Amnon’s sudden loathing of Tamar shows the devastating impact of sinful obsession, reminding us that wrongful passion can quickly turn into contempt after it has run its course.
Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!” (v.15). Amnon was the firstborn son of King David, reigning around 1000 BC. He had developed an obsessive desire for his half-sister Tamar, tricked her into a vulnerable situation, and assaulted her. Once he had satisfied his lust, the remorse and revulsion he felt twisted into an intense hatred directed at Tamar, driving him to cast her out immediately. The scripture lays bare his cruel transformation: the very affection Amnon once professed became loathing more severe than his earlier infatuation.
In the historical timeline, this event likely occurred in Jerusalem, where King David’s family resided. Tamar’s anguish foreshadows the tragic consequences that ripple through David’s household (2 Samuel 13:22-29) as Absalom, Tamar’s full brother, would later avenge her dishonor. This passage starkly contrasts with God’s design for righteous relationships and highlights the destructiveness of lust and deceit in a family setting. Amnon’s response—“Get up, go away!”—reveals how sin often breeds further sin, compounding a grave offense with heartbreak and humiliation.
Amnon’s hatred of Tamar, inverting his former love, warns us of the dark potential of unbridled desires and the heartbreak that follows.
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2 Samuel 13:15 meaning
Then Amnon hated her with a very great hatred; for the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her. And Amnon said to her, “Get up, go away!” (v.15). Amnon was the firstborn son of King David, reigning around 1000 BC. He had developed an obsessive desire for his half-sister Tamar, tricked her into a vulnerable situation, and assaulted her. Once he had satisfied his lust, the remorse and revulsion he felt twisted into an intense hatred directed at Tamar, driving him to cast her out immediately. The scripture lays bare his cruel transformation: the very affection Amnon once professed became loathing more severe than his earlier infatuation.
In the historical timeline, this event likely occurred in Jerusalem, where King David’s family resided. Tamar’s anguish foreshadows the tragic consequences that ripple through David’s household (2 Samuel 13:22-29) as Absalom, Tamar’s full brother, would later avenge her dishonor. This passage starkly contrasts with God’s design for righteous relationships and highlights the destructiveness of lust and deceit in a family setting. Amnon’s response—“Get up, go away!”—reveals how sin often breeds further sin, compounding a grave offense with heartbreak and humiliation.
Amnon’s hatred of Tamar, inverting his former love, warns us of the dark potential of unbridled desires and the heartbreak that follows.