all Israel 10. David over child's life as one proof of it; Uriah was dead, he was actually married to Bath-sheba, and the child born in matrimony. These and other like circumstances he might probably think would in some measure lessen or cover the reproach that might otherwise have been cast upon himself and child for the sin to which it owed its birth: and as Bath-sheba seems to have been greatly concerned for the preservation of its life, apprehending probably that should it die, David's affection for her might be lessened, and that he might upon more serious reflection have entirely dismissed her, as the occasion of the guilt he had contracted and the punishments that had been threatened to him upon account of it, his affection to her, added to the other mentioned considerations, might make him more ardently wish for the child's preservation, and earnestly pray God to spare it. But when the child was dead, he quietly acquiesces, and immediately pays his devotions to God, the great disposer of life and death; and thus humbly submits to the first part of the punishment inflicted on him. David over all Israel 11. 2 Sam. xii. 24, &c. When these melancholy transactions were over, David comJudah 18, forted Bath-sheba upon the death of their son, and cohabiting with her, he had another son by her, whom he called Solomon, whom God was pleased to favour from his earliest infancy. David put him under the care of Nathan the prophet, who called his name Jedidiah, because he was beloved of the Lord, as the name Jedidiah properly signifies. b He put him under the care of is because of the Lord, or because the CHAP. XI. Amnon's rape on Tamar. 2 Sam. xiii. THE loss of David's son by Bath-sheba was but the begin- David over Judah 19, ning of sorrows; for not long after this, the unhappy affair all Israel 12. between Amnon and Tamar occasioned him great uneasiness and displeasure. Amnon fell desperately in love with Tamar, 1, &c. who was his sister by David, but not by the same mother; she and Absalom being whole brother and sister. Amnon, thinking it a very difficult matter to obtain his desires, as she was his half-sister, fell sick through the strength of his passion and the despair of being ever able to gratify it. Jonadab, nephew to David, and Amnon's friend, inquired of him the cause of his illness, and what could occasion him to languish and pine away, as he was the king's son, and might therefore expect that his father would grant him every thing he could reasonably desire of him. Amnon told him he was in love with Tamar, his brother Absalom's sister. Jonadabe advised him to keep his bed, and to desire the king, when he came to visit him, to permit his sister Tamar to provide him some sustenance in his presence, that he might receive and eat it at her hand; whereby he might find an opportunity to enjoy her according to his wishes in consequence of which, as the affair could not be remedied, he might be allowed to marry her. Amnon took his advice, and the king, not suspecting any intrigue, too readily consented to Amnon's proposal, sent Tamar to attend him, who provided him the foodd he wanted, and c What Amnon's original view was is hard to determine. The history says, that Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her. As she was his half-sister, he could not by the law marry her; and as she was a virgin, she was under such strict custody as that it would be extremely difficult for him to obtain the liberty of being alone with her. Jonadab puts him into a very probable way of getting into her company and being alone with her. One can scarce think Jonadab, who was so near a relation of David, would have suggested this counsel, had he thought that Amnon's design was merely to debauch Tamar, without afterwards repairing the in- d It seems to have been the cus Judah 19, David over when she brought it to him to eat, he laid hold on her, and, all Israel 12. plainly discovering his intentions by beginning to use violence towards her, Tamar cried out, "Nay, my brother, do not force me; for this is such a wickedness as ought not to be done in Israel. Think of the infamy it will bring on me; and as for yourself, you will be accounted throughout the nation as a profligate fool, void of all honour, conscience, and virtue. Speak to the king, and he will give me to you in marriage e." But Amnon was deaf to all the remonstrances of his sister, and being stronger than she, he violated her honour, and impiously indulged his own incestuous desires. When he had thus obtained his wishes, struck probably with horror at the crime he had committed, and with having the object of his criminal passion present before him, or by some sudden unaccountable change of his temper, he conceived an absolute aversion towards her; and the violence of his hatred was much stronger than that of his former love, so that he bid her instantly arise and be gone. Tamar said, he could have no reasonf for such tom of ancient times for ladies of e Speak to the king, for he will Jarchi says, that her mother was with child of her whilst she was an alien, and that David took her captive in one of his wars; and that therefore Tamar, being born of a slave or captive woman, was not regarded as a daughter, and that therefore Amnon might lawfully marry her. But I leave the rabbins to answer for the story and casuistry. f' There is no reason or cause] , Neutiquam causa est, "there can be no reason for this treatment of me." The root of 18 is not preserved in the