2 Samuel 17:25

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

Absalom had appointed Amasa over the army in place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra, an Israelite who had gone in to Abigail, the daughter of Nahash and the sister of Zeruiah, the mother of Joab.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְאֶת־עֲמָשָׂ֗א שָׂ֧ם אַבְשָׁלֹ֛ם תַּ֥חַת יוֹאָ֖ב עַל־הַצָּבָ֑א וַעֲמָשָׂ֣א בֶן־אִ֗ישׁ וּשְׁמוֹ֙ יִתְרָ֣א הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֔י אֲשֶׁר־בָּא֙ אֶל־אֲבִיגַ֣ל בַּת־נָחָ֔שׁ אֲח֥וֹת צְרוּיָ֖ה אֵ֥ם יוֹאָֽב׃

Transliteration

And-ʾet-ʿĂmāśāʾ śām ʾAbšālōm instead-of Yôʾāb over-the-ṣābāʾ and-wa-ʿĂmāśāʾ son-of-ʾîš and-his-name Yitrāʾ the-Yiśrəʾēlî who-bāʾ to-ʾĂbîgal daughter-of-Nāḥāš sister-of Ṣərûyâ mother-of Yôʾāb

Grammar Details

• *ʾet*: direct object marker
• *ʿĂmāśāʾ*: proper noun, masculine - Amasa
• *śām*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he put/placed/appointed
• *ʾAbšālōm*: proper noun, masculine - Absalom
• *Yôʾāb*: proper noun, masculine - Joab
• *ṣābāʾ*: noun, masculine singular - army
• *wa-ʿĂmāśāʾ*: waw conjunction + proper noun, masculine - and Amasa
• *ʾîš*: noun, masculine singular - man
• *Yitrāʾ*: proper noun, masculine - Ithra
• *Yiśrəʾēlî*: gentilic adjective, masculine singular - Israelite
• *bāʾ*: perfect, 3rd masculine singular - he went in/came
• *ʾĂbîgal*: proper noun, feminine - Abigal
• *Nāḥāš*: proper noun, masculine - Nahash
• *Ṣərûyâ*: proper noun, feminine - Zeruiah

Word Meanings

• *śām*: put/placed/appointed
• *Yiśrəʾēlî*: Israelite (some manuscripts have 'Ishmaelite')
• *bāʾ*: went in to/came to/had relations with

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And Absalom made Amasa captain of the army instead of Joab: Amasa was the son of a man whose name was Ithra, an Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa was a man's son, whose name was Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Absalom{H53} set{H7760} Amasa{H6021} over the host{H6635} instead of Joab.{H3097} Now Amasa{H6021} was the son{H1121} of a man,{H376} whose name{H8034} was Ithra{H3501} the Israelite,{H3481} that went in{H935} to Abigal{H26} the daughter{H1323} of Nahash,{H5176} sister{H269} to Zeruiah,{H6870} Joab's{H3097} mother.{H517}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Absalom{H53} made{H7760}{(H8804)} Amasa{H6021} captain of the host{H6635} instead of Joab{H3097}: which Amasa{H6021} was a man's{H376} son{H1121}, whose name{H8034} was Ithra{H3501} an Israelite{H3481}, that went in{H935}{(H8804)} to Abigail{H26} the daughter{H1323} of Nahash{H5176}, sister{H269} to Zeruiah{H6870} Joab's{H3097} mother{H517}.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And Absalom had set Amasa ouer the hoost in Ioabs steade. Amasa was the sonne of a man, whose name was Iethra a Iesraelite, which laye with Abigail the doughter of Nahas the sister of Zeru Ia Ioabs mother.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And Absalom made Amasa captaine of the hoste in the stead of Ioab: which Amasa was a mans sonne named Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Ioabs mother.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And Absalom made Amasa captaine of the hoast in stede of Ioab: which Amasa, was a mans sonne named Iethra an Israelite, that went into Abigail the daughter of Nahas, sister to Zaruia Ioabs mother.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab: which Amasa [was] a man's son, whose name [was] Ithra an Israelite, that went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and Amasa hath Absalom set instead of Joab over the host, and Amasa `is' a man's son whose name is Ithra the Israelite who hath gone in unto Abigail, daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, mother of Joab;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Absalom set Amasa over the host instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, that went in to Abigal the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  And Absalom put Amasa at the head of the army in place of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite, who had been the lover of Abigail, the daughter of Jesse, sister of Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

• World English Bible (2000)

  Absalom set Amasa over the army instead of Joab. Now Amasa was the son of a man, whose name was Ithra the Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah, Joab's mother.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  Absalom had made Amasa general in command of the army in place of Joab.(Now Amasa was the son of an Israelite man named Jether, who had married Abigail the daughter of Nahash and sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother.)

Referenced Verses

• 2 Sam 19:13 : 13 You are my brothers, my own flesh and blood. So why should you be the last to bring the king back?'
• 2 Sam 20:9-9 : 9 Joab said to Amasa, "How are you, my brother?" Then Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. 10 Amasa was not on guard against the dagger in Joab’s hand, and Joab stabbed him in the stomach. His intestines spilled to the ground, and he died without Joab striking him again. Then Joab and his brother Abishai pursued Sheba the son of Bichri. 11 One of Joab's men stood by Amasa and said, "Whoever is loyal to Joab and whoever is for David, follow Joab!" 12 Amasa lay wallowing in his blood in the middle of the road. When the man saw that all the troops stopped, he dragged Amasa from the road into a field and threw a garment over him because everyone who came by stopped.
• 1 Chr 2:13 : 13 Jesse fathered his firstborn, Eliab; Abinadab, the second; and Shimea, the third;
• 1 Chr 2:16-17 : 16 Their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah were Abishai, Joab, and Asahel—three in total. 17 Abigail gave birth to Amasa, and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.
• 1 Kgs 2:5 : 5 Moreover, you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—how he killed the two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He shed their blood as if in war during a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with the blood.
• 1 Kgs 2:32 : 32 The LORD will bring back his blood on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than himself—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel's army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah's army—killing them with the sword without my father David knowing it.
• 2 Sam 20:4 : 4 Then the king said to Amasa, "Summon the men of Judah to come to me within three days, and you must be here as well."