Tamar returned home

Tamar was likely living in the house of her brother Absalom. When she returned home, Absalom saw her pitiful state and asked, “Has Amnon your brother been with you?” This was a gentle way of asking whether she had been violated by Amnon. (1) Absalom advised her, saying, “But now keep silent, my sister.” In other words, he was telling her not to make the incident public. If it became known, it would bring shame on the entire royal family. Moreover, there was little likelihood that the firstborn, Amnon, would be punished. (2) Furthermore, Absalom said to her, “He is your brother; do not take this matter to heart.” In other words, he was telling her not to seek revenge on her own. At this point, Absalom had already resolved in his heart to kill Amnon. (3) It is written that “Tamar remained and was isolated,” which means she lived as if she were a widow, never marrying. Tamar was truly cast into a most pitiful and tragic circumstance.

David’s response

Eventually, the entire matter reached David’s ears. Amnon had raped Tamar, that he had then cast her out, and that since then, Tamar had been living in sorrow and mourning. All of this became known to King David. (1) David was furious, which is entirely natural. (2) However, he took no action to resolve the issue. Here we see David’s leniency toward his children. Furthermore, because he himself bore the weakness of the Bathsheba incident, it is likely that he found it difficult to take a firm stance against sexual sin. Yet leaving such a problem unaddressed only leads to further deterioration of the situation. (3) Though Absalom and Amnon were half-brothers, their relationship completely broke down. Absalom remained silent about the matter. This silence was driven by his hatred and desire for revenge against Amnon, as well as his ambition for the throne.　Let us take note of how sin upon sin leads to the collapse of the royal household. Let us learn from David’s failure in leaving the problem unresolved.