Bible Commentaries
2 Samuel 13

Verses 1-39

The story of Amnon's sin is of a sin committed by a child of David similar to his own. When the story was told to him, we are told that he was wroth. We are not told that he disciplined Amnon. How could he? He had rendered his arm nerveless by his own sin.

In Amnon we have the picture of one mastered by passion. In pondering the narrative it is said of Jonadab that he was a friend of Amnon. The word "friend" is desecrated by its use in such a connection. Any who out of friendship will aid in the pathway of sin, prove themselves enemies rather than friends. Jonadab might have saved Amnon, even though for the moment he had offended him. The picture of Amnon hating Tamar is common as the story of sin. Passion illegally indulged becomes transmuted into a destructive fire.

The troubles of David continued. Absalom slew Amnon, and then took flight. Absalom probably was moved by mixed motives. He wanted vengeance on the man who had wronged his sister. His subsequent actions, however, show that he saw in Amnon a hindrance to carrying out his own secret ambitions. It is noticeable that Jonadab the "friend," who had aided Amnon, was still on hand, and the same cool, calculating traits were manifest in his character. In all these things David was reaping the result of the sin that had cursed his life, and the full harvest was not yet.