Amasa (עמשא) orAmessai[1] is a person mentioned in theHebrew Bible. His mother wasAbigail (2 Samuel 17:25), a sister of KingDavid (1 Chronicles 2:16,17). Hence, Amasa was a nephew of David, and cousin ofJoab, David's military commander, as well as a cousin ofAbsalom, David's son. David calls him "my bone and my flesh" (2 Samuel 19:13). Amasa's father wasJether (1 Kings 2:5,32,1 Chronicles 2:17) who was also called Ithra (2 Samuel 17:25). Jether haddual-nationality, being anIshmaelite andIsraelite, although it might be a case of an assimilated Ishmaelite living in Israel.[2]
When Absalom rebelled against David and won over thetribes of Israel (2 Samuel 15), Absalom appointed Amasa as commander over the army (2 Samuel 17:25), in effect replacing Joab, who had served as commander for David.
After the revolt was crushed and Absalom died (2 Samuel 18:1–17), David was invited back to Jerusalem and restored as king. David re-appointed Amasa as his military commander in Joab's stead "from now on" as his military commander (2 Samuel 19:13). Other versions translate this status differently: it is given as "permanently" in theJewish Publication Society 1985 translation[3] and "for life" in theNew International Version.[4]
David's appointment of Amasa has been interpreted as "a bold stroke of policy, to promise the post of commander-in chief to the general of the rebel army".[5]
While being fiercely loyal to David, Joab was also suspicious of any potential rivals forJoab's power or threats to David's kingdom, and had no qualms about taking the lives of any who might stand in his way (e.g.,Abner:2 Sam 3:27, and Absalom:2 Sam 18:14). So it was not difficult for Joab to also decide to murder Amasa (2 Sam 20:10,1 Kgs 2:5,32). Joab's own justification for killing Amasa may have been because he believed Amasa to be conspiring withSheba son of Bichri the Benjamite, due to Amasa's slowness to mobilize the army against Sheba's rebels (2 Sam 20:4,5).
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