2 Samuel 13:19
New International Version
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.

New Living Translation
But now Tamar tore her robe and put ashes on her head. And then, with her face in her hands, she went away crying.

English Standard Version
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe that she wore. And she laid her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

Berean Standard Bible
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

King James Bible
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

New King James Version
Then Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her robe of many colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went away crying bitterly.

New American Standard Bible
Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went on her way, crying out as she went.

NASB 1995
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

NASB 1977
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her long-sleeved garment which was on her; and she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

Amplified Bible
So Tamar put dust on her head [in grief] and tore the long-sleeved robe which she had on, and she put her hand on her head and went away crying out [for help].

Christian Standard Bible
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved robe she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away crying out.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long-sleeved garment she was wearing. She put her hand on her head and went away crying out.

American Standard Version
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

Contemporary English Version
Tamar tore the robe she was wearing and put ashes on her head. Then she covered her face with her hands and cried loudly as she walked away.

English Revised Version
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Tamar put ashes on her head, tore the long-sleeved gown she had on, put her hands on her head, and went away crying.

Good News Translation
She sprinkled ashes on her head, tore her robe, and with her face buried in her hands went away crying.

International Standard Version
Tamar rubbed her head with ashes, tore her tunic that she was wearing, put her hand to her head, and ran off, crying aloud as she went away.

Majority Standard Bible
And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

NET Bible
Then Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went on her way, wailing as she went.

New Heart English Bible
And Tamar took ashes and put them on her head, and tore the long robe she was wearing. And she put her hand on her head and went away, crying aloud as she went.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

World English Bible
Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And Tamar takes ashes for her head, and has torn the long coat that [is] on her, and puts her hand on her head, and goes, going on and crying;

Young's Literal Translation
And Tamar taketh ashes for her head, and the long coat that is on her she hath rent, and putteth her hand on her head, and goeth, going on and crying;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Tamar will take ashes upon her head, and she rent the tunic reaching to the feet which was upon her, and she will put her hand upon her head and will go, going and crying.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And she put ashes on her head, and rent her long robe and laid her hands upon her head, and went on crying.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And she sprinkled ashes upon her head, and she tore her ankle-length robe. And placing her hands upon her head, she went forth, walking and crying out.

New American Bible
Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the long tunic in which she was clothed. Then, putting her hands to her head, she went away crying loudly.

New Revised Standard Version
But Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore the long robe that she was wearing; she put her hand on her head, and went away, crying aloud as she went.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And she tore the embroidered garment which she wore; then she laid her hands on her head, and went away crying mournfully.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And Tamar took ashes and she cast them on her head, and she ripped the embroidered coat that she was wearing, and she put her hands on her head and she wailed and she left
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of many colours that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And Themar took ashes, and put them on her head; and she rent the variegated garment that was upon her: and she laid her hands on her head, and went crying continually.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Amnon and Tamar
18So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore. 19And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly. 20Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom.…

Cross References
Genesis 37:29-34
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes, / returned to his brothers, and said, “The boy is gone! What am I going to do?” / Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in its blood. ...

Job 2:12
When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.

Jeremiah 6:26
O daughter of my people, dress yourselves in sackcloth and roll in ashes. Mourn with bitter wailing, as you would for an only son, for suddenly the destroyer will come upon us.

Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.

Ezekiel 27:30-31
They will raise their voices for you and cry out bitterly. They will throw dust on their heads and roll in ashes. / They will shave their heads for you and wrap themselves in sackcloth. They will weep over you with anguish of soul and bitter mourning.

Isaiah 15:2-3
Dibon goes up to its temple to weep at its high places. Moab wails over Nebo, as well as over Medeba. Every head is shaved, every beard is cut off. / In its streets they wear sackcloth; on the rooftops and in the public squares they all wail, falling down weeping.

Lamentations 2:10
The elders of the Daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young women of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground.

Micah 1:8
Because of this I will lament and wail; I will walk barefoot and naked. I will howl like a jackal and mourn like an ostrich.

Jeremiah 48:37
For every head is shaved and every beard is clipped; on every hand is a gash, and around every waist is sackcloth.

Amos 8:10
I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation. I will cause everyone to wear sackcloth and every head to be shaved. I will make it like a time of mourning for an only son, and its outcome like a bitter day.

Matthew 11:21
“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

Luke 10:13
Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

Matthew 26:65
At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy.

Mark 14:63
At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “Why do we need any more witnesses?

Revelation 18:19
Then they will throw dust on their heads as they weep and mourn and cry out: “Woe, woe to the great city, where all who had ships on the sea were enriched by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been destroyed.”


