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Person · one of several with this name

Amasa

Mentioned in 11 verses across 3 books, first in 2 Samuel 17:25. The verses below are the ones linked to this person (the Theographic dataset, with our sourced corrections).

In the Bible

The first 10 of 11 verses, in Bible order. Text from the Berean Standard Bible; verse numbers follow the KJV.

2 Samuel

  • 2 Samuel 17:25

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 19:13

    And say to Amasa, ‘Aren’t you my flesh and blood? May God punish me, and ever so severely, if from this time you are not the commander of my army in place of Joab!’”

  • 2 Samuel 20:4

    Then the king said to Amasa, “Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and be here yourself.”

  • 2 Samuel 20:5

    So Amasa went to summon Judah, but he took longer than the time allotted him.

  • 2 Samuel 20:8

    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.

  • 2 Samuel 20:9

    “Are you well, my brother?” Joab asked Amasa. And with his right hand Joab grabbed Amasa by the beard to kiss him.

  • 2 Samuel 20:10

    Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s 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.

  • 2 Samuel 20:12

    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.

1 Kings

  • 1 Kings 2:5

    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.

  • 1 Kings 2:32

    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 Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army.

Dictionary

From Easton’s Bible Dictionary (1897), as attached to this record by Theographic. The entry is for the name and can describe more than one person who bore it. Easton wrote in 1897, and some of his views are now debated.

Read Easton’s entry

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).

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