Asahel

Asahel [N] [H] [S]

made by God, the youngest son of Zeruiah, David's sister. He was celebrated for his swiftness of foot. When fighting against Ish-bosheth at Gibeon, in the army of his brother Joab, he was put to death by Abner, whom he pursued from the field of battle ( 2 Samuel 2:18 2 Samuel 2:19 ). He is mentioned among David's thirty mighty men ( 2 Samuel 23:24 ; 1 Chronicles 11:26 ). Others of the same name are mentioned ( 2 Chronicles 17:8 ; 31:13 ; Ezra 10:15 ).

These dictionary topics are from
M.G. Easton M.A., D.D., Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Third Edition,
published by Thomas Nelson, 1897. Public Domain, copy freely.

[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[H] indicates this entry was also found in Hitchcock's Bible Names
[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Bibliography Information

Easton, Matthew George. "Entry for Asahel". "Easton's Bible Dictionary". .
Asahel [N] [E] [S]

creature of God
Hitchcock's Dictionary of Bible Names. Public Domain. Copy freely.

[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
[S] indicates this entry was also found in Smith's Bible Dictionary

Bibliography Information

Hitchcock, Roswell D. "Entry for 'Asahel'". "An Interpreting Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names". . New York, N.Y., 1869.
Asahel [N] [E] [H]

(made by God ).

  1. Nephew of David, being the youngest son of his sister Zeruiah. He was celebrated for his swiftness of foot. When fighting under his brother Joab at Gibeon, he pursued Abner, who was obliged to kill him in self-defence. ( 2 Samuel 2:18 ) ff. [ABNER] (B.C. 1050.)
  2. One of the Levites in the reign of Jehoshaphat, who went throughout the cities of Judah to instruct the people in the knowledge of the law. ( 2 Chronicles 17:8 ) (B.C. 910.)
  3. A Levite in the reign of Hezekiah, who had charge of the tithes and dedicated things in the temple. ( 2 Chronicles 31:13 ) (B.C. 927.)
  4. A priest, father of Jonathan, in the time of Ezra. ( Ezra 10:15 ) He is called AZAEL in 1Esd 9:14. (B.C. before 459.)

[N] indicates this entry was also found in Nave's Topical Bible
[E] indicates this entry was also found in Easton's Bible Dictionary
[H] indicates this entry was also found in Hitchcock's Bible Names

Bibliography Information

Smith, William, Dr. "Entry for 'Asahel'". "Smith's Bible Dictionary". . 1901.

ASAHEL

as'-a-hel (`asah'el, "God hath made"; Asael):

(1) The brother of Joab and Abishai. The three were sons of Zeruiah, one of David's sisters (1 Chronicles 2:15,16; 2 Samuel 2:18, etc.). The three brothers seem to have been from the beginning members of David's troop of strangely respectable brigands. Asahel was distinguished for his swift running, and this fact brought misfortune upon him and upon Israel. When Abner and the forces of Ish-bosheth were defeated near Gibeon, Asahel pursued Abner. Abner knew that he could outright Asahel, though he could not outrun him. He also knew that the time had come for making David king, and that a blood feud among the leaders would be a calamity. He expostulated with Asahel, but in vain. It came to a fight, and Abner slew Asahel (2 Samuel 2:3). As a result the coming of David to the throne of all Israel was delayed; and when at last Abner brought it about, he himself was treacherously killed by Joab in alleged blood revenge for Asahel. Asahel is mentioned as sixth in the list of David's "mighty men" (2 Samuel 23:24; 1 Chronicles 11:26).

The earlier of the names in this list are evidently arranged in the order of seniority. If it be assumed that the list was not made till after the death of Asahel, still there is no difficulty in the idea that some of the names in the list were placed there posthumously. Asahel is also mentioned as the fourth of David's month-by-month captains (1 Chronicles 27:7). Superficial criticism describes this position as that of "commander of a division of David's army," and regards the statement, "and Zebadiah his son after him," as a note added to explain the otherwise incredible assertion of the text. This criticism is correct in its implication that the fourth captain was, as the text stands, the dead Asahel, in the person of his son Zebadiah. Coming from an annotator, the criticism regards this meaning as intelligible; is it any the less so if we regard it as coming from the author? In fact, the statement is both intelligible and credible. The second of David's month-by-month captains is Dodai, the father of the second of David's "mighty men"; and the fourth is Asahel, with his son Zebadiah. With these two variations the twelve month-by-month captains are twelve out of the nineteen seniors in the list of mighty men, and are mentioned in practically the same order of seniority. The 24,000 men each month were not a fighting army mobilized for war. The position of general for a month, whatever else it may have involved, was an honor held by a distinguished veteran. There is no absurdity in the idea that the honor may in some cases have been posthumous, the deceased being represented by his father or his son or by someone else.

(2) A Levite member of the commission of captains and Levites and priests which Jehoshaphat, in his third year, sent among the cities of Judah, with the book of the law, to spread information among the people (2 Chronicles 17:7-9).

(3) One of the keepers of the storechambers in the temple in the time of Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 31:13).

(4) The father of Jonathan who was one of the two men who "stood upon this," at the time when Ezra and the people appointed a court to consider the cases of those who had married foreign wives (Ezra 10:15). The text of the Revised Version (British and American) translates "stood up against this," while the margin has "were appointed over this."

Willis J. Beecher


Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.

Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Entry for 'ASAHEL'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". 1915.