| Easton's Bible Dictionary 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, 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). Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia 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 |  | Multi-Version Concordance Asahel (17 Occurrences) 2 Samuel 2:18 The three sons of Zeruiah were there, Joab, and Abishai, and Asahel: and Asahel was as light of foot as a wild gazelle. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 2:19 Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he didn't turn to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS) 2 Samuel 2:20 Then Abner looked behind him, and said, "Is it you, Asahel?" He answered, "It is I." (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 2:21 Abner said to him, "Turn aside to your right hand or to your left, and grab one of the young men, and take his armor." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 2:22 Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn aside from following me. Why should I strike you to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab your brother?" (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 2:23 However he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner with the back end of the spear struck him in the body, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there, and died in the same place. It happened, that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died stood still. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 2:30 Joab returned from following Abner: and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 2:32 They took up Asahel, and buried him in the tomb of his father, which was in Bethlehem. Joab and his men went all night, and the day broke on them at Hebron. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 3:27 When Abner was returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside into the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and struck him there in the body, so that he died, for the blood of Asahel his brother. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 3:30 So Joab and Abishai his brother killed Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Samuel 23:24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 1 Chronicles 2:16 and their sisters were Zeruiah and Abigail. The sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS NAS NIV) 1 Chronicles 11:26 Also the mighty men of the armies: Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 1 Chronicles 27:7 The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him: and in his division were twenty-four thousand. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Chronicles 17:8 and with them the Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, the Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, the priests. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) 2 Chronicles 31:13 Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah, were overseers under the hand of Conaniah and Shimei his brother, by the appointment of Hezekiah the king, and Azariah the ruler of the house of God. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) Ezra 10:15 Only Jonathan the son of Asahel and Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah stood up against this matter : and Meshullam and Shabbethai the Levite helped them. (WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV) |
