And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
2 SAMUEL 13:16KJVWhat does 2 Samuel 13:16 mean?
2 Samuel 13:16 shows Tamar pleading with Amnon after he has assaulted her, saying that sending her away now is an even greater wrong than what he has already done to her. Amnon refuses to listen to her and ignores her desperate appeal.
In this verse, Tamar is speaking directly to Amnon, her half-brother, after he has forced himself on her. She points out that casting her out would add to her shame and suffering, making her situation even worse. The verse highlights Tamar’s awareness of the social and personal consequences she will face, and Amnon’s cold disregard for her distress.
The Hebrew behind 2 Samuel 13:16
- "Evil" (רָעָה, ra‘ah): Tamar calls Amnon’s act of sending her away a greater "evil" than the assault itself, emphasizing the deep harm and disgrace this rejection would bring her in their culture.
- "Greater" (גָּדוֹל, gadol): The word for "greater" stresses that Tamar sees this second act—being cast out—as an even more serious violation, not just a continuation of the first.
- "Would not hearken" (שָׁמַע, shama‘): The phrase means Amnon refused to listen or pay attention, showing his complete lack of compassion or willingness to consider Tamar’s plea.
Why 2 Samuel 13:16 matters
- This verse makes clear that Tamar understood the lasting harm of being rejected after such a violation, which in her society would leave her without protection or honor.
- The verse highlights Amnon’s hard-heartedness and refusal to take responsibility, deepening the tragedy of Tamar’s situation.
- It connects to the wider passage by showing the full weight of injustice Tamar suffers, which sets the stage for the consequences that follow in David’s family.