AMASA (Heb. ʿĀmāšāʾ «Bundle»; Septuagint: ʿAṭṭāṣa). - Military leader, son of Abigail, sister of David, and of Jether (or Jetra) the Ishmaelite (I Chron. 2:17) or the Jezreelite (II Sam. 17:25). He sided with the rebel Absalom (v.), who made him commander of his troops. Defeated by Joab (v.), he was treated leniently by David, who bound A. to himself by assigning him the high post of commander of the army, previously held by Joab, A.'s cousin (II Sam. 19:14). When a new revolt broke out led by the Benjaminite Sheba, A. was charged by the king with suppressing it, but he failed to muster the men of Judah within the 3 days set for him (II Sam. 20:4 ff.). Abishai (v.) and Joab therefore preceded him on the expedition. The latter waited for his hated rival to arrive, and killed him treacherously, pretending to embrace him, near Gibeon (ibid. 8-13). David was deeply grieved by the murder of his nephew, and as he was dying he charged Solomon to avenge him (I Kings 2:5, 32-34).

Angelo Penna

@incollection{ec1_amasa_ebr_amasa_fardello_setta, author = {Penna, Angelo}, title = {Amasa (Ebr. ʿĀMĀŠĀʾ «Fardello»; Settanta: ʿAṬṬĀṢA)}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {I}, pages = {973--974}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1948}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/amasa-ebr-amasa-fardello-settanta-attasa} }

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