AMARIAH or [whom said, i. e., promised, comp. 0€60pao-ros, Ges. ; jle hovah's allotment, Furst]; Sept. ' Abeapia, 'Aisapias). A person mentioned in 1 Chron. vi. 7; Ezr. vii. 3, in the list of the descendants of Aaron by his eldes, son Eleazer. He was the son of Meraioth and the father of Ahitub, who was (not the grandson and successor of Eli of the same name, but) the father of that Zadok in whose person Saul restored the high-priesthood to the line of Eleazer. The years during which the younger line of Ithamar en joyed the pontificate in the persons of Eli, Ahitub, and Ahimelech (who was slain by King Saul at Nob) doubtless more than cover the time of Amariah and his son Ahitub ; and it is therefore sufficiently certain that they never were high-priests in fact, although their names are given to carry on the direct line of succession to Zadok.
2. The high-priest at a later period, the son of Azariah, and also father of a second Ahitub (1 Chron. vi. II). In like manner, in the same list, there are three high-priests bearing the name of Azariah.
3. The great-grandfather of the prophet Zepha niah (Zeph. i. i).—J. K.
[Other persons of this name are mentioned, Chron. xxiii. 19, and xxiv. 23 ; 2 Chron. xxxi. 15; Neh. x. 3; xii. 2, 13 ; Ezr. x. 42 ; Neh. xii. 4.] AMASA a burden ; Sept. 'Aileacrat), son of Abigail, a sister of king David. As his name does not occur prior to Absalom's rebellion (2 Sam. xvii. 25), he must have been neglected by David in comparison with Joab and Abishai, the sons of his other sister Zeruiah, who had before then been raised to great power and influence. This apparent estrangement may perhaps be con nected with the fact that Abigail had married an Ishmaelite called Jether, who was the father of Amasa. This is the more likely, as the fact is pointedly mentioned (I Chron. ii. 17), or covertly indicated (2 Sam. xvii. 25) whenever the name of Abigail occurs, whereas we are quite ignorant who was the husband of the other sister, Zeruiah, and father of her distinguished sons. We may thus
form a conjecture of the grounds on which Amasa joined Absalom, and obtained the command of the rebel army. He was defeated by his cousin Joab, who commanded the army of David, but that monarch eventually offered him not only pardon, but the com mand of the army in the room of Joab (2 Sam. xix. 13), whose overbearing conduct had become intoler able to him, and to whom he could not entirely for give the death of Absalom. On the breaking out of Sheba's rebellion, Amasa was so tardy in his movements (probably from the reluctance of the troops to follow him), that David despatched Abishai with the household troops in pursuit of Sheba, and Joab joined his brother as a volunteer. When they reached the great stone of Gibeon ' they were overtaken by Amasa with the force he had been able to collect. Joab thinking this a fa vourable opportunity of getting rid of so dangerous a rival, saluted Amasa, asked him of his health, and took his beard in his right hand to kiss him, while with the unheeded /0 hand he smote him dead with his sword. Joab then put himself at the head of the troops, and continued the pursuit of Sheba ' • and such was his popularity with the army, that David was unable to remove him from the command, or call him to account for this bloody deed : B.C. 1022. [ABNER ; ABSALOM ; JOAB.] 2. A chief of Ephraim, who, with others, vehe mently resisted the retention as prisoners of the persons whom Pekah, king of Israel, had taken captive in a successful campaign against Ahaz, king of Judah (2 Chron. xxviii. 12).—J. K.
AMASAI the principal leader of a considerable body of men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who joined David at Ziklag. The words with which David received them indicate some apprehension, which was instantly dissipated by a fervent declaration of attachment from Amasai (1 Chron. xii. 16-18). [By many this person is identified with Amasa (Berthean, Buck. d. Citron. in loc.), but this is not quite certain].