2 Samuel 17:25

25 Avshalom set `Amasa over the host instead of Yo'av. Now `Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Yitra the Yisra'elite, who went in to Avigayil the daughter of Nachash, sister to Tzeru'yah, Yo'av'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 Achitofel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey, and arose, and got him home, to his city, and set his house in order, and hanged himself; and he died, and was buried in the tomb of his father.

24 Then David came to Machanayim. Avshalom passed over the Yarden, he and all the men of Yisra'el with him.

25 Avshalom set `Amasa over the host instead of Yo'av. Now `Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Yitra the Yisra'elite, who went in to Avigayil the daughter of Nachash, sister to Tzeru'yah, Yo'av's mother.

26 Yisra'el and Avshalom encamped in the land of Gil`ad.

27 It happened, when David was come to Machanayim, that Shovi the son of Nachash of Rabbah of the children of `Ammon, and Makhir the son of `Ammi'el of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gil`adite of Roglim,