But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.
Parallel translations
- WEB But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
- BSB When King David heard all this, he was furious.
- NKJV But when King David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
- NASB Now when King David heard about all these matters, he became very angry.
- NLT When King David heard what had happened, he was very angry.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
When David hears all this, he is very angry, but takes no recorded action. His failure to administer justice leaves the wrong unaddressed.
Overview
David's anger is right, yet the text notably records no discipline of Amnon, his firstborn, perhaps from paternal weakness or his own compromised moral authority after his sin. This failure of justice allows bitterness to grow and Absalom to take matters into his own hands. The episode shows how a leader's neglect of righteous discipline breeds further evil; some ancient manuscripts add that David spared Amnon because he loved him as his firstborn.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Gen 34:7And 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.
- 1 Sam 2:29Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
- 2 Sam 3:28–29And afterward when David heard it, he said, I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner:
- 2 Sam 12:5And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
- Ps 101:8I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.
- 1 Sam 2:22–25Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
- 2 Sam 12:10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
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Christ at the center
God's covenant with David — a son whose throne and kingdom would last forever (7:12–16) — finds its yes in Jesus, the Son of David who reigns without end.
How 2 Samuel 13:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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