2 Samuel 13:2
ESV
And Amnon was so tormented that he made himself ill because of his sister Tamar, for she was a virgin, and it seemed impossible to Amnon to do anything to her.
NIV
Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her.
NASB
But Amnon was so frustrated on account of his sister Tamar that he made himself ill, for she was a virgin, and it seemed too difficult to Amnon to do anything to her.
CSB
Amnon was frustrated to the point of making himself sick over his sister Tamar because she was a virgin, but it seemed impossible to do anything to her.
NLT
Amnon became so obsessed with Tamar that he became ill. She was a virgin, and Amnon thought he could never have her.
KJV
And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.
NKJV
Amnon was so distressed over his sister Tamar that he became sick; for she was a virgin. And it was improper for Amnon to do anything to her.
What does 2 Samuel 13:2 mean?
David's son Amnon wants his half-sister Tamar. The text uses terms translated as "love" (2 Samuel 13:1), but it's really an erotic obsession. Amnon isn't held back by the Mosaic law. He doesn't care that the Law forbids both incest between half-siblings as well as rape and demands strong penalties (Leviticus 18:9; Deuteronomy 22:28–29). Nor does he care that taking her would dishonor her, her brother, their father, and himself.He's held back by the fact that Tamar is a virgin. She's not a child: she has reached puberty. But she isn't yet engaged. Because she's in this state, Amnon can't do anything to her; somehow, he has no access to her. She may be somewhat sequestered from the public. Or, since one of her primary identifiers is "Absalom's sister," it's possible Absalom is protecting her. In that culture, even today, brothers take their sisters' sexual purity personally, sometimes even more so than their father. This was certainly the case when Dinah was raped by a prince. Her father, Jacob, did nothing, but her brothers Simeon and Levi destroyed the entire city (Genesis 34).
Though both Tamar and Amnon are children of David, they have separate mothers and live in separate homes. Amnon's unfulfilled lust has made him physically ill because he knows he can't possibly act on it. All Amnon needs is to get Tamar in private. His cousin Jonadab has a plan (2 Samuel 13:3–5).
"Tormented" is from the Hebrew for "tied up" and "burdened." Amnon's obsession has bound him like ropes. "Virgin" can mean a young woman in general, but the meaning is clear: she's a young woman who has never had sex and who isn't engaged or married.
