Absalom, Amnon, David, and Jonadab
(13:20-36)
20 Then Absalom her brother said to her, “Has Amnon your brother been with you? But now keep silent, my sister, he is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” So Tamar remained and was desolate in her brother Absalom's house. 21 Now when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry. 22 But Absalom did not speak to Amnon either good or bad; for Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister Tamar. 23 Now it came about after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom invited all the king's sons. 24 Absalom came to the king and said, “Behold now, your servant has sheepshearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” 25 But the king said to Absalom, “No, my son, we should not all go, for we will be burdensome to you.” Although he urged him, he would not go, but blessed him. 26 Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” And the king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” 27 But when Absalom urged him, he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him. 28 Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “See now, when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say to you, 'Strike Amnon,' then put him to death. Do not fear; have not I myself commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant.” 29 The servants of Absalom did to Amnon just as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose and each mounted his mule and fled. 30 Now it was while they were on the way that the report came to David, saying, “Absalom has struck down all the king's sons, and not one of them is left.” 31 Then the king arose, tore his clothes and lay on the ground; and all his servants were standing by with clothes torn. 32 Jonadab, the son of Shimeah, David's brother, responded, “Do not let my lord suppose they have put to death all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon alone is dead; because by the intent of Absalom this has been determined since the day that he violated his sister Tamar. 33 “Now therefore, do not let my lord the king take the report to heart, namely, 'all the king's sons are dead,' for only Amnon is dead.” 34 Now Absalom had fled. And the young man who was the watchman raised his eyes and looked, and behold, many people were coming from the road behind him by the side of the mountain. 35 Jonadab said to the king, “Behold, the king's sons have come; according to your servant's word, so it happened.” 36 As soon as he had finished speaking, behold, the king's sons came and lifted their voices and wept; and also the king and all his servants wept very bitterly.
One of those who learn what happened is Absalom, Tamar's (full) brother. He lets Tamar know that he knows what Amnon has done to her, and then he does something quite surprising -- nothing, or so it seems. He seems to tell her that this is something to be kept secret, within the family. She is to keep silent about it and not to take it to heart. Does Absalom really think she can do such a thing? Perhaps it is to facilitate her keeping silent and help her deal with this trauma that Absalom takes her into his own home. In our text at least, Absalom does not tell his sister what he has in mind. From what Jonadab will tell David two years later, it was Absalom's intention to kill Amnon the day he learned his brother had violated Tamar (verse 32). Never was this beautiful young woman to experience marriage or the bearing of children. One can hardly calculate all that Amnon stole from his sister that evil day.
On the surface, David's response to the news of his daughter's rape seems similar to that of Absalom. David does not seem to conceal his anger, however. The author tells us that David is fully aware of all that took place (verse 21). Nevertheless, it appears that David does absolutely nothing. One must ask why. Is David not able to get the kind of testimony the law requires? Possibly, but this does not seem likely. Is David fearful of being hypocritical? How can he punish his son for doing what he has done? Or, is David reluctant because he is partly guilty as well? After all, he is the one who ordered Tamar to go to Amnon's house.
It does seem as though David may have ranted and raved in his anger, even if he did not deal with Amnon as he should have. But Absalom seems to be the essence of self-control. He conceals his hatred and anger and acts as if nothing has happened. But in his heart he has already purposed to make Amnon pay for ruining his sister's life. He has the motive. All he needs is the means and the opportunity. That will come in two years time. Until then, Absalom does not so much as speak to Amnon. He treats him as though he doesn't exist; soon he will not exist.
Two years pass. Seemingly all has been forgotten, and Amnon has gotten away with his crime. Absalom may have made other attempts to get Amnon away from David's watchful eye and protection and failed, but this time his plan will succeed. Sheep-sheering time has come, and Absalom, like many others, has finished the task and is planning to celebrate. He knows David can appreciate such things, not only as a former shepherd boy but also from his experiences in the more recent past (see 1 Samuel 25:2ff.). Here is the pretext Absalom has been seeking.
