2 Samuel 13:2

2 Samuel 13:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
• New International Version (NIV)Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her.

Context of 2 Samuel 13:2

1Now 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. Amnon was so frustrated because of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed hard to Amnon to do anything to her. 3But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David’s brother; and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. 4He 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.”

2 Samuel 13:2 word by word

וַיֵּ֨צֶר לְאַמְנ֜וֹן לְהִתְחַלּ֗וֹת בַּֽעֲבוּר֙ תָּמָ֣ר אֲחֹת֔וֹ כִּ֥י בְתוּלָ֖ה הִ֑יא וַיִּפָּלֵא֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י אַמְנ֔וֹן לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת לָ֖הּ מְאֽוּמָה׃Read the interlinear

• Amnonאַמְנוֹן'amnôn 'ămîynôn · AmnonH550
• was so frustratedצָרַרtsârar · to confineH6887
• becauseעָבוּר‛âbûr ‛âbûr · for the sake ofH5668
• of his sisterאָחוֹת'âchôth · sisterH269
• Tamarתָּמָרtâmâr · TamarH8559
• that he madeחָלָהchâlâh · be weak: illH2470
• himself illחָלָהchâlâh · be weak: weakH2470
• for she was a virginבְּתוּלָהbethûlâh · virginH1330
• and it seemedפָּלָאpâlâ' · to wonderH6381
• to doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• anythingמְא֫וּמָהme'ûmâh · anythingH3972

Cross-references for 2 Samuel 13:2

• 1 Kings 21:4So Ahab came into his house sullen and vexed because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he said, “I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers.” And he lay down on his bed and turned away his face and ate no food.
• 2 Corinthians 7:10For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 13:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Amnon was so vexed - for she was a virgin - It has been well remarked that "the passion of love is nowhere so wasting and vexatious, as where it is unlawful. A quick sense of guilt, especially where it is enormous, as in the present instance, strikes the soul with horror; and the impossibility of an innocent gratification loads that horror with desperation: a conflict too cruel and too dreadful for human bearing." - Delaney.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2sick with frustration: The story shows that Amnon's "love" for Tamar (2 Samuel 13:4) was not healthy love. It was an unhealthy sexual obsession that made him emotionally distressed. She was a virgin: Amnon’s fixation grew stronger because Tamar had not had sexual relations. it seemed implausible for him to do anything to her: The law forbade marriage between a brother and a sister (Leviticus 18:9, 11; 20:17; Deuteronomy 27:22). However, Amnon did not seek…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. for she was a virgin--Unmarried daughters were kept in close seclusion from the company of men; no strangers, nor even their relatives of the other sex, being permitted to see them without the presence of witnesses. Of course, Amnon must have seen Tamar, for he had conceived a violent passion for her, which, though forbidden by the law (Le 18:11), yet with the sanction of Abraham's example (Ge 20:12), and the common practice in neighboring countries…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Samuel 13:2

• Adultery
• Lasciviousness
• Seduction
• Tamar

In the dictionaries

• Amnon
• Tamar
• David
• Desolate
• Suppose
• Bible, the
• Crime; Crimes
• Hard; Hardiness; Harddiness; Hardly
• Israel, History of
• Polygamy

Commentaries on 2 Samuel 13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings