Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, July 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 9 / Ordinary 14
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Samuel 13:4

and he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so miserable every morning? Won’t you tell me?”

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Adultery;   Jonadab;   Lasciviousness;   Seduction;   Tamar;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Amnon;   Jonadab;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Absalom;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Family Life and Relations;   Friend, Friendship;   Woman;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Jehonadab;   Tamar;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Abimelech;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Amnon;   Love;   Rape;   Samuel, Books of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Love, Lover, Lovely, Beloved;   Samuel, Books of;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Amnon ;   Tamar ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Absalom;   Amnon;   David;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Am'non;   Ta'mar;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Samuel, Books of;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Absalom;   Brother;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
He said to him, Why, son of the king, are you thus lean from day to day? Won't you tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Avshalom's sister.
King James Version
And he said unto him, Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Lexham English Bible
And he said to him, "Why are you so sullen every morning, O son of the king? Will you not tell me?" And Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
English Standard Version
And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
New Century Version
He asked Amnon, "Son of the king, why do you look so sad day after day? Tell me what's wrong!" Amnon told him, "I love Tamar, the sister of my half-brother Absalom."
New English Translation
He asked Amnon, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed every morning? Can't you tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar the sister of my brother Absalom."
Amplified Bible
He said to Amnon, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" And Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, my [half-] brother Absalom's sister."
New American Standard Bible
And he said to him, "Why are you, the king's son, so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" So Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
Geneva Bible (1587)
Who sayde vnto him, Why art thou the Kings sonne so leane from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? Then Amnon answered him, I loue Tamar my brother Absaloms sister.
Legacy Standard Bible
And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
Contemporary English Version
and he said to Amnon, "What's the matter? You're the king's son! You shouldn't have to go around feeling sorry for yourself every morning." Amnon said, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
Complete Jewish Bible
He asked him, "Why, son of the king, are you growing thinner every day? Won't you tell me?" Amnon answered him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Avshalom's sister."
Darby Translation
And he said to him, Why dost thou, the king's son, get thinner from morning to morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Easy-to-Read Version
He said to Amnon, "You are the king's son. So why do you always look so sad? Tell me what the trouble is!" Amnon told Jonadab, "I love Tamar. But she is the sister of my half-brother Absalom."
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to Amnon, O son of the king why are you so losing weight from day to day? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absaloms sister.
Good News Translation
Jonadab said to Amnon, "You are the king's son, yet day after day I see you looking sad. What's the matter?" "I'm in love with Tamar, the sister of my half brother Absalom," he answered.
Literal Translation
And he said to him, Why are you, the king's son, so lean morning by morning? Will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
which sayde vnto him: Why art thou so leane (thou kynges sonne) from daye to daye? Mayest thou not tell me? Then sayde Ammon vnto him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister exceadingly.
American Standard Version
And he said unto him, Why, O son of the king, art thou thus lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Bible in Basic English
And he said to him, O son of the king, why are you getting thinner day by day? will you not say what your trouble is? And Amnon said to him, I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And he said vnto him: How commeth it, that thou being the kinges sonne, art thus consumed from day to day? Wylt thou not tell me? Amnon aunswered him: I loue Thamar my brother Absaloms sister.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And he said unto him: 'Why, O son of the king, art thou thus becoming leaner from day to day? wilt thou not tell me?' And Amnon said unto him: 'I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'
King James Version (1611)
And he saide vnto him, Why art thou, being the Kings sonne, leane from day to day? Wilt thou not tel me? and Amnon said vnto him, I loue Tamar my brother Absaloms sister.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And he said to him, What ails thee that thou art thus weak? O son of the king, morning by morning? wilt thou not tell me? and Ammon said, I love Themar the sister of my brother Abessalom.
English Revised Version
And he said unto him, Why, O son of the king, art thou thus lean from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom’s sister.
Berean Standard Bible
so he asked Amnon, "Why are you, the son of the king, so depressed morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon replied, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Which seide to Amon, Sone of the kyng, whi art thou maad feble so bi leenesse bi alle daies? whi schewist thou not to me? And Amon seide to him, Y loue Thamar, the sister of my brother Absolon.
Young's Literal Translation
and saith to him, `Wherefore [art] thou thus lean, O king's son, morning by morning? dost thou not declare to me?' And Amnon saith to him, `Tamar -- sister of Absalom my brother -- I am loving.'
Update Bible Version
And he said to him, Why, O son of the king, are you thus lean from day to day? will you not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
Webster's Bible Translation
And he said to him, Why [art] thou, [being] the king's son, pining from day to day? wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
World English Bible
He said to him, Why, son of the king, are you thus lean from day to day? Won't you tell me? Amnon said to him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.
New King James Version
And he said to him, "Why are you, the king's son, becoming thinner day after day? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
New Living Translation
One day Jonadab said to Amnon, "What's the trouble? Why should the son of a king look so dejected morning after morning?" So Amnon told him, "I am in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
New Life Bible
He said to Amnon, "O son of the king, why are you so sad from day to day? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."
New Revised Standard
He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
So he said to him, - Why art thou looking so wretched - a king's son too - morning by morning? Wilt thou not tell me? And Amnon said to him, With Tamar, my brother Absolom's sister, am I in love.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to him: Why dost thou grow so lean from day to day, O son of the king? why dost thou not tell me the reason of it? And Ammon said to him: I am in love with Thamar the sister of my brother Absalom.
Revised Standard Version
And he said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so haggard morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I love Tamar, my brother Ab'salom's sister."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
He said to him, "O son of the king, why are you so depressed morning after morning? Will you not tell me?" Then Amnon said to him, "I am in love with Tamar, the sister of my brother Absalom."

