Common misinterpretations treat the multicolored garment as mere fashion or a lure for temptation, wrongly implying it contributed to Amnon's sin and blaming Tamar's attire rather than his predatory actions; others isolate the verse from its context of rape and familial betrayal, anachronistically applying it to advocate strict modern dress codes for women or purity culture, missing the narrative's emphasis on injustice, the failure of justice, and the profound grief inflicted on an innocent victim.
II Samuel 13:18
King James Version (1769)
18 And she had a garment of divers colours upon her: for with such robes were the king’s daughters that were virgins apparelled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.
This verse describes Tamar's distinctive garment of many colors, a robe reserved for the king's virgin daughters, symbolizing her purity and royal status before Amnon's assault; after the rape, as his servant expels her and shuts the door, it poignantly underscores her devastating loss of innocence, honor, and place within the family, highlighting themes of violation, rejection, and the tragic consequences of unchecked lust in David's household.