2 Samuel 13 4

2 Samuel 13:4 kjv

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.

2 Samuel 13:4 nkjv

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."

2 Samuel 13:4 niv

He asked Amnon, "Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?" Amnon said to him, "I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

2 Samuel 13:4 esv

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."

2 Samuel 13:4 nlt

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."

2 Samuel 13 verses

2 Samuel 13 4 Meaning

In 2 Samuel 13:4, Amnon, one of King David's sons, admits his profound emotional distress and physical decline to his shrewd cousin Jonadab. His ailment, which has caused him to become physically emaciated, stems from an obsessive, illicit desire for his half-sister, Tamar, a virgin. Jonadab's persistent questioning about Amnon's condition leads to this confession, revealing the forbidden nature of Amnon's "love" and setting the stage for the tragic events that follow.

2 Samuel 13 4 Context

2 Samuel 13:4 is pivotal, as it reveals the source of Amnon's strange illness, setting the plot for a horrific event within David's royal household. Prior to this verse, Amnon has become lovesick over his half-sister Tamar (v. 1), leading to a noticeable physical decline. Jonadab, a "very shrewd" individual and Amnon's cousin (v. 3), observes this and cleverly presses Amnon for the reason. Amnon's confession of his desire for Tamar (v. 4) immediately follows, which then leads Jonadab to devise a treacherous plan to facilitate the rape in the subsequent verses (v. 5-6). This event highlights the breakdown of moral order and accountability within King David's own family, echoing the judgment prophesied by Nathan against David's house due to his sin with Bathsheba (2 Sam 12:10). Culturally, brothers and sisters, even half-siblings, were forbidden from sexual relations (Lev 18:9, 20:17). The honor and purity of virgin princesses were of utmost importance in royal settings, making Amnon's desire and subsequent action a profound violation of both family and societal norms.

2 Samuel 13 4 Word analysis

• "Why are you, the king's son, leaner and leaner morning by morning?"
  • Why: Implies a search for cause and effect; Jonadab is probing for a reason for Amnon's evident suffering.
  • are you, the king's son: This highlights Amnon's royal status (Hebrew: בֶן־הַמֶּלֶךְ, ben-hammelech). Jonadab subtly contrasts Amnon's privileged position with his present miserable state, potentially to make Amnon feel more comfortable confessing. It suggests an underlying question: why should a prince lack anything, let alone be suffering like this?
  • leaner and leaner: (Hebrew: דַּל בַּבֹּקֶר, dal babboker, lit. "thin/weak in the morning" repeated) This denotes physical wasting away, emaciation, and loss of vitality. It portrays the intense mental and emotional torment Amnon is undergoing due to his unfulfilled desire, which has manifested physically. The repetition ("morning by morning") emphasizes the consistent and progressive nature of this deterioration.
  • morning by morning: (Hebrew: בַּבֹּקֶר בַּבֹּקֶר, babboker babboker) Reinforces the persistence and gradual worsening of his condition over time, indicating a sustained and profound inner struggle or a carefully maintained pretense.
• "Will you not tell me?"
  • Will you not tell me?: This is a manipulative yet seemingly empathetic invitation from Jonadab, a shrewd cousin, designed to elicit Amnon's confession. It establishes a sense of trust, preparing Amnon to disclose his hidden lust.
• "And Amnon said to him, 'I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'"
  • I love: (Hebrew: אָהַב, 'ahav) While typically meaning deep affection, in this context, coupled with the surrounding narrative, it clearly refers to a consuming, illicit desire or lust rather than genuine, selfless love. It’s an obsessive infatuation that drives him to sin.
  • Tamar: The object of Amnon's fixation, King David's beautiful virgin daughter.
  • my brother Absalom's sister: This emphasizes her familial relationship, specifying that she is his half-sister (same father, different mothers). This clarifies the incestuous nature of Amnon's desire and highlights the gross violation of family bonds. Absalom's special protectiveness of Tamar will become critically important later in the narrative.
• Group Analysis:
  • "Why are you... leaner and leaner morning by morning, O son of the king? Will you not tell me?" This complete question by Jonadab demonstrates his shrewdness and manipulation. He expresses apparent concern for Amnon's physical state, while using Amnon's royal status as an implicit prod, setting a non-threatening tone to coax a confession. His insistent questioning creates the opportunity for Amnon to unload his burden, allowing Jonadab to exploit the situation.
  • "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister." This declarative statement, wrung from Amnon, immediately establishes the conflict: a royal son desires his royal half-sister incestuously. This revelation confirms the true "sickness" of Amnon – not a physical illness but a moral and spiritual one driven by forbidden lust, a sin strictly forbidden by God's law, laying the groundwork for familial catastrophe.

2 Samuel 13 4 Bonus section

• The Irony of "Love": Amnon's declaration, "I love Tamar," uses the same Hebrew word 'ahav often used for God's love or covenant love. Yet, here it is twisted into an expression of selfish, manipulative lust, highlighting how true love is absent, replaced by destructive desire.
• Jonadab's Malicious Counsel: It's critical to note that Jonadab is described as "very shrewd" (Hebrew: חָכָם מְאֹד, chakham me'od), a term that can imply wisdom but here points to cunning and manipulative intelligence used for evil purposes (2 Sam 13:3). His role in facilitating Amnon's sin is paramount; he doesn't try to dissuade Amnon but instead enables his lust.
• Familial Disconnect: The narrative implicitly highlights David's failing as a father. While the verse doesn't state David's awareness, the deep-seated problems among his children, their secrets, and their propensity for sin demonstrate a lack of spiritual and moral oversight within the royal family that ultimately led to such depraved acts. This can be linked to Nathan's prophecy about the "sword never departing from his house" (2 Sam 12:10).

2 Samuel 13 4 Commentary

2 Samuel 13:4 unveils the root of Amnon's anguish: a powerful, illicit "love" for his half-sister, Tamar. This is not genuine affection but an obsessive, ungodly lust that consumed him to the point of physical illness. Jonadab, observing Amnon's deterioration, masterfully probes until Amnon confesses his forbidden desire. This verse is the pivot upon which the chapter's tragic events turn, revealing Amnon's depraved heart and setting the stage for Jonadab's wicked counsel. It tragically foreshadows how unchecked lust, once given voice, can be fueled by conniving counsel, leading to unspeakable sin and devastating consequences for individuals and entire families, as seen in David's household. Amnon's feigned illness highlights the lengths to which individuals will go to hide or facilitate their sinful intentions.