Ishmaelite living at the time of United Monarchy
Amasa, the son of Jether and Abigail (David's sister), was a military commander who served under Absalom and later David, but was killed by Joab.
🗺 Places mentioned alongside Amasa on the map →
Amasa was the son of Jether, an Ishmaelite, and Abigail, the sister of King David. He was a cousin of Joab, David's military commander. (2Sa.17.25; 1Ch.2.17)
During Absalom's rebellion against David, Amasa was appointed as the commander of Absalom's army. (2Sa.17.25) After Absalom's defeat and death, David sought to reconcile with the rebellious factions and offered Amasa the position of commander over his army, replacing Joab. (2Sa.19.13).
However, when David ordered Amasa to assemble the men of Judah to counter a revolt led by Sheba, Amasa took longer than the allotted time. David then dispatched Abishai to pursue Sheba, with Joab and his men following. (2Sa.20.4-7)
When Amasa caught up with them, Joab approached him as if to greet him, but instead killed him with a sword. Joab then continued the pursuit of Sheba. (2Sa.20.8-13)
Joab's murder of Amasa was likely motivated by jealousy and a desire to maintain his position as David's military commander. David, however, saw this act as a betrayal and later instructed his son Solomon to bring judgment upon Joab for the deaths of Amasa and Abner. (1Ki.2.5-6)
The story of Amasa highlights the complex relationships and power struggles within David's family and his kingdom. It also demonstrates the consequences of loyalty, betrayal, and the struggle for power in the royal court.
Amasa, Absalom's general and David's nephew, was given Joab's post after the rebellion. Joab killed him at Gibeon while greeting him. The act is one of the grounds for Solomon's later execution of Joab.
Sources: 2 Sam 17:25 · 2 Sam 19:13 · 2 Sam 20:8-10 · 1 Kgs 2:5
More background: search Wikipedia ↗
Burden. (1.) The son of Abigail, a sister of king David (1 Chr. 2:17; 2 Sam. 17:25). He was appointed by David to command the army in room of his cousin Joab (2 Sam. 19:13), who afterwards treacherously put him to death as a dangerous rival (2 Sam. 20:4-12). (2.) A son of Hadlai, and chief of Ephraim (2 Chr. 28:12) in the reign of Ahaz.
AM'ASA (a burden). 1. A son of Jether (or Ithra) and Abigail, and nephew of David. He joined in Absalom's rebellion, and was appointed his commander-in-chief. 2 Sam 17:25. Being defeated by Joab, and Absalom being killed, he submitted to David, and was made captain of the host in room of Joab, his cousin, whose part in the death of Absalom and general lack of respect brought him into disfavor. When Sheba revolted David sent Amasa to assemble the people within three days, but his tardiness, owing, perhaps, to his unpopularity, obliged David to despatch his household troops under Abishai in pursuit of the rebel. Joab joined his brother, and meeting Amasa on the latter's return, under pretence of saluting him killed him and put himself again in supreme command. 2 Sam 20:10. See Joab. A prince of Ephraim, son of Hadlai, in the reign of Ahaz. 2 Chr 28:12.
AM'ASA (a burden). 1. A son of Jether (or Ithra) and Abigail, and nephew of David. He joined in Absalom's rebellion, and was appointed his commander-in-chief. 2 Sam 17:25. Being defeated by Joab, and Absalom being killed, he submitted to David, and was made captain of the host in room of Joab, his cousin, whose part in the death of Absalom and general lack of respect brought him into disfavor. When Sheba revolted David sent Amasa to assemble the people within three days, but his tardiness, owing, perhaps, to his unpopularity, obliged David to despatch his household troops under Abishai in pursuit of the rebel. Joab joined his brother, and meeting Amasa on the latter's return, under pretence of saluting him killed him and put himself again in supreme command. 2 Sam 20:10. See Joab.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
11 verses in 3 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6021
Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, the Ishmaelite who had married Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah the mother of Joab.
And say to Amasa, ‘Arenʼt you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from now on you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”
Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”
So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.
And while they were at the great stone in Gibeon, Amasa joined them. Now Joab was dressed in military attire, with a dagger strapped to his belt. And as he stepped forward, he slipped the dagger from its sheath.
“Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.
Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joabʼs hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach and spilled out his intestines on the ground. And Joab did not need to strike him again, for Amasa was dead. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba son of Bichri.
But Amasa wallowed in his blood in the middle of the road, and when the man saw that all the troops were stopping there, he dragged the body off the road into a field and threw a garment over it.
Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether, the two commanders of the armies of Israel. He killed them in peacetime to avenge the blood of war. He stained with the blood of war the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.
The LORD will bring his bloodshed back upon his own head, for without the knowledge of my father David he struck down two men more righteous and better than he when he put to the sword Abner son of Ner, commander of Israelʼs army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judahʼs army.
Abigail was the mother of Amasa, whose father was Jether the Ishmaelite.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.