2 Samuel 13:2

And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(2) Thought it hard.—Rather, it seemed impossible to Amnon. The modest seclusion of Tamar in the harem of her mother seemed to leave him no opportunity to carry out his desires.

It appears from the narrative that the king’s children lived in different households, and each grown-up son dwelt in his own house.

Benson Commentary

2 Samuel 13:2. Amnon fell sick for his sister Tamar — He fell deeply in love with her, and being conscious that his passion was very criminal, he concealed it for some time, but at the expense of his health, being racked by the violence of a strong desire, and the terror of indulging it. Thus fleshly lusts are their own punishment, and not only war against the soul, but the body too, and are the rottenness of the bones. See what a hard master sinners serve, and how heavy a yoke sin is! For she was a virgin — And therefore under a strict guard, so that it was difficult for him to get private converse with her, or to enjoy her company. Amnon thought it hard to do any thing unto her — Thought it criminal, as indeed it was in a high degree, to betray that virtue and honour of which, as a brother, he ought to be the protector. His conscience at first startled and shrunk back from the commission of so great a sin, and he could not think of it without horror. But what wickedness is so vile as not to gain entrance into an unsanctified, unguarded heart, especially when evil counsel comes to aid its assaults!

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

The history here, down to the end of 2 Samuel 23 (excepting a few particulars), is omitted in the Book of Chronicles.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

2. for she was a virgin—Unmarried daughters were kept in close seclusion from the company of men; no strangers, nor even their relatives of the other sex, being permitted to see them without the presence of witnesses. Of course, Amnon must have seen Tamar, for he had conceived a violent passion for her, which, though forbidden by the law (Le 18:11), yet with the sanction of Abraham's example (Ge 20:12), and the common practice in neighboring countries for princes to marry their half sisters, he seems not to have considered an improper connection. But he had no means of making it known to her, and the pain of that disappointment preying upon his mind produced a visible change in his appearance and health.

Matthew Poole's Commentary

He fell sick; the passion of his mind disturbed his body, as is usual. She was a virgin, and therefore diligently kept, so as he could not get private converse with her; and withal modest, and abhorring any compliance with his lustful desires, both from her inclination and interest.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And Amnon was so vexed,.... Distressed, straitened, and perplexed in his mind through unruly and unbridled lusts that raged in him:

that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; as Antiochus son of Seleucus did for his mother in law Stratonice, who, to cure him of it, was delivered to him by his father (s):

for she was a virgin; and so kept very recluse from the company of men, that he could not come at her; so Philo (t), speaking of the Jewish women, and particularly virgins, says, that they were shut up in their chambers, and through modesty shun the sight of men, even those of their own house; hence they are called from a word which signifies to hide; and Phocylides (u) the poet advises to the shutting of them up in like manner:

and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her; that it was difficult to have access to her, almost impossible, what he despaired of, and what, if attained to, would be wonderful and amazing; he was at his wits' end how to contrive any scheme to get at her, and obtain his desire.

(s) See the Universal History, vol. 3. p. 519. Ed. fol. (t) In Flaccum, p. 977. (u) Poem. admon. v. 203, 204.

Geneva Study Bible

And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a {b} virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

(b) And therefore kept her father's house, as virgins were accustomed.

EXEGETICAL (ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)

Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

2. Amnon thought it hard] It seemed impossible to Amnon. Tamar lived a secluded life in the women’s apartments, where Amnon could not obtain access to her.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 2. - Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick. The Hebrew literally is, and it was narrow to Amnon, even to becoming sick. To an Oriental a feeling of narrowness means distress, while in joy there is a sense of largeness and expansion. Our words for distress have lost this picturesque force. That Amnon thought it hard does not mean that he had any feeling for his sister's disgrace, but that he knew that his attempt was difficult. He did not see how he could get Tamar into his power, and feared the consequences. The wives had each her own dwelling, and the daughters were kept in strict seclusion. 2 Samuel 13:2

Keil and Delitzsch Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament

Amnon's Incest. - 2 Samuel 13:1-14. The following occurrences are assigned in a general manner to the times succeeding the Ammonitish war, by the words "And it came to pass after this;" and as David did not marry Maacah the mother of Absalom and Tamar till after he had been made king at Hebron (see 2 Samuel 3:3), they cannot well have taken place before the twentieth year of his reign. Amnon, the eldest son of David by Ahinoam the Jezreelite (2 Samuel 3:2), loved Tamar, the beautiful sister of his step-brother Absalom, so passionately that he became ill in consequence, because he could not get near to her as she was a virgin. 2 Samuel 13:1 and 2 Samuel 13:2 form one period. ויּצר is a continuation of אהרי־כן ויהי; and the words from וּאבשׁלום to בּן־דּוד are a circumstantial clause. ויּצר: literally "it became narrow (anxious) to Amnon, even to making himself ill," i.e., he quite pined away, not "he pretended to be ill" (Luther), for it was not till afterwards that he did this according to Jonadab's advice (2 Samuel 13:5). התהלּות: to make one's self ill, here to become ill, in 2 Samuel 13:5 to pretend to be ill. The clause היא בתוּלה כּי is to be joined to the one which follows: "because she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to him to do anything to her." The maidenly modesty of Tamar evidently raised an insuperable barrier to the gratification of his lusts.