Shmuel II Chapter 13 | Amnon and Tamar

The story of Amnon and Tamar contains numerous analogies and parallels to other biblical narratives. Each comparison calls us to read the story in a new light. To explore these stories further, identify more analogies, and examine linguistic parallels, try out the "Tanakh Lab" tool on the Al HaTorah website. Here are a few of these parallels and a selection of linguistic similarities:
1. In the story of Yehuda and Tamar (Bereshit 38), the victim shares the same name: Tamar. In both accounts, Tamar is sent to live in her father’s house, and both stories mention sheep shearers and a friend.
2. In the story of the rape of Dina (Bereshit 34), the rape is described in similar terms. The family’s initial reaction is anger followed by silence, and later, the brothers also seek revenge.
3. In the story of David and Batsheva (Shmuel II 11) there is a depiction of improper sexual behavior triggered by seeing a very beautiful woman. Both stories share similar language and expressions.

What ties these three stories together is the theme of taking responsibility:
- Yehuda admits his guilt publicly, saying, “She is more righteous than I,” and saves Tamar.
- Shekhem, after raping Dina, immediately falls in love with her and wishes to take responsibility by marrying her properly: “When Shekhem, son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the land, saw her, he took hold of her, lay with her, and violated her. He became deeply drawn to Dina, Yaakov’s daughter, and, in love with the young woman, he spoke to her heart” (Bereishit 34:2–3).
- David, after sinning with Batsheva, does not deny his actions. Upon learning of her pregnancy, he does everything he can (even orchestrating Uriya’s death) to marry her and remove her shame.

In contrast to these stories, Amnon’s crime stands out even more. After the rape, he loses his love for Tamar, hates her, and orders to remove her from his sight. Tamar pleads with him not to send her away, saying: “Don’t! This great wrong – to send me away – would be even worse than what you did to me before.”  But he refuses to listen, rejects her, and condemns her to a life of desolation in her brother Avshalom’s house.

This theme of responsibility is emphasized in the Torah’s laws about rape: the rapist must take responsibility, marry the woman he hurt, and is forbidden from divorcing her for the rest of his life. While this application feels foreign to modern lifestyle — and it's difficult to understand why a victim would want to marry her assailant — the message here remains relevant: The perpetrator must take responsibility for his actions and do everything he can to amend the situation.