2 Samuel 13:19

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.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(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.

Benson Commentary

2 Samuel 13:19. Tamar put ashes upon her head — To signify her grief for some calamity which had befallen her, and what that was, concurring circumstances easily discovered. And laid her hand on her head — In token of shame and sorrow, as if she were unable to show her face. And went on crying — To manifest her abhorrence of the fact, and that it was not done by her consent.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

13:1-20 From henceforward David was followed with one trouble after another. Adultery and murder were David's sins, the like sins among his children were the beginnings of his punishment: he was too indulgent to his children. Thus David might trace the sins of his children to his own misconduct, which must have made the anguish of the chastisement worse. Let no one ever expect good treatment from those who are capable of attempting their seduction; but it is better to suffer the greatest wrong than to commit the least sin.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Laid her hand on her head - To hold on the ashes (see the marginal references).

Went on crying - i. e. "went away, crying out as she went."

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

19, 20. Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours … laid her hand on her head, and went on crying—that is, sobbing. Oriental manners would probably see nothing beyond a strong sense of the injury she had sustained, if Tamar actually rent her garments. But, as her veil is not mentioned, it is probable that Amnon had turned her out of doors without it, and she raised her hand with the design to conceal her face. By these signs, especially the rending of her distinguishing robe, Absalom at once conjectured what had taken place. Recommending her to be silent about it and not publish her own and her family's dishonor, he gave no inkling of his angry feelings to Amnon. But all the while he was in secret "nursing his wrath to keep it warm," and only "biding his time" to avenge his sister's wrongs, and by the removal of the heir-apparent perhaps further also his ambitious designs.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

Put ashes on her head, and rent her garment; to signify her grief for some calamity which had befallen her, and what that was concurring circumstances did easily discover.

Laid her hand on her head, in token of grief and shame, as if she were unable and ashamed to show her face. See Jeremiah 2:37.

Went on crying, to manifest her abhorrency of the fact, and that it was not done by her consent.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Tamar put ashes on her head,.... In token of sorrow and distress; see Joshua 7:6,

and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her; signifying that her virginity was rent from her in a forcible manner, or that she was ravished:

and laid her hand on her head; through grief and shame; see Jeremiah 2:37,

and went on crying; from Amnon's house to her brother Absalom's, as one abused and injured.

Geneva Study Bible

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.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

19. And Tamar put ashes, &c.] The ashes and the torn garments (1 Samuel 4:12; Esther 4:1), and the hands clasped above the head (Jeremiah 2:37), were all marks of grief and shame.

went on crying] Went away shrieking as she went; not lamenting with silent tears, but with loud passionate shrieks and wailing.

Pulpit Commentary

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. 2 Samuel 13:19

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

And Tamar took ashes upon her head, rent her sleeve-dress (as a sign of grief and pain at the disgrace inflicted upon her), laid her hand upon her head (as a sign that a grievous trouble had come upon her, that the hand of God was resting as it were upon her: vid., Jeremiah 2:37), and "went going and cried," i.e., crying aloud as she went along.