Now when King David heard about all these matters, he became very angry.
Parallel translations
- WEB But when king David heard of all these things, he was very angry.
- KJV But when king David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.
- BSB When King David heard all this, he was furious.
- NKJV But when King David heard of all these things, he was 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 34:7The sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. The men were grieved, and they were very angry, because he had done folly in Israel in lying with Jacob’s daughter; a thing ought not to be done.
- 1 Sam 2:29Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’
- 2 Sam 3:28–29Afterward, when David heard it, he said, “I and my kingdom are guiltless before Yahweh forever of the blood of Abner the son of Ner.
- 2 Sam 12:5David’s anger burned hot against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to die!
- Ps 101:8Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land; to cut off all the workers of iniquity from Yahweh’s city.
- 1 Sam 2:22–25Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
- 2 Sam 12:10Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me, and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.