What Does 2 Samuel 13:13 Mean in the King James?
And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
Tamar asks where she must carry her reproach, yet names the man pressing her as the one whose conduct is folly.
THE MEANING
Tamar is under the pressure of rape: she asks where she will carry the reproach while naming the man coercing her as a fool in Israel. Her appeal to the king is a plea under coercion to redirect the outcome, not consent to being forced.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the lie that the target of sexual coercion owns its disgrace: Tamar names the disgraceful conduct in the man pressing her, even as she fears its reproach will follow her.
THE ROOT
חֶרְפָּתִי
cherpati
GROWS FROM
חרף
To reproach, taunt, or revile.
The word carries the sense of reproach, something spoken or borne in public, as well as inward shame. Tamar fears that this reproach will travel with her, even as the verse directs its moral accusation toward the man coercing her.
ALSO GROWS
charaph: To reproach or taunt.
חָרַף
The verbal form shows shame as an accusation or public reproach, not only a private feeling.
cherpah: Reproach or disgrace.
חֶרְפָּה
This noun names the burden Tamar fears she will have to carry.
נְבָלִים
nevalim
GROWS FROM
נבל
n-b-l
To wither; figuratively, to become senseless or act disgracefully.
“fools” in this verse is nevalim. This fool is not merely someone mistaken; the word can name someone whose conduct is morally degraded. The same root describes a disgraceful act, placing the moral collapse in what the man does rather than in the person he harms.
ALSO GROWS
nabal: A fool, one without moral sense.
נָבָל
This is the singular form behind Tamar’s description of the man as one of Israel’s fools.
nebalah: A disgraceful act or outrage.
נְבָלָה
This same word-family names the act Tamar calls folly in the preceding verse.
THE PATTERN
A person’s feared reproach does not establish their guilt; the text traces disgrace to the violent deed or false accusation.
And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; which thing ought not to be done.But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death: for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter:Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.THE THREAD
And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.The word translated “folly” and the word “fools” here share the Hebrew root נבל (n-b-l). Tamar first names the demanded act as an outrage, then uses the same word-family to name the man pressing her.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us