Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Green's Literal Translation

2 Samuel 13:1

And afterward it happened that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, and her name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

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

Dictionaries:

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

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Hebrew Monarchy, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Absalom (1);   Amnon;   Samuel, Books of;   Tamar (1);   Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia - Absalom;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Amnon;   Palm;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Some time passed. David’s son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and David’s son Amnon was infatuated with her.
Hebrew Names Version
It happened after this, that Avshalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
King James Version
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Lexham English Bible
It happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David fell in love with her.
English Standard Version
Now Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar. And after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her.
New Century Version
David had a son named Absalom and a son named Amnon. Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, and Amnon loved her.
New English Translation
Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. In the course of time David's son Amnon fell madly in love with her.
Amplified Bible
It happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon [her half brother] the son of David was in love with her.
New American Standard Bible
Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David was in love with her.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Now after this so it was, that Absalom the sonne of Dauid hauing a fayre sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued her.
Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened afterwards that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Contemporary English Version
David had a beautiful daughter named Tamar, who was the sister of Absalom. She was also the half sister of Amnon, who fell in love with her.
Complete Jewish Bible
Now Avshalom the son of David had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Some time after the previous events, Amnon the son of David fell in love with her.
Darby Translation
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David having a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar, Amnon the son of David loved her.
Easy-to-Read Version
David had a son named Absalom. Absalom had a very beautiful sister named Tamar. Another one of David's sons, Amnon, was in love with Tamar.
George Lamsa Translation
AND it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a sister whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Good News Translation
David's son Absalom had a beautiful unmarried sister named Tamar. Amnon, another of David's sons, fell in love with her.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And it fortuned after this, that Absalom ye sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister, whose name was Thamar, & Ammon the sonne of Dauid loued her.
American Standard Version
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Bible in Basic English
Now after this, it came about that Absalom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and David's son Amnon was in love with her.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
After this, so it was that Absalom the sonne of Dauid had a fayre sister, named Thamar, whom Amnon ye sonne of Dauid loued.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
King James Version (1611)
And it came to passe after this, that Absalom the sonne of Dauid had a faire sister, whose name was Tamar: and Amnon the sonne of Dauid loued her.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And it happened after this that Abessalom the son of David had a very beautiful sister, and her name was Themar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
English Revised Version
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Berean Standard Bible
After some time, David's son Amnon fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of David's son Absalom.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe it was doon aftir these thingis, that Amon, the sone of Dauid, louyde the faireste sistir, Thamar bi name, of Absolon, sone of Dauid.
Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass afterwards that Absalom son of David hath a fair sister, and her name [is] Tamar, and Amnon son of David loveth her.
Update Bible Version
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
Webster's Bible Translation
And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name [was] Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
World English Bible
It happened after this, that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
New King James Version
After this Absalom the son of David had a lovely sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
New Living Translation
Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. And Amnon, her half brother, fell desperately in love with her.
New Life Bible
Now David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar. And David's son Amnon loved her.
New Revised Standard
Some time passed. David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar; and David's son Amnon fell in love with her.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And it came to pass, after this, that, Absolom, son of David, having a beautiful sister, whose name, was Tamar, Amnon son of David loved her.
Douay-Rheims Bible
And it came to pass after this that Ammon the son of David loved the sister of Absalom the son of David, who was very beautiful, and her name was Thamar.
Revised Standard Version
Now Ab'salom, David's son, had a beautiful sister, whose name was Tamar; and after a time Amnon, David's son, loved her.
THE MESSAGE
Some time later, this happened: Absalom, David's son, had a sister who was very attractive. Her name was Tamar. Amnon, also David's son, was in love with her. Amnon was obsessed with his sister Tamar to the point of making himself sick over her. She was a virgin, so he couldn't see how he could get his hands on her. Amnon had a good friend, Jonadab, the son of David's brother Shimeah. Jonadab was exceptionally streetwise. He said to Amnon, "Why are you moping around like this, day after day—you, the son of the king! Tell me what's eating at you." "In a word, Tamar," said Amnon. "My brother Absalom's sister. I'm in love with her."
New American Standard Bible (1995)
Now it was after this that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister whose name was Tamar, and Amnon the son of David loved her.

