Amnon, Tamar, and Absalom: 13:1–11  The story of Amnon’s abuse of Tamar, when he treats her solely as the object of his desires with no rights or value of her own, follows directly from the story of David’s abuse of his power. Amnon followed his father’s example. For a parent there is no private morality. Behavior and attitudes have repercussions within the family, and the repercussions of David’s actions were manifesting themselves, although not in a way that he would have wished for or envisaged.

Amnon was David’s eldest son by Ahinoam from Jezreel, the first woman David married after he had left Michal. The text states that Amnon fell in love with Tamar but makes clear that love in any meaningful sense had no part in his actions.

Jonadab, Amnon’s cousin and friend, was a very shrewd man,…