2 Samuel 13:7 kjv
Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat.
2 Samuel 13:7 nkjv
And David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Now go to your brother Amnon's house, and prepare food for him."
2 Samuel 13:7 niv
David sent word to Tamar at the palace: "Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him."
2 Samuel 13:7 esv
Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go to your brother Amnon's house and prepare food for him."
2 Samuel 13:7 nlt
So David agreed and sent Tamar to Amnon's house to prepare some food for him.
2 Samuel 13 7 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 12:10 | "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife." | Prophecy of enduring trouble in David's household. |
| 2 Sam 12:11-12 | "Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.'" | Fulfillment of divine judgment upon David's house. |
| Jas 1:14-15 | "But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death." | Describes the progression of lust leading to sin. |
| Prov 26:24-26 | "Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart..." | Warning against deception and feigned kindness. |
| Prov 6:27-28 | "Can a man carry fire in his lap and his clothes not be burned? Or can one walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched?" | Warning about the consequences of indulging in forbidden desires. |
| Matt 5:28 | "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." | Condemns the lustful intent behind Amnon's actions. |
| Rom 1:24-27 | "Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves..." | Divine judgment on unchecked sexual immorality. |
| Eph 4:19 | "They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity." | Describes the hardening of heart that leads to sinful acts. |
| Gen 18:6 | "And Abraham went quickly into the tent to Sarah and said, 'Quick! Three seahs of fine flour! Knead it, and make cakes.'" | Example of a woman preparing food, often a sign of hospitality and care. |
| 1 Sam 28:22 | "Now therefore, please listen also to the voice of your servant. Let me set a morsel of bread before you; and eat, that you may have strength when you go on your way." | Woman offering food for sustenance, contrasting Tamar's innocent purpose. |
| Ps 5:6 | "You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man." | Condemns the deceitfulness employed by Amnon and Jonadab. |
| Gen 34:1-2 | "Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the women of the land. And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her, he seized her and lay with her and dishonored her." | Another instance of sexual assault against a family member, leading to tragedy. |
| Lev 18:9-11 | "You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, your father's daughter or your mother's daughter, whether born at home or born abroad. ...You shall not uncover the nakedness of your half-sister, your father's daughter." | Direct prohibition against incest in the Mosaic Law. |
| Deut 27:22 | "Cursed be anyone who lies with his sister, whether his father's daughter or his mother's daughter.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'" | A covenant curse for committing incest. |
| 1 Sam 3:13 | "And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them." | Foreshadows David's failure to discipline his children effectively. |
| Gal 6:7 | "Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap." | Principle of consequences for actions, particularly for sin. |
| Prov 29:6 | "An evil man is ensnared by his transgression, but a righteous man sings and rejoices." | The wicked are often caught in their own devices. |
| 2 Sam 11:1-27 | (Whole chapter detailing David's sin with Bathsheba) | Parallel to David's own sexual sin and abuse of power, leading to family chaos. |
| 2 Sam 16:21-22 | "Then Ahithophel said to Absalom, 'Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened.'" | Another instance of royal family sexual sin, explicitly linked to Nathan's prophecy. |
| Hos 4:2 | "There is swearing, deception, murder, stealing, and adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed." | Describes rampant moral decay including sexual sin and violence. |
| Ps 12:2 | "Everyone speaks falsehood with his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak." | Describes the deceptive speech often found in human interactions. |
2 Samuel 13 verses
2 Samuel 13 7 Meaning
2 Samuel 13:7 describes David's unknowing complicity in the wicked plot devised by Amnon and Jonadab against Tamar. Following Amnon's feigned illness and his request conveyed by David's courtiers, King David, completely unaware of his son Amnon's true intentions, instructs his daughter Tamar to go to Amnon's house to personally prepare food for him. This act, intended as an expression of familial care for the sick, unwittingly sets the stage for Tamar's sexual assault, exposing her to great danger by placing her in Amnon's private quarters alone.
2 Samuel 13 7 Context
This verse is situated at a tragic turning point in David's reign, marking the beginning of the "sword not departing from his house" (2 Sam 12:10). The preceding verses (2 Sam 13:1-6) detail Amnon's overwhelming desire for Tamar, his half-sister, and Jonadab's cynical, manipulative advice. Jonadab, David's nephew, suggests Amnon feign illness and then request that Tamar be sent to his private residence to prepare a special meal. This scheme preys on David's patriarchal authority and familial compassion. David, concerned for his son's perceived sickness and completely blind to the malice underlying the request, innocently complies. The verse sets the trap for Tamar, who, as a dutiful daughter, obeys her father's command without question, unknowingly walking into a perilous situation. Culturally, unmarried daughters were under the strict protection of their father or male relatives, and their virginity was paramount for family honor and marriage prospects. For a king to send his unmarried daughter to an adult son's private chambers for personal care, though seemingly harmless in the context of tending the sick, also created an unusual and vulnerable dynamic that a wicked mind could exploit. This episode directly precedes Amnon's rape of Tamar, highlighting David's lack of discernment and control within his own family, a consequence foretold by Nathan for David's sin with Bathsheba.
