Question 1

Why did Absalom invite all the king’s sons to his sheepshearing feast?

Accepted Answer

Absalom’s invitation looked like a normal family celebration. Sheep shearing was a time of joy, work, and feasting, so inviting the king’s sons would not seem strange. On the surface, it honored the family and showed respect to the king. But in his heart Absalom had another plan. He wanted Amnon there so he could take revenge for what Amnon had done to Tamar. By inviting all the king’s sons, he hid his true purpose and made the gathering look harmless and safe.

Question 2

Why did Absalom ask especially for Amnon to go with him?

Accepted Answer

When David refused to come, Absalom pressed him to send Amnon. He did this because Amnon, not the other brothers, was the one who had harmed Tamar. Absalom had waited two full years, keeping his anger inside, and now chose this moment to act. By asking for Amnon in particular, while still including the other sons, he made it seem like a normal request. In reality, Amnon was the real target, and Absalom was setting the trap that he had planned for a long time.

Question 3

What is the meaning of Absalom’s order to kill Amnon when his heart was merry with wine?

Accepted Answer

Absalom told his servants to watch Amnon and strike him when his heart was merry with wine. This means he wanted Amnon killed when he was relaxed and drunk, not expecting danger and unable to defend himself. It shows how cold and planned Absalom’s revenge was. Instead of seeking proper justice for Tamar, he chose to take matters into his own hands, using a moment of weakness and joy to carry out murder. It turns a feast that should have been glad into a scene of bloodshed.

Question 4

How does this passage show the danger of hidden anger and bitterness?

Accepted Answer

Absalom kept silent toward Amnon for two years, but his heart was not at peace. The quiet did not mean forgiveness. Inside, anger and bitterness were growing. When he finally acted, it came out as murder, carried out with planning and deceit. This shows how holding on to anger without dealing with wrongs in a right way can twist a person’s thoughts and choices. Instead of seeking help, truth, and fair judgment, Absalom chose revenge, and that choice brought more pain on the whole family.

Question 5

Why did David first believe that all his sons were dead?

Accepted Answer

As the king’s sons fled the feast in fear, a report reached David that Absalom had killed all of them. In that moment of panic, David accepted the message and tore his clothes in deep grief. The family was already wounded by past sins, so this news seemed believable to him. In times of shock and sorrow, it is easy to assume the worst. Only later did Jonadab explain that the report was wrong and that only Amnon had been killed, just as Absalom had planned from the start.

Question 6

Who is Jonadab, and why is he important in this story?

Accepted Answer

Jonadab is described as the son of Shimeah, David’s brother, which makes him David’s nephew and a cousin to the king’s sons. Earlier, he had advised Amnon on how to get close to Tamar, advice that helped lead to her being harmed. In this passage he appears again, telling David that only Amnon is dead and that this was Absalom’s settled plan since the day Tamar was forced. His calm knowledge of these events hints that he knew more than he had acted on, showing how careless counsel and silence can feed sin.

Question 7

What does this passage teach about David’s role as a father and king?

Accepted Answer

Here we see David caught between love for his sons and his duty to judge sin. After Amnon’s attack on Tamar, he was very angry but did not bring proper justice. That inaction left Tamar’s wrong unhealed, Amnon unpunished, and Absalom burning with hidden anger. When Absalom finally killed Amnon, David’s grief poured out, but by then the harm had spread. The story shows how avoiding hard decisions in a family or in leadership can open the door for deeper hurt and even violence later on.

Question 8

What does this passage show about God’s justice and human revenge?

Accepted Answer

In this story, Amnon’s sin against Tamar is not ignored, but it is answered in a dark way through Absalom’s revenge. Absalom’s act was not fair justice. It was secret, drunk‑time murder at a feast, and it drew others into guilt. This shows the difference between human revenge and God’s way. People often respond from hurt and anger, which spreads more sin. God sees all wrongs and brings justice in his time and way. The passage warns us not to take God’s place, but to let him deal with sin rightly.

Question 9

How can this passage speak to family conflict and hurt today?

Accepted Answer

This story shows how silence, favoritism, and hidden anger can tear a family apart. A terrible wrong was done to Tamar, yet it was not faced openly or rightly. Absalom shut down instead of speaking out or seeking help, then planned revenge. Today, when deep hurt happens in families, this passage pushes us to bring sin into the light, seek truth and protection for the wounded, and look for just and wise help rather than letting bitterness grow. It reminds us that secret anger often leads to greater harm.

2 Samuel 13:23

¶ And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon

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2 Samuel 13:23

¶ And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons.

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Absalom’s Revenge on Amnon

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