Treasury of Scripture

And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

put ashes

2 Samuel 1:2
It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.

Joshua 7:6
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

Job 2:12
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

laid her

Jeremiah 2:37
Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

Jump to Previous
Aloud Ashes Coat Colors Colours Crying Divers Dust Garment Grief Hand Head Laid Ornamented Putteth Rent Robe Tamar Tore Various Way Wearing Weeping Wore
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Aloud Ashes Coat Colors Colours Crying Divers Dust Garment Grief Hand Head Laid Ornamented Putteth Rent Robe Tamar Tore Various Way Wearing Weeping Wore
2 Samuel 13
1. Amnon loving Tamar, by Jonadab's counsel feigning himself sick, ravishes her.
15. He hates her, and shamefully turns her away
19. Absalom entertains her, and conceals his purpose
23. At a sheep-shearing among all the king's sons, he kills Amnon
31. David grieving at the news, is comforted by Jonadab
37. Absalom flies to Talmai at Geshur














And Tamar
Tamar, whose name means "palm tree" in Hebrew, is a central figure in this narrative. Her account is one of tragedy and injustice, reflecting the vulnerability of women in ancient Israelite society. Tamar's experience is a poignant reminder of the need for justice and protection for the oppressed, a theme that resonates throughout Scripture.

put ashes on her head
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, putting ashes on one's head was a common expression of mourning and deep distress. This act symbolized desolation and grief, often associated with death or profound loss. Tamar's use of ashes signifies her profound sorrow and the social death she experiences due to the violation she suffered.

and tore the robe of many colors she was wearing
The "robe of many colors" signifies Tamar's status as a virgin daughter of the king, a garment of honor and distinction. Tearing it is a symbolic act of her lost innocence and the shattering of her identity and future. This act of tearing garments is a biblical expression of grief and lamentation, seen elsewhere in Scripture during times of great personal or communal tragedy.

She put her hand on her head
Placing a hand on the head is another gesture of lamentation and despair. This physical expression underscores Tamar's emotional turmoil and the weight of her shame and sorrow. It is a visible manifestation of her inner anguish, a cry for empathy and understanding from those around her.

and went away, weeping aloud as she went
Tamar's public weeping is a powerful testament to her suffering and a call for justice. In the cultural context, public lamentation was a way to express grief and seek communal support. Her loud cries highlight the depth of her pain and the need for acknowledgment and redress of the wrongs done to her.

(19) Went on crying.--Literally, went going and cried; i.e., as she went away she cried aloud. Tamar put on every external mark of the deep grief within; and this was not only fitting in itself, but was a proper means to obtain justice for her wrongs.

Verse 19. - Tamar put ashes. There was no concealment of her wrong, but, thrust out of the inner chamber into which Amnon had enticed her (ver. 10), she cast ashes upon her head from the very fire which she had just used in cooking, and, rending her garment, hastened away with her hand on her head, and with cries of lamentation. If David had foreseen this sad sight when giving way to his passion for Bathsheba, he would have felt that sin is indeed "folly," and that its pleasure is followed by shame and bitter anguish.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And Tamar
תָּמָ֥ר (tā·mār)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 8559: Tamar -- daughter-in-law of Judah, also two Israelite women, also a place South of the Dead Sea

put
וַתִּקַּ֨ח (wat·tiq·qaḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 3947: To take

ashes
אֵ֙פֶר֙ (’ê·p̄er)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 665: Ashes

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

her head
רֹאשָׁ֔הּ (rō·šāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

and tore
קָרָ֑עָה (qā·rā·‘āh)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7167: To rend

her robe.
וּכְתֹ֧נֶת (ū·ḵə·ṯō·neṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 3801: A shirt

And putting
וַתָּ֤שֶׂם (wat·tā·śem)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set

her hand
יָדָהּ֙ (yā·ḏāh)
Noun - feminine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 3027: A hand

on
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

her head,
רֹאשָׁ֔הּ (rō·šāh)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person feminine singular
Strong's 7218: The head

she went away
וַתֵּ֥לֶךְ (wat·tê·leḵ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 1980: To go, come, walk

crying bitterly.
וְזָעָֽקָה׃ (wə·zā·‘ā·qāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person feminine singular
Strong's 2199: To shriek, to announce, convene publicly


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OT History: 2 Samuel 13:19 Tamar put ashes on her head (2Sa iiSam 2 Sam ii sam)
2 Samuel 13:18
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