In brief
Tamar is a daughter of King David and the sister of Absalom. Her half-brother Amnon, prompted by a cunning counselor, lures her to his house on the pretext of illness, rapes her despite her pleas, then drives her away with contempt. Tamar, desolate, lives in Absalom's house. The account of 2 Samuel 13 hides nothing of this injustice and gives a voice to the victim. She is remembered for her dignity and for the seriousness with which the Bible treats the wrong done to her.
What does the name Tamar, Daughter of David mean?
The name Tamar means "palm tree" in Hebrew, a tree associated with beauty and uprightness. The Bible does not comment on the name for her. It is also borne by Judah's daughter-in-law in Genesis 38, and Absalom later gives the same name to his own daughter (2 Samuel 14:27).
The story of Tamar, Daughter of David
Amnon's lust
2 Samuel 13:1-5Tamar, Absalom's sister, is beautiful and a virgin. Amnon, her half-brother, is so obsessed with her that he makes himself ill. His friend Jonadab, a very shrewd man, suggests a trap: pretend to be sick and ask the king to send Tamar to prepare food in front of him. The text calls this feeling love, but what follows shows it is lust.
Sent by her father
2 Samuel 13:6-10David, suspecting nothing, sends Tamar to Amnon. She kneads dough and makes cakes in front of him. Amnon refuses to eat, sends everyone out, then asks her to bring the food into the bedroom. Tamar obeys in complete trust, believing she is serving a sick brother.
She refuses and pleads
2 Samuel 13:11-13Amnon seizes her. Tamar answers him plainly: no, my brother, do not violate me, for such a thing is not done in Israel; do not do this disgraceful thing. She speaks of her shame and of Amnon's reputation, and even suggests that he speak to the king. Her words show her courage and clear-sightedness in the face of danger.
Violence and rejection
2 Samuel 13:14-18Amnon will not listen to her and overpowers her. Immediately he feels toward her a hatred stronger than his supposed love and drives her out. Tamar protests that sending her away adds to the wrong already done. He has his servant put her out and bolt the door behind her. The Bible clearly names the wrong and the wrongdoer.
Tamar's mourning
2 Samuel 13:19-20Tamar puts ashes on her head, tears the robe of many colors that the king's virgin daughters wore, and goes away crying aloud. Absalom tells her to keep quiet. The text concludes that Tamar lived desolate in the house of her brother Absalom. Her pain is neither minimized nor forgotten by the account.
A crime that tears the family apart
2 Samuel 13:21-29David is very angry but does not punish Amnon. Absalom, for his part, nurses his hatred in silence. Two years later he has Amnon killed during a sheepshearing feast. The disaster announced for David's house after his own sin with Bathsheba continues, and the injustice done to Tamar opens a long series of violence.
What Tamar, Daughter of David teaches us
- The Bible does not hide abuse, even in the house of a king chosen by God, and it clearly names the guilty one.
- The victim is never responsible for the wrong she suffers: Tamar said no and pleaded.
- Staying silent in the face of injustice, as David did, lets the wound grow worse and prepares further tragedies.
- God sees the suffering of the desolate, and his church is called to listen to them and protect them.
Key verses
Tamar refuses clearly and recalls that such acts are a disgrace in Israel. The Bible preserves her words and gives a voice to the victim.
Tamar lives desolate in Absalom's house. This sober word tells the depth of the wound and invites us not to pass too quickly over the suffering of victims.
David is very angry, but the text mentions no punishment. This silence of the king weighs heavily on the rest of the account.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Tamar, daughter of David?
Tamar is a daughter of King David and the sister of Absalom. She was beautiful and a virgin, and wore the robe of many colors reserved for the king's daughters. She was raped by her half-brother Amnon, as 2 Samuel 13 tells. She is not the same person as Tamar, the daughter-in-law of Judah.
What does the name Tamar mean?
Tamar means "palm tree" in Hebrew. The palm evokes beauty, height and uprightness. The Bible does not comment on this name for David's daughter, but it was borne by several women of the Old Testament, including her niece, the daughter of Absalom.
Where can I find the story of Tamar, daughter of David, in the Bible?
Her story is found in 2 Samuel 13:1-22, with the consequence of Amnon's murder in the rest of the chapter. She is also mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3:9, in the list of David's children, as their sister.