Hebrew Bible, but it still remains in the Arabic dialect. see Golius in voce 18, and signifies inflexit, occupatum eum habuit res; and from thence is used to denote the reason, or cause, or occasion, on account of which any one bends or sets himself, or endeavours to do any particular thing. The word is the plural feminine of the infinitive mood. Our translators render the whole passage; There is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other which thou didst unto me. But, as Gussatius observes under the word 118, the a cruel treatment of her, and that it did not become him to David over Judah 19, make the first injury he had done her the pretence of doing all Israel 12. her a further greater injury, by exposing her to public infamy and reproach. But this brute of a brother was not to be softened, and calling one of his servants, immediately ordered him, Send away this creature out of my sight, and shut her out of the house. The servant did as he was ordered, and Tamar rent the royal variegated robe that was upon her, threw ashes upon her heads, and laying her hand upon ith, went crying through the streets to her brother Absalom's house. Absalom, seeing his sister's distress, suspected what had happened, and said to her, "What, hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? Say nothing of the affair, my sister. As he is thy brother, lay words are placed in the order, as is unusual, when any comparison is intended; and therefore I would render the whole passage thus: Let there be no occasion of this great evil, from the other which thou hast done to me, thus ignominiously to dismiss me; i. e. Do not make the injury you have already done me the occasion or reason of this other great evil of thus thrusting me out of your house, and exposing my dishonour to public notice. This was what Amnon did, and there could not be a greater aggravation of his crime than this, nor an higher instance of injustice and cruelty. See Gussat. in voce, and Nold. sub partic.. Mr. Le Clerc thus renders the passage: Ne causam præbeas huic malo, majori eo quo me affecisti, dimittendi me. F. Houbigant thinks Mr. Le Clerc did not understand what he meant himself by this version, though I think nothing is more plain than that he meant, "Do not take an occasion to commit this evil in thus dismissing me, which is greater than the injury you have already done me;" that by making Tamar complain that the injury of thrusting her out of doors was in some respects greater than that of the violence he had already committed on her; which is the very sense that the good father puts on the expression, though he draws it from a different version of the place, viz. this great g The rending the garment and h Laying her hand upon her head] i. e. as I apprehend, covering her face with them, as ashamed to be seen, after the dishonour done to her by her brother. So the prophet describes Sion: Thou shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head, i. e. covering thy face, through the shame of thy disappointment. Jer. ii. 36, 37. See M. Guier. c. 14. §. 2. F f all Israel 12. David over it not to heart, but bear the injury with patience." And as she Judah 19,, had no remedy, she continued with Absalom, secluding herself from all company, and utterly disconsolate. Absalom was not of a temper to brook the injury done to his sister, and mortally hated Amnon upon account of it; but concealing his intended revenge till a proper opportunity, said nothing to him either by way of civility or reproach. Such an affair as this could not long be kept secret from David, who, when he heard it, was exceeding wroth, and I doubt not made Amnon feel the effects of his displeasure. I. Mr. Bayle, who takes every occasion to depreciate the character of David, says, that "his indulgence to his children exceeded all reasonable bounds; and that had he punished, as the crime deserved, the infamous action of his son Amnon, he would not have had the shame and uneasiness to see another person revenge the injury done to Tamar." Note f. I suppose he means, that he should have punished Amnon with death. 1 Chron. iii. But Amnon was David's eldest son, and heir apparent to his throne and kingdom; and he might not think it prudent, or that it would have been well taken by the nation, if he had put him to death without consulting them. And this would have been exposing in the most public manner the disgrace of his own family, which he thought it was best to conceal, as far as he was able. That David did not punish Amnon in some very exemplary manner, is more than Mr. B. could be sure of. There are some circumstances that make it very probable he did. The history assures us, that when David heard of the affair, he was very wroth. And it is very natural to suppose he made Amnon feel the effects of it. He seems to have put him under arrest and confinement, and allowed him to go nowhere without his express leave. For when Absalom invited the king and all his servants to go to his sheepshearing feast, and the king denied him, he particularly pressed him to let Amnon go with him; which shows, that though all the other sons of David easily obtained leave to attend Absalom, yet that Amnon was under greater restraint than all the rest; otherwise there would have been no need for him particularly to have pressed David to grant Amnon leave to accompany him, or reason why David should with difficulty and reluctance grant it. This was two full years after Amnon's affair with |