שמואל ב, פרק י״ג, פסוק ט׳

The serving of the meal marks the critical turning point where Amnon shifts into the active phase of his dark plot. Tamar finishes preparing the food and takes hold of the cooking vessel. While the primary approach among commentators is that this vessel is a frying pan or skillet, [שטיינזלץ] suggests it was a serving bowl. Tamar pours the freshly fried dough from the cooking vessel directly into Amnon's bowl [רד"ק, מצודת דוד, רלב"ג]. She deliberately does this right before his eyes, directly following his earlier demand that she prepare the food in his presence [רלב"ג].

However, Amnon reacts in a surprising manner and refuses to eat. Commentators offer different perspectives on the motive behind this refusal, all pointing to the calculated stages of his plan. [מלבי"ם] explains that Amnon refused because Tamar merely poured the food in front of him rather than feeding him directly with her own hands. He used this as a convenient excuse to dismiss the bystanders, intending to force her to feed him personally without any servants acting as intermediaries. Conversely, [רלב"ג, אברבנאל] note that the food itself did not interest him in the slightest. His refusal was entirely premeditated and driven by his wicked intentions. His true objective was to maneuver Tamar into an inner, isolated room. There, he could force himself upon her without anyone outside hearing her cries for help.

To bring this scheme to fruition, Amnon issues a command to remove everyone from his presence, completely clearing the room of all servants and visitors [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. This ensures that he is left entirely alone with her.