Aimless Despair

The image produced is one of Tamar wandering aimlessly, with her torn dress, wailing like one in mourning, publicly announcing her grief and her disgrace. The assault has reduced her to a state of aimless despair…Tamar’s body language portrays deep pain….She has been grievously wronged by Amnon and left alone by everyone else. Her brother Absalom, said, “Be quiet now, my sister….Don’t take this thing to heart” (v. 20)…Even though the text says her father, the king, was furious, he did nothing…Those who should have been supportive and taken her side did not. They minimized what had happened, showing that they did not understand the depth of Tamar’s pain…Absalom, her brother, responded to Tamar’s pain by plotting to kill Amnon and by silencing her. David, Tamar’s father, ignored her disgrace. Holcomb, Rid of My Disgrace, p. 20-21.