2 Samuel 13:8

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon’s house; and he was laid down. And she took flour, and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and did bake the cakes.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Tamar	תָּמָ֗ר ta.Mar	H8559	Tamar · proper noun, a woman's name
went	יָלַךְ yâlak	H3212	to walk (literally or figuratively)
brother	אָחִ֖יהָ 'a.Chi.ha	H251	a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person feminine singular
Amnon’s	אַמְנ֥וֹן 'am.Non	H550	Amnon (or Aminon) · proper noun, a man's name
house	בֵּ֛ית beit	H1004	a house (in the greatest variation of applications · noun, common masculine singular construct
down	שֹׁכֵ֑ב sho.Khev	H7901	to lie down (for rest · verb, qal active participle, masculine singular absolute
took	וַתִּקַּ֨ח va.ti.Kach	H3947	to take (in the widest variety of applications) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
flour	הַבָּצֵ֤ק ha.ba.Tzek	H1217	dough (as swelling by fermentation) · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
kneaded	וַתָּ֙לָשׁ֙ va.ta.lo.osh	H3888	to knead · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
cakes	וַתְּלַבֵּ֣ב va.te.la.Bev	H3823	(in a good sense) transport (with love) · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
sight	לְעֵינָ֔יו le.'ei.Nav	H5869	an eye (literally or figuratively) · preposition + noun, common feminine dual construct + pronominal suffix, 3rd person masculine singular
bake	וַתְּבַשֵּׁ֖ל va.te.va.Shel	H1310	properly · conjunction + verb, piel sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
cakes	הַלְּבִבֽוֹת ha.le.vi.Vot	H3834	a cake (either as fried or turned) · definite article + noun, common feminine plural absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 13:1-20

We have here a particular account of the abominable wickedness of Amnon in ravishing his sister, a subject not fit to be enlarged upon nor indeed to be mentioned without blushing, that ever any man should be so vile, especially that a son of David should be so. Amnon's character, we have reason to think, was bad in other things; if he had not forsaken God, he would never have been given up to these vile affections. Godly parents have often been afflicted with wicked children; grace does not run in the blood, but corruption does. We do not find that David's children imitated him in his devotion; but his false steps they trod in, and in those did much worse, and repented not. Parents know not…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 13:6

HE DEFILES HER. (2Sa. 13:6-27) Amnon lay down, and made himself sick--The Orientals are great adepts in feigning sickness, whenever they have any object to accomplish. let Tamar my sister come and make me a couple of cakes--To the king Amnon spoke of Tamar as "his sister," a term artfully designed to hoodwink his father; and the request appeared so natural, the delicate appetite of a sick man requiring to be humored, that the king promised to send her. The cakes seem to have been a kind of fancy bread, in the preparation of which Oriental ladies take great delight. Tamar, flattered by the invitation, lost no time in rendering the required service in the house of her sick brother.

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 13:3

Jonadab was a very subtle man - And most diabolic advice did he give to his cousin. We talk of the simplicity and excellence of primitive times! "Say not thou what is the cause that the former days were better than these." Take them altogether, we may thank God that they are past, and pray him that they may never return.

John Gill on 2 Samuel 13:8

So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house,.... In obedience to the king's commands, and in affection to her brother, with an innocent breast, having no suspicion of any design upon her chastity: (and he was laid down); upon a couch or bed in his chamber, as being sick as was pretended, into which she was introduced: and she took flour, and kneaded it; made it into a paste: and made cakes in his sight; a kind of fritters of them, as in the Talmud (y): and did bake the cakes: or fried them in a frying pan, in oil. (y) T. Bab. Sanhedrin, fol. 21. 1.

Dictionary and topics

Amnon — Faithful. (1.) One of the sons of Shammai, of the children of Ezra (1 Chr. 4:20; comp. 17). (2.) The eldest son of David, by Ahinoam of Jezreel (1 Chr. 3:1; 2 Sam. 3:2). Absalom caused him to be put…
Bake — The duty of preparing bread was usually, in ancient times, committed to the females or the slaves of the family (Gen. 18:6; Lev. 26:26; 1 Sam. 8:13); but at a later period we find a class of public…
Cake — Cakes made of wheat or barley were offered in the temple. They were salted, but unleavened (Ex. 29:2; Lev. 2:4). In idolatrous worship thin cakes or wafers were offered “to the queen of heaven” (Jer.…
David — Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam.…
Tamar — Palm. (1.) A place mentioned by Ezekiel (47:19; 48:28), on the southeastern border of Palestine. Some suppose this was “Tadmor” (q.v.). (2.) The daughter-in-law of Judah, to whose eldest son, Er, she…
Woman — Was “taken out of man” (Gen. 2:23), and therefore the man has the preeminence. “The head of the woman is the man;” but yet honour is to be shown to the wife, “as unto the weaker vessel” (1 Cor. 11:3,…
Bread · .Knea — .Knea
Deception · .Amnon — .Amnon
Lasciviousness · .Amnon — .Amnon
Princesses · Taught in household duties — Taught in household duties
Rape · of Absalom, Tamar’ s brother — of Absalom, Tamar’ s brother
Seduction · .Of Tamar

2 Samuel 13:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 13:1-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 13:6

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 13:3

John Gill on 2 Samuel 13:8

Dictionary and topics

2 Samuel 13:8

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 13:1-20

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on 2 Samuel 13:6

Adam Clarke on 2 Samuel 13:3

John Gill on 2 Samuel 13:8

Dictionary and topics

Keil & Delitzsch on 2 Samuel 13:1-22

Tyndale Open Study Notes on 2 Samuel 13:4

Rashi on 2 Samuel 13:8