Study Desk

Didn't you think about the person who struck Avimelekh the son of Yerubeshet, that a woman threw an upper millstone down on him from the wall, so that he died at Tevetz? Why did you go so near the wall?' If he says this, tell him, ‘Your servant Uriyah is dead also.'"

So the messenger left, and on arrival he told David all that Yo'av had sent him to say.

"‘So why have you shown such contempt for the word of Adonai and done what I see as evil? You murdered Uriyah the Hitti with the sword and taken his wife as your own wife; you put him to death with the sword of the people of ‘Amon.

However, because by this act you have so greatly blasphemed Adonai , the child born to you must die."

Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he became ill, for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it would be impossible to approach her.

So Amnon lay down and pretended he was 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 here where I can watch, and I'll eat what she serves me."

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; he was lying down. She took dough, kneaded it, made cakes while he watched, and baked the cakes.

Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food into the room, so that I can have you serve me. Tamar took the cakes she had made and brought them into the room to Amnon her brother.

But when she brought them near, so that he could eat, he grabbed her and said to her, "Come to bed with me, my sister."

"No, my brother," she answered him, "don't force me! Things like this aren't done in Isra'el; don't behave so disgracefully!

But Avshalom kept pressing him, so he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

So my lord the king shouldn't take it as seriously as if all the king's sons are dead; only Amnon is dead."

So Avshalom fled, went to G'shur and stayed there three years.

so Yo'av sent to T'koa, brought from there a clever woman and said to her, "Please, pretend you're a mourner. Put on mourning clothes, and don't anoint yourself with oil, but appear to be a woman who has mourned for the dead a long time.

Now the whole family has come against me, your servant; they're saying, ‘Hand over the one who hit his brother, so that we can put him to death for killing his brother.' They want to destroy the heir as well and thus quench my one remaining coal; then my husband will have neither name nor survivor anywhere on earth."

"Please," she said, "let the king swear by Adonai your God that the blood avengers won't do any more destroying, so they won't destroy my son." He said, "As Adonai lives, not one of your son's hairs will fall to the ground."

Now the reason I came to speak about this matter to my lord the king is that the people were intimidating me; so your servant said, ‘I will speak now to the king; maybe the king will do what his servant is asking.

However, the king said, "Let him return to his own house, but he is not to appear in my presence." So Avshalom returned to his own house and did not appear before the king.

So he said to his servants, "See, Yo'av's field is close to mine, and he has barley there; go, and set it on fire." Avshalom's servants set the field on fire.

Avshalom answered Yo'av, "Look, I sent a message to you to come here, so that I could send you to the king to ask, ‘Why did I come from G'shur? It would have been better for me if I had stayed there. So now, let me appear before the king; and if I'm guilty of anything, he can kill me.'"