2 Samuel 13 7 Word analysis
- Then: Connects this action to the preceding events of Amnon's feigned illness and Jonadab's advice, showing it as a direct consequence of their scheme.
- David: The King, the central authority figure in the kingdom and the father in this family. His action, though seemingly benign, inadvertently facilitates the coming tragedy. This highlights his naiveté or lack of perception concerning the wickedness festering in his own household.
- sent home: From Hebrew šālaḥ (שָׁלַח), meaning to send, dispatch. This emphasizes that David himself issued the command. "Home" implies from the royal palace to Tamar's living quarters, likely also within the palace complex or a connected dwelling.
- to Tamar: Emphasizes the specific, innocent target of the deception. Tamar, being a princess and Absalom's full sister, possessed a protected status that was about to be grievously violated.
- saying: Indicates the verbal instruction issued by David.
- Go now: From Hebrew hālǎḵ (הָלַךְ), an imperative, a direct command from the king/father, expecting immediate obedience. The word "now" adds urgency, likely due to Amnon's feigned illness.
- to thy brother Amnon's house: Specifies the destination and the relationship. "Thy brother Amnon's house" (בֵּית אַמְנוֹן - bêṯ ʾamnôn) highlights it as Amnon's private space, where he held authority. This physical location becomes the site of the transgression, isolating Tamar from potential aid or witnesses. The use of "brother" underscores the violation of familial bonds that is about to occur.
- and dress him meat: From Hebrew waʿăśî lō ḵāmāh (וַעֲשִׂי-ל֫וֹ כָמָה).
- waʿăśî: "and make" or "and prepare," implying a personal, hands-on act of preparation.
- lō: "for him," indicating a specific service tailored to Amnon.
- ḵāmāh: Often translated "meat," "cakes," or "food." Scholars suggest it refers to a type of baked good, possibly a specific, comforting food prepared for the sick, perhaps even symbolically associated with the "heart" (as Amnon claimed to be "lovesick"). It requires personal, intimate preparation, placing Tamar in close proximity to Amnon and facilitating his plan to be alone with her. This command sets the context for her to enter the sick room and directly serve him.
Words-group analysis
- "Then David sent home to Tamar, saying": This phrase portrays David's unquestioning acceptance of Amnon's fraudulent request. It shows the chain of command: Amnon to David's servants (implied), David's servants to David, David to Tamar. David's position of authority, intended for protection, is tragically turned into an instrument of his daughter's vulnerability due to his lack of discernment.
- "Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat": This direct command, presented as an act of familial duty and care for a sick sibling, is precisely the trap set by Amnon and Jonadab. David's instruction unwittingly ensures Tamar's isolation with Amnon and places her in a position of subservience that Amnon would exploit. The act of "dressing meat" implies nurturing, a deeply personal service, further cementing the pretense of intimacy Amnon seeks. The specific "meat" or "cakes" (ḵāmāh) that Tamar is to prepare would further necessitate a private, one-on-one interaction.
2 Samuel 13 7 Bonus section
The tragic events in 2 Samuel 13 serve as a stark reminder of how personal sin, even when repented of, can have long-lasting, devastating consequences that extend beyond the individual and into their family. David's own abuse of power and illicit desire in the Bathsheba incident (2 Samuel 11) seems to echo and reverberate through Amnon's actions. The specific vulnerability of women in patriarchal societies, coupled with the profound cultural and legal importance of virginity, makes Tamar's subsequent dishonor a profound catastrophe, not just for her personally but for David's reputation and the stability of his reign. This incident further illustrates the danger of unchecked appetites and the corrupting influence of ungodly counsel (Jonadab's shrewdness versus true godly wisdom).
2 Samuel 13 7 Commentary
2 Samuel 13:7 succinctly captures the fateful moment when David unknowingly enables his son's heinous plot. This verse functions as the critical link between the wicked counsel of Jonadab and the subsequent abuse. David's command to Tamar is an expression of his natural concern for a sick son, a fatherly act that he would have considered innocuous and a dutiful expectation of Tamar. However, it exposes David's significant spiritual blind spot and the growing rot within his royal household. He fails to perceive the insidious deceit behind Amnon's request, demonstrating a dangerous lack of wisdom and perhaps a residual complacency following his own severe moral failures. Tamar's immediate and obedient response highlights her innocence and purity, tragically contrasting with Amnon's perverted intentions. The verse subtly underscores that even seemingly benign commands from those in authority can lead to tragic consequences when truth and spiritual discernment are absent, highlighting a grim fulfillment of divine judgment upon David's family line for his previous sins.