Contextual Overview

1 And afterward it happened that Absalom the son of David had a beautiful sister, and her name was Tamar. And Amnon the son of David loved her. 2 And Amnon was distressed, even to becoming sick, because of his sister Tamar. For she was a virgin, and it was hard in the eyes of Amnon to do anything to her. 3 And Amnon had a friend, and his name was Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother. And Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4 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. 5 And Jonadab said to him, Lie down on your bed and pretend to be ill. And your father will come in to see you, and you shall say to him, Please let my sister Tamar come in and give me food to eat. Andshe shall make the food before my eyes, sothat I may see and may eat from her hand. 6 And Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And the king came to see him. And Amnon said to the king, Please let my sister Tamar come, and she shall make two cakes before my eyes, and I shall eat from her hand. 7 And David sent home to Tamar, saying, Please go to the house of your brother Amnon and make food for him. 8 And Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house. And he was lying down. And she took the dough, and kneaded it, and made cakes before his eyes, and baked the cakes. 9 And she took the baking pan and poured out before him. But he refused to eat, and Amnon said, Cause every man to go out from me. And every one of them went out from him. 10 And Amnon said to Tamar, Bring the food into the inner room, and I shall eat from your hand. And Tamar took the cakes that she had made and brought them in to her brother Amnon, into the inner room.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 2972, bc 1032, A.Ex, Is, 459

Absalom: 2 Samuel 3:2, 2 Samuel 3:3, 1 Chronicles 3:2

a fair sister: 2 Samuel 11:2, Genesis 6:2, Genesis 39:6, Genesis 39:7, Proverbs 6:25, Proverbs 31:30

Tamar: 2 Samuel 14:27, 1 Chronicles 3:9

loved her: 2 Samuel 13:15, Genesis 29:18, Genesis 29:20, Genesis 34:3, 1 Kings 11:1

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 27:22 - General 2 Samuel 12:11 - I will raise 1 Chronicles 3:1 - Amnon Psalms 118:18 - chastened Proverbs 17:25 - General Proverbs 19:13 - foolish Song of Solomon 2:5 - for Ezekiel 22:11 - his sister

Cross-References

Genesis 13:9
Is not all the land before you? Please separate from me. If you go to the left, then I will go to the right. Or if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.
Genesis 20:1
And Abraham pulled up stakes from there to the land of the Negeb, and lived between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar.
Genesis 21:33
And he planted a tamarisk tree in Beer-sheba, and there he called on the name of Jehovah the everlasting God.
Joshua 10:40
And Joshua struck all the land: the heights and the Negeb, and the Lowland, and the slopes, and all their kings; he did not leave a survivor, but he destroyed all that breathed, as Jehovah the God of Israel had commanded.
Joshua 18:5
And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall stay within their border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall stay within their border on the north.
1 Samuel 27:10
And Achish said, Did you not make raids today? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and to the south of the Kenites.
2 Samuel 24:7
And they came into the fortress of Tyre, and all the cities of the Hivite, and of the Canaanite. And they went out to the south of Judah, to Beer-sheba.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And it came to pass after this,.... After the sin of David with Bathsheba, his repentance for it, and pardon of it, and the birth of Solomon as a token of reconciliation; yet after all this the divine threatenings must take place; they had begun already in the death of the child begotten in adultery, and others here follow:

that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name [was] Tamar; she was his sister both by father and mother's side; the mother o, f them was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; she was a very comely person, her name signifies a palm tree:

and Amnon the son of David loved her; not in an honourable way, to make her his wife, but in a lustful manner, to make an harlot of her; he was David's eldest son by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, 2 Samuel 3:2.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The history here, down to the end of 2 Samuel 23:0 (excepting a few particulars), is omitted in the Book of Chronicles.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER XIII

Amnon falls in love with his half-sister Tamar, and feigns

himself sick, and requests her to attend him, 1-6.

David sends her to him, and he violates her, 7-14.

He then hates her, and expels her from his house, 15-17,

She rends her garments, puts ashes on her head, and goes forth

weeping, 18, 19.

She is met by Absalom her brother, who, understanding her case,

determines the death of Amnon, 20-22.

Two years after, he invites all his brothers to a

sheep-shearing, when he orders his servants to murder Amnon,

23-29.

Tidings come to David that Absalom has slain all the king's

sons, which fill him with the bitterest distress, 30, 31.

The rest soon arrive, and he finds that Amnon only is killed,

32-36.

Absalom flees to Talmai, king of Geshur, where he remains three

years, 37, 38.

David longs after Absalom, having become reconciled to the death

of Amnon, 39.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIII

Verse 2 Samuel 13:1. Whose name was Tamar — Tamar was the daughter of David and Maacah, daughter of the king of Geshur, and the uterine sister of Absalom. Amnon was David's eldest son by Ahinoam. She was therefore sister to Amnon only by the father's side, i.e., half-sister; but whole sister to Absalom.


 
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