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20. Been with thee? Members of the royal household must have been acquainted with the shortcomings of Amnon, and apparently Absalom immediately sensed what had taken place.

Hold now thy peace. This counsel is in keeping with the deeply revengeful spirit of Absalom. The wrong that had been done to Tamar demanded immediate punishment. The shame that she had suffered was generally known, for her behavior on leaving Amnon’s apartment prevented any hope of concealment. Nothing good was to be gained by counseling delay. If Absalom had himself been the man he should have been, he would have taken the matter immediately in hand and would not have rested until the wrong done to his sister had been righted. But instead of seeking redress by legal means he plotted revenge.

Desolate. Tamar had been shamed and then deserted, and she continued to abide in the home of her brother, unmarried and unhappy in the memory of her disgrace.