AMASA ə må’ sə (עֲמָשָׂ֗א). 1. Amasa was the captain of the Israelite army appointed by Absalom when he attempted to overthrow the Davidic rule in Israel. Joab killed Amasa during the subsequent rebellion led by Sheba.

As the son of Jether (“Ithra” is another Heb. form for this name in 2 Sam 17:25) the Ishmaelite and Abigail, Amasa was related to the royal family since his mother was a sister of David. He was also a cousin to Joab whose mother Zeruiah was also David’s sister (1 Chron 2:16, 17).

When Absalom rebelled David divided his forces assigning one third of his army to Joab, one third to Abishai a brother of Joab, and another third to Ittai the Gittite. In the course of defeating the rebellion forces Joab killed Absalom explicitly disobeying David’s command and consequently incurring the king’s disfavor. This may have accounted for the fact that David pardoned Amasa and appointed him as captain of his army in place of Joab (2 Sam 19:13).

When Sheba led a rebellion movement David ordered Amasa to assemble an army in three days (2 Sam 20:4). No explanation is given in the Biblical account concerning his failure to do so in the allotted time, but Abishai is subsequently assigned the task of suppressing the rebellion. When Abishai, who was supported by Joab with the Cherethites, Pelethites, and all the mighty men, advanced as far as Gibeon they were joined by Amasa and his forces. Here Joab personally killed Amasa (2 Sam 20:8-10). Subsequently Joab led the combined forces in victory over Sheba.

2. Amasa, the son of Hadlai (2 Chron 28:9-15), is one of the princes of Ephraim who supported Oded the prophet in warning the Israelites. During the Syro-Ephraimitic war the Israelites under Pekah invaded the southern kingdom of Judah and brought some of the people to Samaria as captives with the intention of enslaving them. Amasa and some of the other princes in Ephraim joined the prophet in his word of warning and then provided for the proper return of the captives to Jericho.