2 Samuel 13 16

2 Samuel 13:16 kjv

And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.

2 Samuel 13:16 nkjv

So she said to him, "No, indeed! This evil of sending me away is worse than the other that you did to me." But he would not listen to her.

2 Samuel 13:16 niv

"No!" she said to him. "Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me." But he refused to listen to her.

2 Samuel 13:16 esv

But she said to him, "No, my brother, for this wrong in sending me away is greater than the other that you did to me." But he would not listen to her.

2 Samuel 13:16 nlt

"No, no!" Tamar cried. "Sending me away now is worse than what you've already done to me." But Amnon wouldn't listen to her.

2 Samuel 13 verses

2 Samuel 13 16 Meaning

Tamar, in deep distress and utter despair after being violated by her half-brother Amnon, protests his decision to expel her from his house. She asserts that his act of sending her away, effectively abandoning her publicly after the assault, is a far greater wrong and deeper evil than the rape itself. This expulsion condemned her to a life of irreversible shame and social ruin, amplifying the initial defilement by making her disgrace public and permanent.

2 Samuel 13 16 Context

This verse is located immediately after Amnon's rape of his half-sister Tamar in 2 Samuel 13. Following the abhorrent act, Amnon, overwhelmed by sudden hatred for Tamar, commands his servant to "put this woman out of my presence and bolt the door after her." Tamar, horrified and despairing, tears the royal robe she wore (a symbol of her virginity and royal status) and sprinkles ashes on her head, crying aloud as she walks away. Her cry to Amnon in verse 16 is a desperate appeal, highlighting the profound and multifaceted nature of the injustice inflicted upon her. It encapsulates her realization that the act of rape, while horrifyingly violent and personal, was overshadowed by the subsequent public expulsion, which irrevocably sealed her fate as a shamed and discarded woman in Israelite society, depriving her of any future prospects of marriage and honor. This episode serves as a significant turning point in David's household, directly leading to Absalom's murderous revenge on Amnon years later and the ensuing familial strife and rebellion foretold by the prophet Nathan.

2 Samuel 13 16 Word analysis

• But: Conjunction that introduces a strong contrast or opposition. Here, it contrasts Amnon's immediate dismissal with Tamar's fervent objection.
• she said: Implies Tamar's last desperate effort to communicate the profound injustice before being forcibly removed.
• to him: Specifically addresses Amnon, the perpetrator, underscoring her direct plea.
• 'No: Hebrew: ʾal (אַל). A strong negation, an absolute refusal or prohibition. It expresses her utter rejection of his command and his rationale. It's a defiant "Do not!" or "Absolutely not!".
• my brother: Hebrew: ʾāḥî (אָחִי). A term of kinship and familial bond, ironically used here to Amnon, who has completely violated that bond. Its use highlights the incestuous nature of the crime and amplifies the betrayal. It might also be a desperate appeal to his conscience as her sibling, reminding him of their shared father, David.
• for: Explains the reason for her protest.
• this wrong: Hebrew: hā-raʿāh ha-gdôlāh (הָרָעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה). The word raʿāh (רָעָה) signifies evil, harm, calamity, or wickedness. It's not just an error, but a moral evil and severe injury. The phrase "this wrong" points directly to the act of sending her away.
• in sending me away: Hebrew: ləšallaḥênî (לְשַׁלְּחֵנִי). From the verb shalach (שָׁלַח), which means to send, send away, or divorce. In this context, it carries the full weight of being publicly dismissed, rejected, and cast out. This action was tantamount to a public "divorce" or abandonment without any provision, rendering her an outcast and stripping her of all dignity and future. This public act of rejection made her defilement known and irrevocably damaged her honor and marriage prospects.
• is greater than: Signifies a qualitative and quantitative comparison. This act carries more devastating consequences.
• the other: Refers to the prior "wrong" that Amnon had committed against her, specifically the rape. Tamar categorizes both as ra'ah (evil/wrong), but distinguishes one as profoundly worse in its societal implications.
• that you did to me: Explicitly states Amnon's agency in both actions, holding him fully accountable.

Words-group analysis:

• 'No, my brother': A piercing exclamation that underscores the profound betrayal. It combines an absolute refusal with a lamentable reminder of a relationship that has been irrevocably shattered by incest and subsequent abandonment. The intimacy of "my brother" highlights the grotesque perversion of kinship.
• 'for this wrong in sending me away': This phrase identifies the specific "greater" wrong. It clarifies that the expulsion itself, not merely the rape, constitutes a deeper evil because of its public and terminal consequences for Tamar's social standing and future life. It's the act that concretized her humiliation and ensured her perpetual disgrace.
• 'is greater than the other that you did to me': This comparison reveals Tamar's understanding of the devastating societal implications. The rape was a hidden, though heinous, personal defilement. The public expulsion, however, made her shame visible to all and solidified her status as a rejected, disgraced woman, forever marking her and potentially making marriage impossible. It moved her from victim of a private crime to public pariah.

2 Samuel 13 16 Bonus section

The royal garments (mentioned in verse 18) worn by the king's virgin daughters would have visibly announced Tamar's high status and, symbolically, her purity and suitability for a high-status marriage. When she tore them and put ashes on her head, it was a public declaration of mourning, disgrace, and utter desolation, performed for all to witness. This externalization of her inner devastation served as an appeal to public consciousness for the egregious injustice committed against her. Her statement in verse 16 is not hyperbole but a precise articulation of how societal norms made the public expulsion the more potent and lasting blow. It underscored the fact that while a king's daughter should have been protected, her very status was weaponized against her, first by the perpetrator within the royal family and then by her forced public abandonment. This incident also stands as a potent polemic against the abuse of power within patriarchal structures, even those sanctioned by monarchy, revealing the vulnerability of individuals to the caprice of those in authority.

2 Samuel 13 16 Commentary

Tamar's profound statement reveals her astute understanding of the devastating impact of Amnon's actions beyond the physical violation. The act of rape, while heinous, could, in theory, have been mitigated (e.g., by marriage according to Deut 22:28-29, though impossible due to incest laws here). However, Amnon's decision to publicly cast her out immediately after the assault inflicted a social death far more ruinous. In Israelite society, a woman's honor and worth were inextricably tied to her virginity and marital status. By violently defiling her and then publicly dismissing her, Amnon sealed her fate as a dishonored woman. This public shaming and rejection robbed her of any prospect of a respectable life, a husband, or children, effectively destroying her future and reducing her to an object of pity and disgrace. Her cry emphasizes that the loss of reputation and social standing, particularly in the highly honor-shame oriented culture, was often deemed worse than death, or in this case, even the physical assault itself, because its effects were enduring and irremediable. This highlights the double injustice suffered by women in such a culture – not only the direct violation but the subsequent blame and public ostracization.