The Secret Chord

Amnon, who has been denied nothing, lusts after the one unattainable woman in the kingdom: his half-sister Tamar. Natan watches in a vision, unable to intervene, as Amnon feigns illness and asks that Tamar come to his house to cook sweetcakes for him. Amnon brutally rapes Tamar, disfiguring her and urinating on her. He then throws her out into the street for all to see while proclaiming his disgust for her now that he has used her.

Tamar’s protective brother Avshalom cautiously waits to see what David will do. The answer is nothing. Maacah (Tamar and Avshalom’s mother) confronts her husband and demands that he punish Amnon by executing him. David refuses. He makes excuses for the rapist: Amnon is a young man with appetites; one shouldn’t take away his future for one mistake; Tamar didn’t cry out for help. Instead, David sends Tamar away to a country estate out of sight so that every can “move on” (233). God prevents Natan from intervening, since the events about to unfold are the punishment for David’s sins.