Lives of Scripture

Tamar was the beautiful daughter of David and Maacah, and full sister of Absalom. Her half-brother Amnon, David's firstborn, became obsessed with her and, following his cousin Jonadab's scheme, feigned illness to lure her into his room alone under the pretext of wanting her to prepare food for him (2 Samuel 13:1-10). When she came, Amnon refused to let her leave, and despite her explicit pleas -- she begged him not to do this "disgraceful thing" and even suggested David would allow them to marry rather than commit this evil -- he raped her (13:11-14). Immediately afterward, Amnon's obsession turned to hatred, and he threw her out and had the door bolted behind her, a cruelty Scripture notes was greater than the wrong he had already done her (13:15-17). Tamar tore the long-sleeved robe that marked her as a virgin daughter of the king, put ashes on her head, and went away crying aloud; her brother Absalom took her into his own house, where she lived "a desolate woman" (13:18-20). David was furious when he heard, but did nothing to punish Amnon (13:21). Absalom nursed his hatred silently for two years before having Amnon murdered in revenge, then fled into exile (13:22-39). Tamar herself disappears from the narrative after this, though 2 Samuel 14:27 notes Absalom later named his own daughter after her.