2 Samuel 13:19

2Sa 13:19 And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours that [was] on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went on crying.

Ver. 19. And Tamar put ashes on her head.] Most grievously bewailing in the open street the loss of her virginity; exclaiming against Amnon, as Chrysostom thinketh, and saying that he had ravished her, lest she should be thought to have been put away as a whore.

And rent her garment of divers colours] To show that her virginity had been by force rent from her.

And laid her hand on her head.] To cover her face, that seat of shamefacedness. See Jer 2:37.

And went on crying.] She cried not out before, that she might have been rescued: but now, like one grown desperate, as not caring what became of her, she made known by her crying what abuse she had suffered.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Sa 13:19. Tamar put ashes upon her head — To signify her grief for some calamity which had befallen her, and what that was, concurring circumstances easily discovered. And laid her hand on her head — In token of shame and sorrow, as if she were unable to show her face. And went on crying — To manifest her abhorrence of the fact, and that it was not done by her consent.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

13:19 Tamar tore her robe to symbolize the violation of her virginity and honor and to mourn the death of her future (13:16). • Ashes represented death; sitting amid ashes or putting ashes on one’s head were signs of mourning (Esth 4:1-3; Job 42:6; Dan 9:3; Jon 3:6).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colours . . . laid her hand on her head, and went on crying--that is, sobbing. Oriental manners would probably see nothing beyond a strong sense of the injury she had sustained, if Tamar actually rent her garments. But, as her veil is not mentioned, it is probable that Amnon had turned her out of doors without it, and she raised her hand with the design to conceal her face. By these signs, especially the rending of her distinguishing robe, Absalom at once conjectured what had taken place. Recommending her to be silent about it and not publish her own and her family's dishonor, he gave no inkling of his angry feelings to Amnon. But all the while he was in secret "nursing his wrath to keep it warm," and only "biding his time" to avenge his sister's wrongs, and by the removal of the heir-apparent perhaps further also his ambitious designs.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(19) Went on crying.—Literally, went going and cried; i.e., as she went away she cried aloud. Tamar put on every external mark of the deep grief within; and this was not only fitting in itself, but was a proper means to obtain justice for her wrongs.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. And Tamar put ashes, &c.] The ashes and the torn garments (1Sa_4:12; Est_4:1), and the hands clasped above the head (Jer_2:37), were all marks of grief and shame.

went on crying] Went away shrieking as she went; not lamenting with silent tears, but with loud passionate shrieks and wailing.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Tamar put ashes on her head,.... In token of sorrow and distress; see Jos 7:6,

and rent her garment of divers colours that was on her; signifying that her virginity was rent from her in a forcible manner, or that she was ravished:

and laid her hand on her head; through grief and shame; see Jer 2:37,

and went on crying; from Amnon's house to her brother Absalom's, as one abused and injured.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Laid her hand on her head - To hold on the ashes (see the marginal references).

Went on crying - i. e. “went away, crying out as she went.”

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Head, as if to hide her face, Ezechiel xxvii. 30., and Jeremias ii. 37. So Mezentius: "Canitiem immundo deformat pulvere et ambas

Ad Cœlum tendit palmas."----- (Virgil, Æneid x.) See Homer, Iliad 2. (Calmet)

--- Crying, that no one might think she had consented. (Menochius) --- She probably went directly to her brother’s house, and related the affair to him; or he met her in this condition. (Salien)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Put ashes on her head, and rent her garment; to signify her grief for some calamity which had befallen her, and what that was concurring circumstances did easily discover.

Laid her hand on her head, in token of grief and shame, as if she were unable and ashamed to show her face. See Jer 2:37.

Went on crying, to manifest her abhorrency of the fact, and that it was not done by her consent.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. Ashes on her head… rent her garment… hand on her head — Signs of humiliation, agony, and despair. See references.

Went on crying — Screaming aloud through the streets of the city, frantic over the disgrace and violence she had so cruelly received.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tamar put ashes. There was no concealment of her wrong, but, thrust out of the inner chamber into which Amnon had enticed her (ver. 10), she cast ashes upon her head from the very fire which she had just used in cooking, and, rending her garment, hastened away with her hand on her head, and with cries of lamentation. If David had foreseen this sad sight when giving way to his passion for Bathsheba, he would have felt that sin is indeed "folly," and that its pleasure is followed by shame and bitter anguish.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Put ashes - To signify her grief for some calamity which had befallen her, and what that was, concurring circumstances easily discovered. Head - In token of grief and shame, as if she were unable and ashamed to shew her face. Crying - To manifest her abhorrency of the fact, and that it was not done by her consent.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.