Then Amnon hated her exceedingly His mind, which at first had been impelled by lust, was now agitated by remorse, which drove it to a different extreme, like the vibration of a pendulum. The horror of his guilt struck him with a sudden detestation of her whom he deemed the cause of it, and he hated his sister when he should have hated himself. Thus, through God's abandoning him, in just judgment, to the tumult of his own intemperate mind, this other punishment of David's adultery became more flagrant; and the prophet's prediction, of evil being raised up to him out of his own house, more conspicuous. For Amnon's barbarous behaviour now precluded all possibility of concealing his guilt. The moment his brutality was indulged, he commanded his sister out of his sight. And she said, There is no cause For me to go, or for this hard usage. She had given him no cause for aggravating his first offence, by loading it with an immediate and public scandal, and indelible reproach upon her, himself, and his house; upon religion, and the people of God. This evil is greater than the former Not a greater sin, but an act of greater cruelty, and a greater calamity to her; because it exposed her to general infamy and contempt. And, besides, it turned a private offence into a matter of public scandal, to the great dishonour of God and of his people, and especially of all the royal family. But he would not hearken to her
He was now as deaf to decency and humanity as he had been before to all sense of shame and conscience, and, therefore, called to his servant that attended him, and bid him turn out that woman from him, and bolt the door after her.