathan’s prophecy from 2 Samuel 12:11.

Full sung version coming soon.

Lyrics

After this, Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar And Amnon the son of David loved her Amnon was so troubled that he became sick because of his sister Tamar For she was a virgin and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her

But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David’s brother And Jonadab was a very subtle man He said to him, Why, son of the king, are you so sad from day to day Won’t you tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister

Jonadab said to him, Lay down on your bed and pretend to be sick When your father comes to see you, tell him, Please let my sister Tamar come And give me bread to eat and prepare the food in my sight That I may see it and eat it from her hand

So Amnon lay down and faked being sick When the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come And make me a couple of cakes in my sight that I may eat from her hand Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to your brother Amnon’s house

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house and he was lying down She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his sight and baked the cakes She took the pan and poured them out before him but he refused to eat Amnon said, Have all men leave me. Then every man went out from him

Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the room that I may eat from your hand Tamar took the cakes which she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother When she had brought them near to him to eat, he took hold of her and said to her Come, lie with me, my sister

She answered him, No, my brother, do not force me For no such thing ought to be done in Israel Don’t you do this folly As for me, where would I carry my shame? And as for you, you will be as one of the fools in Israel

Now therefore, please speak to the king for he will not withhold me from you However he would not listen to her voice But being stronger than she, he forced her and lay with her Then Amnon hated her with exceedingly great hatred

For the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her Amnon said to her, Arise, be gone She said to him, Not so, because this great wrong in sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me But he would not listen to her

Then he called his servant who ministered to him and said, Now put this woman out from me And bolt the door after her Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her garment of various colors that was on her And she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went

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2 Samuel 13 sung by Psalm Selah. The whole Bible, one chapter at a time.

Published 2026-05-22 · Last updated 2026-06-06
Written by Reid Wender, Editorial Director at Psalmody Press