2 Samuel 13:19

¹⁷ Instead, he called to his attendant and said, “Throw this woman out and bolt the door behind her!”

¹⁸ So Amnon’s attendant threw her out and bolted the door behind her. Now Tamar was wearing a robe of many colors, because this is what the king’s virgin daughters wore.

And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.

²⁰ Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom.

²¹ When King David heard all this, he was furious.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: And Tamar put ashes on her head and tore her robe. And putting her hand on her head, she went away crying bitterly.
KJV: 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.
WEB: Tamar put ashes on her head, and tore her garment of various colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
ASV: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her; and she laid her hand on her head, and went her way, crying aloud as she went.
DARBY: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her vest of many colours which was on her, and laid her hand on her head, and went away, crying out as she went.
BLB: And Tamar put ashes on her head, and she tore her tunic of many colors that [was] on her, and she put her hand on her head and went, going on and crying bitterly.

ÅB: Men Tamar strødde aske på sitt hode og sønderrev den side kjortel hun hadde på seg, og hun la sin hånd på sitt hode og gikk skrikende sin vei.
OTB: Da la Tamar aske på hodet sitt og rev det langermede plagget som var på henne, og hun la hånden på hodet sitt og gikk bort, gråt høyt mens hun gikk.
B1930: Men Tamar strødde aske på sitt hode og sønderrev den side kjortel hun hadde på sig, og hun la sin hånd på sitt hode og gikk skrikende sin vei.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

Joshua 7:6
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
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Jeremiah 2:37
Moreover, you will leave that place with your hands on your head, for the LORD has rejected those you trust; you will not prosper by their help.”
Read in context
2 Samuel 1:2
On the third day a man with torn clothes and dust on his head arrived from Saul’s camp. When he came to David, he fell to the ground to pay him homage.
Read in context
2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold of his own clothes and tore them, and all the men who were with him did the same.
Read in context
1 Samuel 4:12
That same day a Benjamite ran from the battle line all the way to Shiloh, with his clothes torn and dirt on his head.
Read in context
Job 2:12
When they lifted up their eyes from afar, they could barely recognize Job. They began to weep aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust in the air over his head.
Read in context
Esther 4:1
When Mordecai learned of all that had happened, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the middle of the city, wailing loudly and bitterly.
Read in context
Job 42:6
Therefore I retract my words, and I repent in dust and ashes.”
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