2 Samuel 17:25

25 Now Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in Joab's place. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra^[a] the Israelite;^[b][c]Ithra had married Abigail daughter of Nahash.^[d] Abigail was a sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

2 Samuel 17:25 Meaning and Commentary

2 Samuel 17:25

And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab,
&c.] Who was along with David:

which Amasa [was] a man's son whose name [was] Ithra, an Israelite;
he is called Jether the Ishmaelite, ( 1 Chronicles 2:17 ) ; either because he was an Ishmaelite by birth, and being proselyted to the Jewish religion, was called an Israelite; or rather he was an Israelite by birth, and having sojourned in the land of Ishmael some time, was called an Ishmaelite, as Uriah the Hittite, and others; and when Amasa is called a "man's son", it means a great man, as Kimchi observes:

that went in to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah,
Joab's mother:
so that Joab and Amasa, the generals of David and Absalom, were own cousins, sisters' children, and David uncle to them both; for Abigail and Zeruiah were David's sisters, ( 1 Chronicles 2:16 ) ; children of Jesse, whose name is here called Nahash, having two names, or this was his surname; though others think Nahash is the name of a woman, the wife of Jesse, and that these two sisters had two mothers, but one father; it seems by this expression, "went in to", as if Amasa was not begotten in the conjugal state, but was illegitimate.

2 Samuel 17:25 In-Context

23 When Ahithophel realized that his advice had not been followed, he saddled his donkey and set out for his house in his hometown. He set his affairs in order and hanged himself. So he died and was buried in his father's tomb.

24 David had arrived at Mahanaim by the time Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel.

25 Now Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in Joab's place. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Israelite;Ithra had married Abigail daughter of Nahash. Abigail was a sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

26 And Israel and Absalom camped in the land of Gilead.

27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim

Footnotes

• [a]. Or Jether
• [b]. Some LXX mss read Ishmaelite
• [c]. 1 Ch 2:17
• [d]. Some LXX mss read Jesse