I doubt very much that Absalom wants David to attend the celebration in Baal-Hazor, nearly 20 miles away to the north and east of Jerusalem. It is a trek David will not wish to make, and I believe Absalom knows it. Besides, David and his entourage will be a large group, too large to be easily accommodated. And so David declines, but gives Absalom his blessing. Absalom expected this response, and he does not give up. He now presses David for what he really wants -- he wants David to send9 his son Amnon. Is Absalom implying that Amnon can represent David as his first-born? We do not know because we are not told.
David wonders, though. Why would Absalom ask specifically for Amnon to come? David presses Absalom on this point, but he seems to avoid the question and continue to press his father to send him. Is it David's idea to send all his sons along with Absalom? Perhaps. This will certainly seem to put some of David's suspicions to rest. One way or the other, David stays home (oh boy, is this deja vu?) sending his sons in his place.
Absalom has already formulated a plan and given his servants their instructions. As David instructed Joab to kill Uriah, now Absalom instructs his servants to kill Amnon.10 Absalom will see to it that Amnon does his share of drinking, and thus will be “merry with wine.” (This too seems to have a strange sense of deja vu, as we recall that David sought to make Uriah's heart merry so that he could get him to do what he wanted.) When Amnon is sufficiently drunk, Absalom will give the order, and it is then that his servants are to kill him. Let these men not fear; Absalom is taking full responsibility for what they are about to do to Amnon. The time comes, and Absalom gives the order, and Amnon's life is taken.
The remainder of David's sons are terrified when they see Amnon killed by Absalom's servants. Does Absalom intend to kill them, too? They are not waiting around to find out. They all mount their mules and flee back toward Jerusalem. News reaches David before his sons are sighted. As is often the case, the initial news report is exaggerated. Someone reports to David that all of his sons have been slain, and that not one is left alive. Now before we let our minds set this false report aside, let me call attention to the intense suffering David experiences in that period of time when he still believes the report to be true. David would feel very much like Job when he learned that all of his children had been killed (see Job 1). What intense suffering David underwent for that short period of time. It is like the death of his son by Bathsheba, multiplied many times over (see 12:14ff.). David tears his clothes and lays prostrate on the ground, and all of his servants follow his lead.
During this interim, between the first initial (inaccurate) report and the arrival of his sons, Jonadab approaches David, assuring him this report is not true. He tells David that only one son is dead -- Amnon -- and that this was the intent of Absalom from the day his sister Tamar was raped by Amnon. Therefore, Jonadab urges, the king should not mourn excessively, as though all of his sons are dead (verses 32-33).
Note something interesting about Jonadab's words: there is only one way he could have known what he just told David. Jonadab had not accompanied David's sons to the feast at Absalom's ranch. He had not been there to see what happened. The early reports had to come (directly or indirectly) from those who had been there, at Baal-hazor. How can Jonadab assure David that these reports are not true when he was not there to see what happened? There is only one answer so far as I can tell. Jonadab had known for some time what Absalom's intentions concerning Amnon were. Jonadab knew that Absalom was planning to kill Amnon, and he neither said nor did anything to prevent it.
I don't like what I see of Jonadab in this chapter. He may have been a very shrewd fellow, but he seems to be an opportunist with no scruples. He must have had an idea what Amnon had in mind with regard to Tamar, but he did nothing to stop him. Instead, he told him how he could achieve his evil purpose. And now, having been an accessory before the fact in the rape of Tamar, he adds to his sin by knowing about Absalom's plan to kill Amnon and yet doing nothing about it. (Frankly, I'm surprised he didn't tell Absalom how to get Amnon out to the ranch.) And beyond this, he now uses this knowledge to try to further his own standing with David. It seems that he has a very shrewd reason for telling David that only Amnon has died, before David's sons return to Jerusalem. Their arrival proves that Jonadab knows what he is talking about. When they arrive, Jonadab says to David, “See, didn't I tell you this ahead of time? Things took place just as I told you they would” (verse 35). I think Jonadab is trying to make points with David.
Shortly after Jonadab assures David that only one son is dead, the watchman look out and see that many men are coming. Soon, all of David's sons but two arrive in Jerusalem: Amnon who is dead, and Absalom who kills him and flees. The weeping is commenced by David's sons this time, and David joins with them in mourning the death of Amnon. They all weep bitterly.
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