to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Amasa
לַעֲמָשָׂ֔אla.'a.ma.Sa'
H6021
Amasa · preposition + proper noun, a man's name
health
הֲשָׁל֥וֹםha.sha.Lom
H7965
safe · interrogative particle + noun, common masculine singular absolute
brother
אָחִ֑י'a.Chi
H251
a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relation… · noun, common masculine singular construct + pronominal suffix
Joab
יוֹאָ֛בyo.'Av
H3097
Joab · proper noun, a man's name
took
וַתֹּ֜חֶזva.To.chez
H270
to seize (often with the accessory idea of holding in p… · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person feminine singular
Amasa
עֲמָשָׂ֖א'a.ma.Sa'
H6021
Amasa · proper noun, a man's name
beard
בִּזְקַ֥ןbiz.Kan
H2206
the beard (as indicating age) · preposition + noun, common masculine singular construct
right
יְמִ֥יןye.Min
H3225
the right hand or side (leg · noun, common feminine singular construct
hand
יַדyad-
H3027
a hand (the open one (indicating power · noun, common both genders singular construct
kiss
לִנְשָׁקlin.shok-
H5401
to kiss · preposition + verb, qal infinitive construct
Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).
Cross-references
Matthew 26:48-49 Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.
Luke 22:47-48 And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to k…
Psalms 55:21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
Proverbs 26:24-26 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him;
Micah 7:2 The good man is perished out of the earth: and there is none upright among men: they all lie in wait for blood; they hunt every man his brot…
Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).
Commentary
Matthew Henry on 2 Samuel 20:4-13
We have here Amasa's fall just as he began to rise. He was nephew to David (Sa2 17:25), had been Absalom's general and commander-in-chief of his rebellious army, but, that being routed, he came over into David's interest, upon a promise that he should be general of his forces instead of Joab. Sheba's rebellion gives David an occasion to fulfil his promise sooner than he could wish, but Joab's envy and emulation rendered its fulfillment of ill consequence both to him and David.
I. Amasa has a commission to raise forces for the suppressing of Sheba's rebellion, and is ordered to raise them with all possible expedition, Sa2 20:4. It seems, the men of Judah, though forward to attend the king's t…
took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him--This act, common with two friends on meeting when one of them returns from a journey, indicates respect as well as kindliness, and the performance of it evinced the deep hypocrisy of Joab, who thereby put Amasa off his guard. No wonder, then, that while this act of friendly gratulation after long absence occupied Amasa's attention, he did not perceive the sword that was in Joab's left hand. The action of Joab was indeed a high compliment, but neither suspicious nor unusual and to this compliment, Amasa paying attention and no doubt returning it with suitable politeness, he could little expect the fatal event that Joab's perfidy produce…
Joab's garment - It appears that this was not a military garment; and that Joab had no arms but a short sword, which he had concealed in his girdle; and this sword, or knife, was so loose in its sheath that it could be easily drawn out. It is thought farther, that Joab, in passing to Amasa, stumbled, (for so some of the versions, and able critics, understand the words it fell out). and that the sword fell down when he stumbled; that he took it up with his left hand as if he had no bad intention; and then, taking Amasa by the beard with his right hand, pretending to kiss him, he, with his sword in his left hand, ripped up his bowels. This seems to be the meaning of this very obscure verse. It…
The Church Fathers
Would ye that in another way also I should make what I say plainer? Let us look into their case, who avenge themselves even justly. For as to the wrong doers, that they are the most worthless of all men, warring against their own soul; this is surely plain to every one. But who avenged himself justly, yet kindled innumerable ills, and pierced himself through with many calamities and sorrows? The captain of David's host. For he both stirred up a grievous war, and suffered unnumbered evils; not one whereof would have happened, had he but known how to command himself. Let us flee therefore from this sin, and neither in words nor deeds do our neighbors wrong.