Contextual Overview

1Some time passed. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David’s son Amnon was infatuated with her. 2Amnon was frustrated to the point of making himself sick over his sister Tamar because she was a virgin, but it seemed impossible to do anything to her. 3Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, a son of David’s brother Shimeah. Jonadab was a very shrewd man, 4and he asked Amnon, “Why are you, the king’s son, so miserable every morning? Won’t you tell me?”5Jonadab said to him, “Lie down on your bed and pretend you’re sick. When your father comes to see you, say to him, ‘Please let my sister Tamar come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare a meal in my presence so I can watch and eat from her hand.’” 6So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, “Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my presence so I can eat from her hand.” 7David sent word to Tamar at the palace: “Please go to your brother Amnon’s house and prepare a meal for him.” 8Then Tamar went to his house while Amnon was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes in his presence, and baked them. 9She brought the pan and set it down in front of him, but he refused to eat. Amnon said, “Everyone leave me!” And everyone left him. 10“Bring the meal to the bedroom,” Amnon told Tamar, “so I can eat from your hand.” Tamar took the cakes she had made and went to her brother Amnon’s bedroom.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Why art: 1 Kings 21:7, Esther 5:13, Esther 5:14, Luke 12:32

lean: Heb. thin

from day to day: Heb. morning by morning, I love. Isaiah 3:9, Jeremiah 8:12, Micah 7:3

my brother: Leviticus 18:9, Leviticus 20:17

Reciprocal: Genesis 40:7 - Wherefore Numbers 11:6 - General 1 Kings 21:4 - And he laid him 1 Kings 21:5 - Why is thy spirit Esther 2:4 - the thing 2 Corinthians 7:10 - the sorrow

Cross-References

Genesis 4:26
A son was born to Seth also, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.
Genesis 13:1
Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev—he, his wife, and all he had, and Lot with him.
Genesis 13:2
Abram was very rich in livestock, silver, and gold.
Genesis 13:3
He went by stages from the Negev to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had formerly been,
Genesis 13:7
and there was quarreling between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land.)
Genesis 13:8
So Abram said to Lot, “Please, let’s not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, since we are relatives.
Genesis 13:18
So Abram moved his tent and went to live near the oaks of Mamre at Hebron, where he built an altar to the Lord.
Psalms 26:8
Lord, I love the house where you dwell,the place where your glory resides.
Psalms 84:10
Better a day in your courtsthan a thousand anywhere else.I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my Godthan live in the tents of wicked people.
Psalms 107:1
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;his faithful love endures forever.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And he said unto him, why [art] thou, [being] the king's son,

lean from day today?.... Or "morning by morning", w; he was the king's eldest son, heir to the crown, fed at his table, had everything to make him gay and cheerful, and yet pined away; his flesh wasted x, his countenance waxed wan and pale, and especially in the mornings; in the daytime he met with diversions which, in some measure, took off his thoughts from the object his mind was impressed with, but in the night season they were continually employed about it; so that he could have no rest and sleep, which made him look ruefully in the morning; and this man had a suspicion of his case, and therefore put this and the following question to him:

wilt thou not tell me? who am so nearly related to thee, and who have such a particular value and affection for thee:

and Amnon said unto him, I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister; he does not call her his sister, but Absalom's sister, to lessen his sin of unlawful love to her, which, being thus closely pressed, and by a friend, he could not conceal.

w בבקר בבקר, "in mane in mane", Montanus. x "Fecit amor maciem -----". Ovid Metamorph. l. 11. Fab. 11. v. 793.


 
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