Amnon

Biblical Account

Amnon was the firstborn son of David, born to Ahinoam the Jezreelitess while David reigned in Hebron (2 Samuel 3:2; 1 Chronicles 3:1). His life is recorded chiefly in 2 Samuel 13.

• Amnon became so infatuated with his half-sister Tamar that he made himself ill. Jonadab, Amnon's friend and the son of David's brother Shimeah, proposed a scheme: Amnon should lie in bed pretending to be sick and ask that Tamar be sent to prepare food for him (2 Samuel 13:1–6).
• Tamar refused him, saying that if he spoke to the king, he could obtain permission to marry her. Amnon forced her, and afterward he hated her even more than he had loved her and drove her out (13:11–17). Tamar tore her garment of many colors, put ashes on her head, and remained in the house of her full brother Absalom.
• When David heard of these things, he was very angry (13:21). The text, however, records no action that David took against Amnon.
• Two years later Absalom held a sheep-shearing feast at Baal-hazor and invited the king's sons. There he had his servants kill Amnon when he was drunk with wine (13:23–29). Absalom then fled to his maternal grandfather, Talmai king of Geshur, and stayed there three years (13:37–38).

Significance Within Scripture

The Amnon episode is commonly read as the first fulfillment within David's household of the prophecy of Nathan. After David sinned against Bathsheba and Uriah, Nathan declared, "the sword shall never depart from thine house" (2 Samuel 12:10). Many commentators also observe that the sequence of lust and scheming in this episode mirrors David's own sin. The incident marks the beginning of the royal conflict that leads to Absalom's rebellion. Amnon is not mentioned in the New Testament.

Interpretation and Issues

• David's silence: The text of the New Korean Revised Version says only that David was angry. The Septuagint and some manuscripts of Samuel among the Dead Sea Scrolls reportedly contain an additional clause stating that David would not vex Amnon's spirit, because he loved him, for he was his firstborn. Many interpreters read this silence as a failure of fatherhood, or as a sign that David had lost the authority to rebuke his son because of his own sin.
• Tamar's words (13:13): Marriage between half-siblings is forbidden in Leviticus 18:9 and 20:17, so interpretations of Tamar's statement differ. Some hold that it reflects the customs of the time; others regard it as words spoken to escape the danger of the moment.
• Absalom's motive: The text states that Absalom hated Amnon because he had violated his sister (13:22). Some interpreters suggest that Absalom also sought to secure the succession to the throne by eliminating Amnon, the firstborn. This, however, is an inference drawn from the later rebellion and is not stated directly in the text.
• Jewish tradition: The Mishnah tractate Avot cites Amnon and Tamar as an example of love that depends on a condition, and David and Jonathan as an example of love that does not. This tradition lies outside the biblical text.

In the Korean Church

The story of Amnon is treated mainly in sermons and Bible studies for adults. It serves as a text for addressing the tragedy of David's family, the consequences of sin, child-rearing, and family problems. Some sermons and writings focus on Tamar as the victim and on the community's silence about what happened, connecting the passage with the problem of sexual violence in the church.