So with the wicked severally, because they have evil not upon the tongue, but under the tongue, in the words of their mouth they hold out sweet things, and in the thoughts of their heart are plotting mischiefs. For it is hence that Joab held the beard of Amasa with his right hand, whilst secretly putting his left hand to his sword, he shed out his bowels. For to hold the chin with the right hand is to caress as if in kindness. But he puts his left hand to his sword, who in secret strikes in malice. Hence too it is written concerning their head himself; "Under his tongue is mischief and pain." For he that doth not display openly the ill that he designs, does not put forth on the tongue the mischief and pain of those, whose destruction he aims at, but keeps them close under the tongue.
The Church Fathers: public-domain translations (Ante-Nicene and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers), verse-indexed by SermonIndex (CC BY 4.0).
Dictionary and topics
Amasa — Burden. (1.) The son of Abigail, a sister of king David (1 Chr. 2:17; 2 Sam. 17:25). He was appointed by David to command the army in room of his cousin Joab (2 Sam. 19:13), who afterwards…
Beard — The mode of wearing it was definitely prescribed to the Jews (Lev. 19:27; 21:5). Hence the import of Ezekiel’s (5:1-4) description of the “razor” i.e., the agents of an angry providence being used…
David — Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam.…
Gibeon — Hill-city, “one of the royal cities, greater than Ai, and all the men thereof were mighty” (Josh. 10:2). Its inhabitants were Hivites (11:19). It lay within the territory of Benjamin, and became a…
Joab — Jehovah is his father. (1.) One of the three sons of Zeruiah, David’s sister, and “captain of the host” during the whole of David’s reign (2 Sam. 2:13; 10:7; 11:1; 1 Kings 11:15). His father’s name…
Sheba — An oath, seven. (1.) Heb. shebha, the son of Raamah (Gen. 10:7), whose descendants settled with those of Dedan on the Persian Gulf. (2.) Heb. id. A son of Joktan (Gen. 10:28), probably the founder of…
Abishai · Overthrows Sheba — Overthrows Sheba
Amasa · .Sam — .Sam
Assassination · .Amasa, by Joab — .Amasa, by Joab
Confidence · .Amasa, by Joab — .Amasa, by Joab
Enemies · The friendship of, deceitful — The friendship of, deceitful
And Joab said to Amasa,.... In a friendly manner, with all the air of pleasantry and good humour:
art thou in health, my brother? this looked like a friendly salutation to ask of his health, and wish him it, and a loving appellation to call him brother; though they were near of kin, sisters' children, and so own cousins; thus he addressed him, to cover his design:
and Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him: as was usual for the eastern people to do when they addressed and saluted one another in an affectionate way, and as the Turks and Arabs do to this day, as travellers relate. Barthius (t) has collected passages from the Greek poets, which show it to be a custom, th…
Sheba's Rebellion. - Sa2 20:1. There happened to be a worthless man there, named Sheba, a Benjaminite. He blew the trumpet, and said, "We have no part in David, nor inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O Israel!" "To his tents," i.e., to his home, as in Sa2 19:9, etc.
Sa2 20:2
All the men of Israel responded to this call, and went up (to the mountains) away from David and after Sheba; but the men of Judah adhered to their king from the Jordan to Jerusalem. The construction of דּבק with ועד ... מן is a pregnant one: they adhered to and followed him. The expression "from Jordan" does not prove that Sheba's rebellion broke out at the Jordan itself, and before David's arrival…
to kiss him: This affectionate greeting was not always genuine (cp. 14:33).
Rashi on 2 Samuel 20:8
Close to his loins. Very close to his body along the width of his loins, this was not the usual way of carrying a sword. He did so to make it easy for it to fall out so it would not be necessary to take it out of its sheath.
He started out [towards Amosoh.]. Towards Amosoh.
And it fell out. The sword [fell out] from its sheath because it was smooth and sharp and was not hanging on the side of his thigh but it was along the width of his loins. As soon as he [Yoav] leaned forward towards the ground it [the sword] fell out of its sheath and he grabbed it with his right hand without Amosoh noticing anything.
Kiss · Of Joab, when he killed Amasa — Of Joab, when he killed Amasa
Salutations · By kissing — By kissing
Treachery · Of Joab to Amasa — Of Joab to Amasa
Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).
