Amasa

Biblical Record

Amasa appears in 2 Samuel 17–20, 1 Kings 2, and 1 Chronicles 2.

• Lineage: According to 2 Samuel 17:25, Amasa was the son of Ithra. His mother was Abigail, the younger sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. First Chronicles 2:16-17 lists Zeruiah and Abigail as daughters of Jesse and names Amasa's father as "Jether the Ishmeelite." According to this record, Amasa was a nephew of David and a maternal cousin of Joab.
• Commander of Absalom's army: After launching his rebellion, Absalom made Amasa captain of the host in place of Joab (2 Samuel 17:25). Absalom's army, however, was defeated in the wood of Ephraim (2 Samuel 18:6-8).
• Appointment by David: When the rebellion ended, David addressed Amasa as being "of my bone, and of my flesh" and promised to make him commander of the army in place of Joab. By this David won the hearts of the men of Judah (2 Samuel 19:11-14).
• Death: When Sheba the son of Bichri rebelled, David ordered Amasa to assemble the men of Judah within three days, but Amasa exceeded the appointed time (2 Samuel 20:4-5). Afterward Joab met him at the great stone in Gibeon. Taking Amasa by the beard as if to kiss him, Joab stabbed him with a sword and killed him (2 Samuel 20:8-10).

Significance Within Scripture

Amasa's death figures in the biblical assessment of Joab's life. On his deathbed David reminded Solomon that Joab had killed Abner and Amasa (1 Kings 2:5). When Solomon had Joab executed, he described the two men as "more righteous and better than he" (1 Kings 2:32). The New Testament makes no mention of Amasa. Amasa the son of Hadlai, an Ephraimite mentioned in 2 Chronicles 28:12, is a different person who merely shares the name.

Interpretations and Debates

• Differences in the genealogical records: Second Samuel and First Chronicles describe the father as "an Israelite" and "an Ishmeelite," respectively. In addition, 2 Samuel calls the mother "the daughter of Nahash," which differs from the record in 1 Chronicles. Some regard these as discrepancies that arose during scribal transmission, and various other attempts at harmonization have been proposed, but the text itself does not explain the differences.
• Reason for the delayed muster: The text does not give a reason. Suggestions that the men of Judah were difficult to gather, or that Amasa's loyalty was in doubt, are conjectures on the part of interpreters.
• Kiss and betrayal: Sermons sometimes set Joab's kiss alongside the kiss of Judas Iscariot. This is an application made by interpreters, not a connection drawn directly by the New Testament.

In the Korean Church

Sermons that focus on Amasa as their main subject are rare. He is usually mentioned in sermons on Joab or on David's later years as an example of false intimacy and power struggles. In such contexts Proverbs 27:6, "the kisses of an enemy are deceitful," is sometimes cited as well.