Amnon

Am´non (faithful), the eldest son of David, by Ahinoam of Jezreel. He was born at Hebron, about B.C. 1056. He is only known for his atrocious conduct towards his half-sister Tamar, which her full-brother Absalom revenged two years after, by causing him to be assassinated while a guest at his table, in B.C. 1032 (2 Samuel 13) [ABSALOM].

The eldest son of David, by Ahimoam of Jezreel. He is known only by his guilt in violating his sister; for which Absalom, two years after, caused him to be assassinated, 2Sa 13:1-39 .\par

Am’non. (faithful).

1. Eldest son of David. (B.C. 1052). He dishonored his half-sister Tamar, and was in consequence murdered by her brother. 2Sa 13:1-29.

2. Son of Shimon. 1Ch 4:20.

1. David’s oldest son by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, born in Hebron while David reigned there over Judah only. Forced his half sister Tamar, and was murdered by her brother Absolom (See ABSALOM. (2 Samuel 13).

2. 1Ch 4:20.

(Heb., Amnon’, אִמְנוֹן[2Sa 13:20, אֲמִינוֹן, Aminon’], faithful; Sept. Α᾿μνών), the name of three men.

1. The first named of the four sons of Shimon or Shammai, of the children of Ezra, the descendant of Judah (1Ch 4:20, comp. 1Ch 4:17), B.C. prob. post 1612.

2. The eldest son of David by Ahinoam of Jezreel (1Ch 3:1), born at Hebron (2Sa 3:2), B.C. cir. 1052. He is only known for his violation of his half sister Tamar, B.C. cir. 1031, which her full brother Absalom revenged two years after, by causing him to be assassinated while a guest at his table (2 Samuel 13). SEE ABSALOM. The Sept. (in a clause added in 2Sa 13:21, but wanting in the Hebrew) assigns as the reason for David’s refraining from executing the penalty due to Amnon, that “he loved him because he was his first-born” — a fact that no doubt formed an additional incentive to the ambitious Absalom for putting him out of the way. SEE DAVID.

3. a rabbi of Mayence, lived about 1240. He wrote, Machzor, a book of prayers, printed at Dyhernfurt in 1703. See Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Gen., s.v.

Amnon (am’non), faithful. The eldest son of David, by Ahinoam of Jezreel. 2Sa 3:2. He is known only by his guilt in violating his half-sister Tamar; for which Absalom, two years after, caused him to be assassinated, 2Sa 13:1-39, thus also getting an elder brother out of his way to the throne.

[Am’non]

1. Eldest son of David by Ahinoam: he was slain by Absalom for the violence done to his sister Tamar. 2Sa 3:2; 2Sa 13:1-29; 1Ch 3:1.

2. Son of Shimon. 1Ch 4:20.

("Steadfast"):

By: J. Frederic McCurdy, Louis Ginzberg

1. The eldest son of David and Ahinoam, the Jezreelitess (II Sam. iii. 2). As heir presumptive to the throne he was an object of envy and dislike to Absalom. The dishonor done by Amnon to his half-sister Tamar—the full sister of Absalom (II Sam. xiii. 1 et seq.)—intensified these feelings and gave the younger brother a plausible justification for the murder of the offender, which was accomplished in the course of a sheepshearing feast, given by Absalom to all the king's sons (ib. 23-29 et seq.) two years after the commission of Amnon's offense.

—In Rabbinical Literature:

The sages of the Mishnah point out that Amnon's love for Tamar, his half-sister, did not arise from true affection, but from passion and lust, on which account, after having attained his desire, he immediately "hated her exceedingly." "All love which depends upon some particular thing ceases when that thing ceases; thus was the love of Amnon for Tamar" (Ab. v. 16). Amnon's love for Tamar was not, however, such a transgression as is usually supposed: for, although she was a daughter of David, her mother was a prisoner of war, who had not yet become a Jewess; consequently, Tamar also had not entered the Jewish community (Sanh. 21a). The incident of Amnon and Tamar was utilized by the sages as affording justification for their rule that a man must on no account remain alone in the company of a woman, not even of an unmarried one (Sanh. l.c. et seq.).

L. G.General View of the Ruins of the Roman Theater at Ammon.(From a photograph by Bonfils.)

2. A son of Shimon, mentioned in I Chron. iv. 20.

AMNON.—1. Eldest son of David by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess. He dishonoured his half-sister Tamar, and was, on that account, slain by her brother Absalom (2Sa 3:2; 2Sa 13:1 f.). 2. Son of Shimon (1Ch 4:20).

am´non (אמנון, ’amnōn, “faithful”; compare אמּינון, ’ămı̄nōn, 2Sa 13:20, which is probably a diminutive. Wellhausen (IJG, II, 24, note 2) resolves אמּינון into אמּי ’immı̄, and נוּן, nūn, “my mother is the serpent”; compare NUN):

(1) The eldest son of David and Ahinoam, the Jezreelites (compare 2Sa 3:2). As the crown prince and heir presumptive to the throne, he was intensely hated by Absalom, who was, therefore, doubly eager to revenge the outrage committed by Amnon upon his sister Tamar (2Sa 3:2; 2Sa 13:1, 1Ch 3:1).

(2) A name in the genealogy of Judah (1Ch 4:20).