Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon
Introduction:
After Amnon violated his half-sister Tamar, Absalom, her full brother, harbored resentment toward Amnon. For two years, Absalom waited for the right moment to avenge the rape of his sister Tamar.
Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
David’s sin with Bathsheba had serious consequences.
2 Samuel 12:10 NLT
10 From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.
2 Samuel 13:23-39 NLT
23 Two years later, when Absalom’s sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast. 24 He went to the king and said, “My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?”
25 The king replied, “No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.” Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.
26 “Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?”
“Why Amnon?” the king asked. 27 But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon. So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.
28 Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him! Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!” 29 So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon. Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.
30 As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one is left alive!” 31 The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
32 But just then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, arrived and said, “No, don’t believe that all the king’s sons have been killed! It was only Amnon! Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar. 33 No, my lord the king, your sons aren’t all dead! It was only Amnon.” 34 Meanwhile Absalom escaped.
Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.”
35 “Look!” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.”
36 They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them. 37 And David mourned many days for his son Amnon.
Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. 38 He stayed there in Geshur for three years. 39 And King David now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 13:23-39 NLT
Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon
23 Two years later,
Two years …
Absalom has been harboring anger and hatred against Amnon for two years.
During these two years there is no record of David doing anything to discipline Amnon.
- Absalom has been harboring anger and hatred against Amnon for two years.
when Absalom’s sheep were being sheared at Baal-hazor near Ephraim,
Approximately 15 miles north-northeast of Jerusalem.
Absalom invited all the king’s sons to come to a feast.
- King David had at least 19 sons mentioned by name in the Bible, as well as several unnamed sons by his concubines.
Six sons were born to him in Hebron: Amnon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, and Ithream.
Four sons were born to him by Bathsheba in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.
Nine other sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
This does not include any unnamed sons he may have had with his concubines.
Absalom hosted a festival to celebrate the time of sheepshearing, a custom observed in Israel from Israel’s earliest times.
- Sheep shearing was a festive and social occasion.
24 He went to the king and said, “My sheep-shearers are now at work. Would the king and his servants please come to celebrate the occasion with me?”
25 The king replied, “No, my son. If we all came, we would be too much of a burden on you.” Absalom pressed him, but the king would not come, though he gave Absalom his blessing.
26 “Well, then,” Absalom said, “if you can’t come, how about sending my brother Amnon with us?”
The oldest son and crown prince could represent the family.
- It was not uncommon for the oldest son to represent the family.
“Why Amnon?” the king asked.
David would have known about the strained relationship between Amnon and Absalom.
27 But Absalom kept on pressing the king until he finally agreed to let all his sons attend, including Amnon.
- Again, against his better judgment, David agreed to do something he didn’t feel comfortable doing.
So Absalom prepared a feast fit for a king.
28 Absalom told his men, “Wait until Amnon gets drunk; then at my signal, kill him!
- Absalom had planned this celebration gathering for the sole purpose of providing an opportunity to murder Amnon.
Don’t be afraid. I’m the one who has given the command. Take courage and do it!”
By commanding the death of Amnon, Absalom is guilty of murder, much like his father David, by arranging the death of Uriah, was guilty of murder.
When he raped Tamar, Amnon was guilty of sexual immorality, much like his father David, by having sex with Bathsheba.
29 So at Absalom’s signal they murdered Amnon.
A murder avenged a rape.
The act of murder is carried out in cold blood, showing the depth of Absalom’s premeditated vengeance.
Though rape was punishable by death, personal vengeance such as this was unacceptable to God. The due course of law was to be carried out.
Deuteronomy 16:18 NLT
Justice for the People
18 “Appoint judges and officials for yourselves from each of your tribes in all the towns the Lord your God is giving you. They must judge the people fairly.
Deuteronomy 19:15 NLT
15 “You must not convict anyone of a crime on the testimony of only one witness. The facts of the case must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
- By commanding the death of Amnon, Absalom is guilty of murder.
- With the murder of Amnon, Absalom not only avenged the rape of his sister but he also secured for himself the position of successor to the throne.
2 Samuel 3:3 NLT
3 The second (son) was Daniel (Kileab), whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal from Carmel.
The third (son) was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.
Kileab (Daniel) David’s second son, may have died in his youth since there is no mention of him beyond the announcement of his birth. (1 Chronicles 3:1 and 2 Samuel 3:3)
Then the other sons of the king jumped on their mules and fled.
Riding mules appeared to be the normal means of transportation for royalty in David’s kingdom.
30 As they were on the way back to Jerusalem, this report reached David: “Absalom has killed all the king’s sons; not one is left alive!”
News of Amnon’s death spreads quickly, but the report is exaggerated, claiming that Absalom has killed all the king’s sons. This causes David profound grief and fear.
31 The king got up, tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground. His advisers also tore their clothes in horror and sorrow.
David “tore his robe, and threw himself on the ground”.
These were common ways of expressing grief.
A sign of great distress or remorse.
- When David heard that all of his sons were killed he was devastated.
32 But just then Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimea, arrived and said, “No, don’t believe that all the king’s sons have been killed! It was only Amnon!
Absalom has been plotting this ever since Amnon raped his sister Tamar.
33 No, my lord the king, your sons aren’t all dead! It was only Amnon.” 34 Meanwhile Absalom escaped.
Jonadab (the same individual who had advised Amnon earlier) reassures David that only Amnon is dead, revealing that this was part of Absalom’s calculated revenge. Jonadab’s involvement and casual attitude toward these events further emphasize the corrupt environment in David’s court.
- Jonadab assures David that only Amnon was killed.
Then the watchman on the Jerusalem wall saw a great crowd coming down the hill on the road from the west. He ran to tell the king, “I see a crowd of people coming from the Horonaim road along the side of the hill.”
35 “Look!” Jonadab told the king. “There they are now! The king’s sons are coming, just as I said.”
36 They soon arrived, weeping and sobbing, and the king and all his servants wept bitterly with them. 37 And David mourned many days for his son Amnon.
- King David had at least 19 sons mentioned by name in the Bible, as well as several unnamed sons by his concubines.
Six sons were born to him in Hebron: Amnon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, and Ithream.
Four sons were born to him by Bathsheba in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon.
Nine other sons were born to him in Jerusalem: Ibhar, Elishua, Eliphelet, Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
This does not include any unnamed sons he may have had with his concubines.
Absalom fled to his grandfather, Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur.
Absalom, now a fugitive, sought refuge among his mother’s family. Absalom’s mother, Maacah, was the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. (3:3)
Leviticus 24:17 NLT
17 “Anyone who takes another person’s life must be put to death.
- Absalom, now a fugitive, sought refuge among his mother’s family.
38 He stayed there in Geshur for three years.
Instead of seeking justice through proper means, Absalom takes matters into his own hands, leading to bloodshed and further division within the family.
39 And King David now reconciled to Amnon’s death, longed to be reunited with his son Absalom.
With Amnon dead and Absalom a refugee, David had lost both of his oldest living sons.
Kileab (Daniel) David’s second son, may have died in his youth since there is no mention of him beyond the announcement of his birth. (1 Chronicles 3:1 and 2 Samuel 3:3)
- David mourns Amnon but eventually desires to be reconciled with Absalom.
- This passage is a sobering reminder of the consequences of sin, unresolved conflict, and failed leadership.
David’s family had become dysfunctional.
David’s children are repeating the sins of their parents.
