2 Samuel 13:19

¹⁷ Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

¹⁸ And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

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.

²⁰ And Absalom her brother said unto her, Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? but hold now thy peace, my sister: he is thy brother; regard not this thing. So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom’s house.

²¹ But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

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
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
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Jeremiah 2:37
Yea, thou shalt go forth from him, and thine hands upon thine head: for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.
Read in context
2 Samuel 1:2
It came even to pass on the third day, that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent, and earth upon his head: and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth, and did obeisance.
Read in context
2 Samuel 1:11
Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
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1 Samuel 4:12
And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.
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Job 2:12
And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.
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Esther 4:1
When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry;
Read in context
Job 42:6
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.
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