Who was Amasa in the Bible?

Son of Ithra, or Jether, by David's sister Abigail, whom Absalom in his revolt made captain of his army. David forgave him and promised him the command of the army, but he was treacherously slain by Joab. David left it to his son Solomon to revenge this act. 2 Sam. 17:25; 2 Sam. 19:13; 2 Sam. 20:4-12; 1 Kings 2:5, 32; 1 Chr. 2:17.

An Ephraimite who resisted the bringing into Samaria prisoners from Judah. 2 Chr. 28:12-15.

A sister or half sister of David: she was the mother of Amasa by a man named Ithra or Jether, described both as an Israelite and an Ishmeelite. 2 Sam. 17:25; 1 Chr. 2:16-17. See JETHER

An Ishmeelite, father of Amasa. 1 Kings 2:5, 32; 1 Chr. 2:17. He is called ITHRA, an Israelite, in 2 Sam. 17:25. He may have been an Ishmeelite by birth, and have become a proselyte.

David, pursued by Absalom, comes to Mahanaim. Here it was that Jacob returning from exile met the host of God sent to secure him against Esau's undertakings. Here too David, under discipline again taking a path of exile, is found beneath the same shield. How reassuring to our soul! Our circumstances may change: whether it be strength or weakness, the testing or the restoration of the soul — in one case as in the other the danger is the same, whether it comes from an Esau or an Absalom, and the resources of our God remain unchangeable.

Amasa replaces Joab at the head of David's rebellious son's army. He was a cousin to Joab — cousin through his mother, but also through his mother's dishonour. Joab, as we shall see, never forgives anything: whether it be a blot against his family or the usurpation of his position, or the danger of competition for the place of supreme command.

David, hearing of this movement among the people, sent to Zadok and Abiathar, asking them to speak to the elders of Judah, to ask them as to why they were so slow in bringing the king back when the common people were urging it. He presses the fact too that Judah was David's own tribe, virtually his bone and his flesh. Why when the delay? He also uses a further influencing tool, by declaring that Amasa should be appointed commander of his army in place of Joab. This was rather a bold step on David's part, for Amasa had sided with Absalom in his conspiracy, and it might be a serious question as to whether he could he trusted as commander of David's army. But David wanted to show a conciliatory spirit toward those who had joined Absalom, and he also considered that Joab had proven himself too hard a man to rightly represent the king as commander of his army. He had spoken of Joab's hardness before (2 Samuel 3:28-29; 38-39); and at this time his thoughts were no doubt further aggravated by his knowledge that Joab had killed Absalom in spite of David's charge to him.

A short distance north (at Gibeon) Amasa met them. Whether he had done anything at all in gathering Judah we are not told. But Joab saw the opportunity he wanted. Amasa was totally unsuspecting, though he ought to have remembered Joab's murder of Abner (2 Samuel 3:26-27), and he should have known perfectly well that Joab would strongly resent Amasa's promotion above him to the rank of commander of David's armies. Joab was dressed in battle armor, and though he had a sword in his left hand, Amasa did not even notice this, and specially since Joab spoke to him in friendly terms, "Are you in health, my brother?" and came close to kiss him. But "the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov.27:6), and Joab plunged his sword into Amasa's chest at the same time, making sure he killed him with one stroke.

Joab and Abishai continued their pursuit of Sheba, leaving Amasa lying in a pool of blood, with one of Joab's men left behind to urge those following to catch up with Joab. But in seeing Amasa's body the people were shocked and stood still. The man therefore removed the body from the highway and covered it with a garment. The gruesome evidence being thus covered up, the men continued on their way to follow Joab. Joab had taken the place of commander, which evidently Abishai willingly gave him.

Sheba had apparently been unable to organize any army whatever, and had travelled as far north as he could in Israel, taking refuge in the city of Abel in Beth-Maachah. We are not even told how may followers were with him. but Joab and his men had no difficulty in finding where he was. The gates of the city were barred, an evidence to Joab that the city was protecting Sheba. Under the protection of a siege mound Joab and his men attacked the city wall, intending to break through it.

Not yet has the king reached Jerusalem before there appears the shadow of that which. little more than a generation later was to be the beginning of the end for Israel's independence. The strife between Israel and Judah breaks out in the very presence of the king; and Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite, heads a fresh revolt against David. The men of Israel, gathered to do honor to David, follow him; and the spark of rebellion thus kindled threatens to grow into a speedy flame. The king calls Amasa to gather the tribe of Judah in pursuit of Sheba; but he is tardy, where everything depends on speed: David therefore entrusts Abishai with the commission to pursue Sheba at the head of his standing guard. The special troop of the dispossessed Joab goes with the rest, and Joab at the head of these. Here was at once material for discord again, and the murder of Amasa restores Joab to his old place at the head of the troops, where his success in the capture of Sheba keeps him. Politic and brave as he is unscrupulous, the figure of Joab dominates all this latter part of David's reign.

David, who has decided to dismiss Joab, attempts to fulfill the promise made to his nephew Amasa by making him head of the army (cf. 2 Sam. 19:13); he charges him with gathering together the men of Judah to pursue the son of Bichri. Amasa delays in accomplishing his mission. Perhaps David was impatient, for Amasa was not a traitor and had already come to Gibeon, not far from Jerusalem, when the company led by Abishai and the mighty men went out of the capital (v. 8). The fact is that through fear of the evil that Sheba might do David once again falls into Joab's hands through Abishai's instrumentality. Could not David have inquired of the Lord at this renewing of his reign? God had once before inclined Israel's heart; could He not do so a second time?

In verses 9-15 we see grace. The ten tribes had betrayed and abandoned David in order to follow unrighteous Absalom; they are the first to return and speak of bringing back the king. David knows of this and opens his arms to Judah, so slow, so slothful until now to acknowledge the throne of their king, and who ought to have borne the penalty for this. “Ye are my bone and my flesh,” he tells them (v. 12). Amasa had been the head of the army that had pursued David, and he was all the more guilty in that he like Joab was the king's nephew. “Art thou not my bone, and my flesh?” David sends to say to Amasa (v. 13). His grace demands nothing; much rather it delights in doing good to his enemies.

David went on north to Mahanaim. No doubt some time had elapsed before Absalom and his army crossed the Jordan also and encamped in the area of Gilead, not far from David. Verse 25 tells us that Absalom made Amasa captain of his army, a man who had a certain relationship with Joab.