2 Samuel 13:6
ESV
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. And when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat from her hand."
NIV
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand."
NASB
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, 'Please have my sister Tamar come and make me a couple of pastries in my sight, so that I may eat from her hand.'
CSB
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "Please let my sister Tamar come and make a couple of cakes in my presence so I can eat from her hand."
NLT
So Amnon lay down and pretended to be sick. And when the king came to see him, Amnon asked him, 'Please let my sister Tamar come and cook my favorite dish as I watch. Then I can eat it from her own hands.'
KJV
So Amnon lay down, and made himself sick: and when the king was come to see him, Amnon said unto the king, I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come, and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand.
NKJV
Then Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said to the king, “Please let Tamar my sister come and make a couple of cakes for me in my sight, that I may eat from her hand.”
What does 2 Samuel 13:6 mean?
Amnon, oldest son of King David, is sick with lust for his half-sister. Though they have the same father, they have different mothers and live in separate homes. He wants her, but he can't figure out how to get her alone. He decides to try his cousin's idea to see if he can manipulate his unsuspecting father to help (2 Samuel 13:1–5 ).Amnon lays on his bed and pretends to be so ill that he can't feed himself. David demonstrates concern for his oldest son by coming to see him. That's when Amnon makes his request of the one person who can cause Tamar to come to him in his room. He asks his father to send his half-sister Tamar to make food in his room and feed it to him.
Commentators speculate that these cakes may have been a kind of boiled bread made from balls of dough, something like modern dumplings. It may be that such food was thought to give a sick person strength, especially when made by a caring person willing to feed the one who was ill to get him or her to eat.
Whether or not David thinks that Amnon's request is unusual, he doesn't seem to suspect his son's true motives. He will grant the request. Once they're alone, Amnon assaults Tamar. She barely has enough time to argue that he's a fool before he forces himself on her (2 Samuel 13:7–14).
